---
type: "Bill"
title: "Granting relatives, including but not limited to grandparents, the right to seek visitation with a child through the courts."
description: "Granting relatives, including but not limited to grandparents, the right to seek visitation with a child through the courts."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wa"
legislature: "Washington Legislature"
session: "2017-2018"
identifier: "SB 5598"
citation: "Washington SB 5598 (2017-2018)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["ORDERS OF COURT", "CHILDREN", "DOMESTIC RELATIONS"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Pedersen"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 34
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2017-01-31"
last_action: "2018-03-22"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/de5d56ec-a41c-4c30-b527-7784cd142df0"
source_url: "http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=5598&year=2017"
source_hash: "146faaf29471095fd1a9cdcaf054b76ab31b28938749690252e9b2110c9ea8ed"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-wa"]
---

# Washington SB 5598 (2017-2018) — Granting relatives, including but not limited to grandparents, the right to seek visitation with a child through the courts.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Bill** (committee substitute) — [source](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/Biennium/2017-18/Htm/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5598.htm)

## Votes

- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#16) — **43–6** (pass) · upper
- Final Passage as Amended by the House (#17) — **53–45** (pass) · lower
- Final Passage on Reconsideration (#19) — **56–42** (pass) · lower
- 3rd Reading & Final Passage (#14) — **44–5** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Pedersen — primary (person)
- Angel — cosponsor (person)
- Bailey — cosponsor (person)
- Becker — cosponsor (person)
- Billig — cosponsor (person)
- Braun — cosponsor (person)
- Brown — cosponsor (person)
- Carlyle — cosponsor (person)
- Chase — cosponsor (person)
- Cleveland — cosponsor (person)
- Conway — cosponsor (person)
- Darneille — cosponsor (person)
- Fain — cosponsor (person)
- Frockt — cosponsor (person)
- Hasegawa — cosponsor (person)
- Hawkins — cosponsor (person)
- Hobbs — cosponsor (person)
- Honeyford — cosponsor (person)
- Hunt — cosponsor (person)
- Keiser — cosponsor (person)
- King — cosponsor (person)
- Kuderer — cosponsor (person)
- Liias — cosponsor (person)
- McCoy — cosponsor (person)
- Mullet — cosponsor (person)
- Nelson — cosponsor (person)
- Palumbo — cosponsor (person)
- Ranker — cosponsor (person)
- Rivers — cosponsor (person)
- Rolfes — cosponsor (person)
- Rossi — cosponsor (person)
- Saldaña — cosponsor (person)
- Schoesler — cosponsor (person)
- Takko — cosponsor (person)
- Van De Wege — cosponsor (person)
- Walsh — cosponsor (person)
- Warnick — cosponsor (person)
- Wellman — cosponsor (person)
- Wilson — cosponsor (person)
- Zeiger — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2017-01-31** First reading, referred to Law & Justice. `reading-1`
- **2017-04-24** By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
- **2017-05-23** By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
- **2017-06-21** By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
- **2018-01-08** By resolution, reintroduced and retained in present status.
- **2018-01-18** LAW - Majority; do pass.
- **2018-01-18** Minority; do not pass.
- **2018-01-19** Passed to Rules Committee for second reading.
- **2018-01-25** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2018-01-25** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2018-01-25** Third reading, passed; yeas, 44; nays, 5; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2018-01-29** First reading, referred to Judiciary (Not Officially read and referred until adoption of Introduction report). `reading-1`
- **2018-02-22** JUDI - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).
- **2018-02-22** Minority; do not pass.
- **2018-02-23** Referred to Appropriations.
- **2018-02-26** APP - Majority; do pass with amendment(s) by Judiciary.
- **2018-02-26** Minority; do not pass.
- **2018-02-26** Minority; without recommendation.
- **2018-02-26** Referred to Rules 2 Review.
- **2018-02-27** Placed on second reading by Rules Committee.
- **2018-03-02** Amendment ruled beyond the scope and object of the bill.
- **2018-03-02** Committee amendment(s) adopted with no other amendments.
- **2018-03-02** Rules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
- **2018-03-02** Third reading, passed; yeas, 53; nays, 45; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2018-03-02** Vote on third reading will be reconsidered.
- **2018-03-02** Third reading, passed; yeas, 56; nays, 42; absent, 0; excused, 0. `reading-3`
- **2018-03-06** Senate concurred in House amendments.
- **2018-03-06** Passed final passage; yeas, 43; nays, 6; absent, 0; excused, 0. `passage`
- **2018-03-08** President signed. `passage`
- **2018-03-08** Speaker signed. `passage`
- **2018-03-09** Delivered to Governor.
- **2018-03-22** Governor signed. `executive-signature`
- **2018-03-22** Chapter 183, 2018 Laws. `became-law`
- **2018-03-22** Effective date 6/7/2018. `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/de5d56ec-a41c-4c30-b527-7784cd142df0`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Washington legislature records).