2013 Revised Code of Washington
Title 70 - PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY
70.58 Vital statistics.
70.58.085 Birth certificates suitable for display -- Issuance -- Fee -- Disposition of funds.

     Legislative findings -- 1987 c 351: "The legislature finds that children are society's most valuable resource and that child abuse and neglect is a threat to the physical, mental, and emotional health of children. The legislature further finds that assisting community-based private nonprofit and public organizations, agencies, or school districts in identifying and establishing needed primary prevention programs will reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect, and the necessity for costly subsequent intervention in family life by the state. Child abuse and neglect prevention programs can be most effectively and economically administered through the use of trained volunteers and the cooperative efforts of the communities, citizens, and the state. The legislature finds that the Washington council for prevention of child abuse is an effective counsel for reducing child abuse but limited resources have prevented the council from funding promising prevention concepts statewide.

     It is the intent of the legislature to establish a cost-neutral revenue system for the children's trust fund which is designed to fund primary prevention programs and innovative prevention related activities such as research or public awareness campaigns. The fund shall be supported through revenue created by the sale of heirloom birth certificates. This concept has proven to be a cost-effective approach to funding child abuse prevention in the state of Oregon. The legislature believes that this is an innovative way of using private dollars to supplement our public dollars to reduce child abuse and neglect." [1987 c 351 § 1.]