HOUSE BILL REPORT
SHB 2754
As Passed House
February 9, 1994
Title: An act relating to court administration.
Brief Description: Authorizing use of closed circuit television in court procedural hearings.
Sponsors: By House Committee on Judiciary (originally sponsored by Representatives McMorris, Appelwick, Padden, Campbell, Schoesler, Johanson, Foreman, Mielke, Finkbeiner, Fuhrman, Mastin, Wineberry, Sheahan, L. Thomas, Cooke, Brough and Springer).
Brief History:
Reported by House Committee on:
Judiciary, February 2, 1994, DPS;
Passed House, February 9, 1994, 95-0.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 14 members: Representatives Appelwick, Chair; Johanson, Vice Chair; Padden, Ranking Minority Member; Ballasiotes, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Campbell; Chappell; Eide; Forner; J. Kohl; Long; Morris; Schmidt; Scott and Tate.
Staff: Pat Shelledy (786-7149).
Background: To ensure that a procedural hearing is conducted in a timely and secure manner, courts may need or want to conduct procedural hearings in one location when the defendant is located in another location. Some courts have used closed circuit television or other electronic equipment to conduct procedural hearings.
Summary of Bill: Unless inconsistent with court rules, courts may conduct procedural hearings by using closed circuit television or other electronic equipment to facilitate the efficiency and security under which those proceedings are conducted.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: This bill will greatly reduce costs of transporting offenders, especially juvenile offenders, across large counties for their procedural hearings.
Testimony Against: None.
Witnesses: Representative Cathy McMorris, prime sponsor (pro); and Dan LaRoche, Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (pro).