Snohomish County Council Adopts Legislation to Increase Accountability and Protect Children from Fentanyl

This afternoon, the Snohomish County Council adopted two ordinances designed to expand access to drug treatment services in Snohomish County and protect children from exposure to fentanyl and other controlled substances.

Following nearly three hours of public testimony, including remarks from individuals in recovery who spoke in support of the proposals, the Council approved both ordinances. The measures are part of a broader legislative package introduced by Councilmember Nehring to shift the County’s approach to addiction toward greater accountability, recovery-focused solutions, and measurable outcomes.

“These ordinances represent a step in the right direction for our fight against the epidemic of drug addiction in Snohomish County,” said Councilmember Nehring after the vote.

“As a community, we must be focused on balancing compassion with accountability to protect the most vulnerable among us. This morning, we affirmed our shared commitment to that cause.”

Ordinance 26-019 prohibits Snohomish County from requiring or incentivizing Housing First policies in grant funding criteria or from giving lower priority to applicants that incorporate sobriety and treatment requirements into their programs.

For too long, Housing First and other low-barrier approaches have been viewed as the primary solution for treatment and housing programs. However, many successful programs in our community emphasize accountability, address addiction directly, help individuals leave homelessness behind, and support their return to stable, productive lives. Under the new ordinance, all program models will compete on an equal footing for County funding opportunities.

Ordinance 26-016 establishes a new gross misdemeanor offense for knowingly or recklessly exposing a child to controlled substances, including fentanyl. While Washington state law includes a reckless endangerment statute specifically addressing methamphetamine exposure, it does not provide similar protections for exposure to other controlled substances. This ordinance is intended to address that gap at the local level and strengthen protections for children.

You can read the funding ordinance here and the drug exposure ordinance here.