FINAL BILL REPORT

                     ESHB 1127

                                 C 229 L 91

                            Synopsis As Enacted

Brief Description:  Adding superior court judge positions.

By House Committee on Judiciary (originally sponsored by Representatives Sheldon, Hargrove, Appelwick, Forner, Paris, Vance, Scott, Wineberry, Jacobsen, Chandler, Wood, P. Johnson, Roland, R. Johnson, Haugen, Cantwell, Jones, May, Zellinsky, Brough, Basich, Lisk, Mitchell, Wynne, Miller, Moyer, Brekke and Sprenkle).

House Committee on Judiciary

House Committee on Appropriations

Senate Committee on Law & Justice

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Background:  The Legislature sets by statute the number of superior court judges in each county.  Periodically, the office of the Administrator for the Courts conducts a weighted caseload study to determine the need for additional judges in the various counties.

Retirement system benefits and one-half of the salary of a superior court judge are paid by the state.  The other half of the judge's salary and all other costs associated with a judicial position, such as capital and support staff costs, are borne by the county.  A statute also requires that the county hire a stenographic court reporter for each superior court judge, although for the last several years new judicial positions have been exempted from this requirement each time they have been created.

Summary:  The numbers of superior court judges in five counties are increased as follows:

oKing County - from 46 to 58;

oGrays Harbor County - from two to three;

oSkagit County - from two to three;

oSnohomish County - from 11 to 13;

oMason County - from one to two.

The 12 new positions in King County may be phased in by the county between July 1, 1991 and July 1, 1995.  The new position in Grays Harbor County takes effect January 1, 1992; the new positions in Snohomish County take effect July 1, 1992; and the new positions in Mason County and Skagit County take effect July 1, 1991.

In each county the positions become effective only if the county legislative authority documents its approval of the positions and agrees to pay the county's share of the costs of the new positions.

The new positions, as well as future new positions authorized by the Legislature, are all exempted from the requirement that a stenographic reporter be provided for each judge.

If specific funding for the new judicial positions is not provided for in the state budget, the positions are null and void.

Votes on Final Passage:

House 95    0

Senate   47    0     (Senate amended)

House 96    0     (House concurred)

Effective:     July 1, 1991         (Sections 1, 3 and 5)

               January 1, 1992   (Section 2)

               July 1, 1992         (Section 4)