CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

ENGROSSED SENATE BILL 5379

Chapter 228, Laws of 2003

58th Legislature
2003 Regular Session



DEPENDENCY HEARINGS



EFFECTIVE DATE: 7/27/03

Passed by the Senate April 21, 2003
  YEAS 47   NAYS 0

BRAD OWEN
________________________________________    
President of the Senate
Passed by the House April 14, 2003
  YEAS 93   NAYS 0

FRANK CHOPP
________________________________________    
Speaker of the House of Representatives


 
CERTIFICATE

I, Milton H. Doumit, Jr., Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is ENGROSSED SENATE BILL 5379 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.

MILTON H. DOUMIT JR.
________________________________________    
Secretary
Approved May 12, 2003.








GARY LOCKE
________________________________________    
Governor of the State of Washington
 
FILED
May 12, 2003 - 4:06 p.m.







Secretary of State
State of Washington


_____________________________________________ 

ENGROSSED SENATE BILL 5379
_____________________________________________

AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE

Passed Legislature - 2003 Regular Session
State of Washington58th Legislature2003 Regular Session

By Senators Stevens, Hargrove, Carlson, Regala, Parlette, McAuliffe and Winsley

Read first time 01/23/2003.   Referred to Committee on Children & Family Services & Corrections.



     AN ACT Relating to dependency petition hearings; and amending RCW 13.34.115.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 13.34.115 and 2000 c 122 s 12 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) All hearings ((may)) shall be public, and conducted at any time or place within the limits of the county, ((and such cases may not be heard in conjunction with other business of any other division of the superior court. The public shall be excluded, and only such persons may be admitted who are found by the judge to have a direct interest in the case or in the work of the court. Unless the court states on the record the reasons to disallow attendance, the court shall allow a child's relatives and, if a child resides in foster care, the child's foster parent, to attend all hearings and proceedings pertaining to the child for the sole purpose of providing oral and written information about the child and the child's welfare to the court)) except if the judge finds that excluding the public is in the best interests of the child.
     (2) Either parent, or the child's attorney or guardian ad litem, may move to close a hearing at any time. If the judge finds that it is in the best interests of the child the court shall exclude the public.
     (3) If the public is excluded from the hearing, the following people may attend the closed hearing unless the judge finds it is not in the best interests of the child:
     (a) The child's relatives;
     (b) The child's foster parents if the child resides in foster care; and
     (c) Any person requested by the parent
.
     (4) Stenographic notes or any device which accurately records the proceedings may be required as provided in other civil cases pursuant to RCW 2.32.200.
     (5) Any video recording of the proceedings may be released pursuant to RCW 13.50.100, however, the video recording may not be televised, broadcast, or further disseminated to the public.


         Passed by the Senate April 21, 2003.
         Passed by the House April 14, 2003.
         Approved by the Governor May 12, 2003.
         Filed in Office of Secretary of State May 12, 2003.