FINAL BILL REPORT

                     SHB 2284

                                 C 62 L 92

                            Synopsis As Enacted

Brief Description:  Revising provisions relating to county law libraries.

By House Committee on Local Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Haugen, Horn, Paris and May).

House Committee on Local Government

House Committee on Revenue

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Background:  Each county with a population of 300,000 or more must maintain a county law library.  Each county with a population of 8,000 up to 125,000 must also maintain a county law library.  There is no statutory requirement for a county with a population of 125,000 up to 300,000 to maintain a county law library.

Three sets of parallel statutes govern the establishment and operation of county law libraries.  Each set of statutes regulates county law libraries of a particular size:  counties with a population of 300,000 or more, counties with a population of 8,000 up to 125,000, and counties with a population of less than 8,000.  Although these statutes largely parallel each other, there are some inconsistencies between them.

Two of the inconsistencies between the statutes governing law libraries in different size counties are:

(1)Counties with a population of 8,000 - 125,000 must provide janitor service to the law library; counties with a population of over 300,000 do not have to provide janitor service; and

(2)The bar association representatives on the law library board of trustees are chosen by the superior court judges in counties with a population of 300,000 or more; the bar association representatives in counties with a population of 8,000 up to 125,000 are chosen by members of the county bar association.

Some district courts charge for issuing writs or providing other services.  Other district courts and municipal courts feel they do not have this authority.  Fees charged by district courts are not always allowed when court costs are awarded.

Summary:  Each county with a population of 125,000 up to 300,000 must maintain a county law library.  The provisions that apply to county law libraries in counties with a population of 8,000 up to 125,000 also apply to county law libraries with a population of 125,000 up to 300,000.

All counties with a population of 8,000 or more must provide janitor services to the county law library.

Bar association representatives on the law library board of trustees in any county with a board are chosen by the members of the county bar association.

The fee for filing an action in district court is raised from $25 up to $31.  District court fees for performing other services are established as follows:

(1)Issuing a writ of garnishment or other writ, $6;

(2)Filing a supplemental proceeding, $12;

(3)Demanding a jury in a civil case, $50;

(4)Preparing a transcript of a judgment, $6;

(5)Certifying a document on file or of record in the clerk's office, $5;

(6)Preparing the record of a case for appeal to superior court, including any tape duplication, $50; and

(7)Duplicating part of all of an electronic tape, $10 per tape.

All courts of limited jurisdiction, including municipal courts, may charge the fees allowed to be charged by district courts.  Fees or charges for court services must be allowed when a judgment for court costs is awarded.

Votes on Final Passage:

House 78    20

Senate   33    11    (Senate amended)

House 71    26    (House concurred)

Effective:     June 11, 1992