Bill would extend moratorium on destruction of Lakeland Village records to 2030 to preserve disability history
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Summary
SB 5863 would extend a moratorium on destroying records and artifacts identified at Lakeland Village until fiscal year 2030 and make transferred restricted archives open after 75 years without an archivist determination; sponsors and disability advocates urged preservation to ensure accountability and research.
The committee heard Senate Bill 5863, a measure to extend protections for historical records and artifacts identified at Lakeland Village, a state institution for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Committee counsel explained the bill extends a moratorium—initially created in 2024—so that identified Lakeland Village records and artifacts may not be destroyed until fiscal year 2030. The bill also changes state archives practice so that restricted records transferred to the state archives would become available for inspection and copying after 75 years without requiring a separate archivist determination.
Senator Claudia Kaufman (47th Legislative District), the prime sponsor, said the bill is rooted in work with the Department of Social and Health Services, the state archives, the University of Washington Institute on Human Development and Disability, and the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation to develop a preservation plan. Kaufman described the records and artifacts as documentation of residents' daily lives, care and policy, and framed preservation as an act of respect and accountability.
Multiple witnesses testified in support. Tasha Lee, a constituent and graduate student, said destroying the records would be "data erasure, an erasure of over 7000 disabled people's lives" and urged passage to allow time for preservation work. Stacy Dim, executive director of the Arc of Washington State, described the bill as "simple but impactful" and connected it to earlier legislative work (SB 6125) and university reports. Sean Latham, speaking for Jessica Renner and self-advocates, said preserving documents helps correct past mistakes.
Committee members asked whether many records remain; Kaufman said about 75 years of records are being preserved and agencies are collaborating to identify and digitize material. No vote was taken; testimony concluded and the bill remains in committee.