AN ACT Relating to superior court; and amending RCW 10.01.160, 11.76.100, 26.09.120, 36.23.030, 36.48.090, and 2.56.030.

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

Sec. 1. Section 1, chapter 96, Laws of 1975-'76 2nd ex. sess. as amended by section 1, chapter 389, Laws of 1985 and RCW 10.01.160 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The court may require a convicted defendant to pay costs.

(2) Costs shall be limited to expenses specially incurred by the state in prosecuting the defendant. They cannot include expenses inherent in providing a constitutionally guaranteed jury trial or expenditures in connection with the maintenance and operation of government agencies that must be made by the public irrespective of specific violations of law. Expenses incurred for serving of warrants for failure to appear and jury fees under RCW 10.46.190 may be included in costs the court may require a convicted defendant to pay.

(3) The court shall not sentence a defendant to pay costs unless the defendant is or will be able to pay them. In determining the amount and method of payment of costs, the court shall take account of the financial resources of the defendant and the nature of the burden that payment of costs will impose.

(4) A defendant who has been sentenced to pay costs and who is not in contumacious default in the payment thereof may at any time petition the court which sentenced him for remission of the payment of costs or of any unpaid portion thereof. If it appears to the satisfaction of the court that payment of the amount due will impose manifest hardship on the defendant or his immediate family, the court may remit all or part of the amount due in costs, or modify the method of payment under RCW 10.01.170.

Sec. 2. Section 11.76.100, chapter 145, Laws of 1965 and RCW 11.76.100 are each amended to read as follows:

In rendering his accounts or reports the personal representative shall produce receipts or canceled checks for the expenses and charges which he shall have paid, which receipts shall be filed and remain in court until the probate has been completed and the personal representative has been discharged; however, he may be allowed any item of expenditure, not exceeding twenty dollars, for which no receipt is produced, if such item be supported by his own oath, but such allowances without receipts shall not exceed the sum of three hundred dollars in any one estate.

Sec. 3. Section 36.23.030, chapter 4, Laws of 1963 as amended by section 2, chapter 34, Laws of 1967 ex. sess. and RCW 36.23.030 are each amended to read as follows:

The clerk of the superior court at the expense of the county shall keep the following records:

(1) A record in which he shall enter all appearances and the time of filing all pleadings in any cause;

(2) A docket in which before every session, he shall enter the titles of all causes pending before the court at that session in the order in which they were commenced, beginning with criminal cases, noting in separate columns the names of the attorneys, the character of the action, the pleadings on which it stands at the commencement of the session. One copy of this docket shall be furnished for the use of the court and another for the use of the members of the bar;

(3) A record for each session in which he shall enter the names of witnesses and jurors, with time of attendance, distance of travel, and whatever else is necessary to enable him to make out a complete cost bill;

(4) A record in which he shall record the daily proceedings of the court, and enter all verdicts, orders, judgments, and decisions thereof, which ((~~shall~~)) may, as provided by local court rule, be signed by the judge; but the court shall have full control of all entries in said record at any time during the session in which they were made;

(5) An execution docket and also one for a final record in which he shall make a full and perfect record of all criminal cases in which a final judgment is rendered, and all civil cases in which by any order or final judgment the title to real estate, or any interest therein, is in any way affected, and such other final judgments, orders, or decisions as the court may require;

(6) A journal in which shall be entered all orders, decrees, and judgments made by the court and the minutes of the court in probate proceedings;

(7) A record of wills and bonds shall be maintained. Originals shall be placed in the original file and shall be preserved or duplicated pursuant to RCW 36.23.065;

(8) A record of letters testamentary, administration and guardianship in which all letters testamentary, administration and guardianship shall be recorded;

(9) A record of claims shall be entered in the appearance docket under the title of each estate or case, stating the name of each claimant, the amount of his claim and the date of filing of such;

(10) A memorandum of the files, in which at least one page shall be given to each estate or case, wherein shall be noted each paper filed in the case, and the date of filing each paper;

(11) Such other records as are prescribed by law and required in the discharge of the duties of his office.

Sec. 4. Section 36.48.090, chapter 4, Laws of 1963 as last amended by section 1, chapter 227, Laws of 1979 ex. sess. and RCW 36.48.090 are each amended to read as follows:

Whenever the clerk of the superior court has funds held in trust for any litigant or for any purpose, they shall be deposited in a separate fund designated "clerk's trust fund," and shall not be commingled with any public funds. However, in the case of child support payments, the clerk may send the checks or drafts directly to the recipient or endorse the instrument to the recipient and the clerk is not required to deposit such funds. In processing child support payments, the clerk shall comply with RCW 26.09.120. The clerk may invest the funds in any of the investments authorized by RCW 36.29.020. The clerk shall place the income from such investments in the county current expense fund to be used by the county for general county purposes unless (1) the funds being held in trust in a particular matter are two thousand dollars or more, and (2) a litigant in the matter has filed a written request that such investment be made of the funds being held in trust and the income be paid to the beneficiary. In such an event, any income from such investment shall be paid to the beneficiary of such trust upon the termination thereof: PROVIDED, That five percent of the income shall be deducted by the clerk as an investment service fee and placed in the county current expense fund to be used by the county for general county purposes.

In any matter where funds are held in the clerk's trust fund, any litigant who is not represented by an attorney and who has appeared in matters where the funds held are two thousand dollars or more shall receive written notice of the provisions of this section from the clerk.

Sec. 5. Section 12, chapter 157, Laws of 1973 1st ex. sess. as amended by section 3, chapter 45, Laws of 1983 1st ex. sess. and RCW 26.09.120 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The court may, upon its own motion or upon motion of either party, order support or maintenance payments to be made to:

(a) The person entitled to receive the payments; or

(b) The department of social and health services pursuant to chapters 74.20 and 74.20A RCW; or

(2) If payments are made to the clerk of court:

(a) The clerk shall maintain records listing the amount of payments, the date when payments are required to be made, and the names and addresses of the parties affected by the order; ((~~and~~))

(b) The parties affected by the order shall inform the clerk of the court of any change of address or of other conditions that may affect the administration of the order; and

(c) The clerk may by local court rule accept only certified funds or cash as payment. In all cases, the clerk shall accept only certified funds or cash for five years after one check has been returned for nonsufficient funds or account closure.

Sec. 6. Section 3, chapter 259, Laws of 1957 as amended by section 1, chapter 132, Laws of 1981 and RCW 2.56.030 are each amended to read as follows:

The administrator for the courts shall, under the supervision and direction of chief justice:

(1) Examine the administrative methods and systems employed in the offices of the judges, clerks, stenographers, and employees of the courts and make recommendations, through the chief justice, for the improvement of the same;

(2) Examine the state of the dockets of the courts and determine the need for assistance by any court;

(3) Make recommendations to the chief justice relating to the assignment of judges where courts are in need of assistance and carry out the direction of the chief justice as to the assignments of judges to counties and districts where the courts are in need of assistance;

(4) Collect and compile statistical and other data and make reports of the business transacted by the courts and transmit the same to the chief justice to the end that proper action may be taken in respect thereto;

(5) Prepare and submit budget estimates of state appropriations necessary for the maintenance and operation of the judicial system and make recommendations in respect thereto;

(6) Collect statistical and other data and make reports relating to the expenditure of public moneys, state and local, for the maintenance and operation of the judicial system and the offices connected therewith;

(7) Obtain reports from clerks of courts in accordance with law or rules adopted by the supreme court of this state on cases and other judicial business in which action has been delayed beyond periods of time specified by law or rules of court and make report thereof to supreme court of this state;

(8) Act as secretary of the judicial conference referred to in RCW 2.56.060;

(9) Formulate and submit to the judicial council of this state recommendations of policies for the improvement of the judicial system; ((~~and~~))

(10) Submit annually, as of February 1st, to the chief justice and the judicial council, a report of the activities of the administrator's office for the preceding calendar year;

(11) Administer programs and standards for the training and education of judicial personnel;

(12) Examine the need for new superior court and district judge positions under a weighted caseload analysis that takes into account the time required to hear all the cases in a particular court and the amount of time existing judges have available to hear cases in that court. The results of the weighted caseload analysis shall be reviewed by the board for judicial administration and the judicial council, both of which shall make recommendations to the legislature by January 1, 1989. It is the intent of the legislature that weighted caseload analysis become the basis for creating additional district court positions, and recommendations should address that objective; and

(13) Attend to such other matters as may be assigned by the supreme court of this state.