California Attorney General Rob Bonta joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general in submitting a brief to the U.S. Supreme Court supporting Washington State's laws surrounding minors who seek refuge at licensed youth homeless shelters.
The case, International Partners for Ethical Care, Inc. v Ferguson, involves a lawsuit by parents challenging Washington's parental notification laws for minors seeking shelter.
In the brief, the coalition argues that the parents suing lack proper legal standing to challenge the laws in court. The coalition also argues the lawsuit would give preferential treatment to parental rights over other constitutional rights and harms states' legitimate interest in protecting residents' health.
Washington's laws allow licensed youth homeless shelters to care for minors seeking refuge while acknowledging the important role parents play in their children's lives, according to Bonta's office.
In November 2023, parents sued Washington in federal district court, challenging state laws governing parental notification when a minor seeks refuge at a licensed shelter, including Engrossed Senate Bill 5599 and Substitute House Bill 1406.
The federal district court dismissed the parents' complaint, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed that dismissal. The case is now before the Supreme Court.
The coalition includes attorneys general from Massachusetts, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont.