Passed by the House March 14, 1991

Yeas 95 Nays 0

Speaker of the

House of Representatives

Passed by the Senate April 15, 1991

Yeas 47 Nays 0

President of the Senate

Approved

Governor of the State of Washington

CERTIFICATE

I, Alan Thompson, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1127 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth.

Chief Clerk

FILED

Secretary of State

State of Washington

AN ACT Relating to superior courts; amending RCW 2.08.061, 2.08.062, 2.08.063, 2.08.064, 2.08.065, and 2.32.180; creating new sections; providing effective dates; and declaring an emergency.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 2.08.061 and 1989 c 328 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

There shall be in the county of King no more than ((~~forty-six~~)) fifty-eight judges of the superior court; in the county of Spokane ten judges of the superior court; and in the county of Pierce nineteen judges of the superior court. The King county legislative authority may phase in the additional twelve judges, as authorized by the 1991 amendments to this section, over a period of time not to extend beyond July 1, 1995.

Sec. 2. RCW 2.08.062 and 1990 c 186 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

There shall be in the counties of Chelan and Douglas jointly, three judges of the superior court; in the county of Clark six judges of the superior court; in the county of Grays Harbor ((~~two~~)) three judges of the superior court; in the county of Kitsap seven judges of the superior court; in the county of Kittitas one judge of the superior court; in the county of Lewis two judges of the superior court.

Sec. 3. RCW 2.08.063 and 1988 c 66 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

There shall be in the county of Lincoln one judge of the superior court; in the county of Skagit, ((~~two~~)) three judges of the superior court; in the county of Walla Walla, two judges of the superior court; in the county of Whitman, one judge of the superior court; in the county of Yakima six judges of the superior court; in the county of Adams, one judge of the superior court; in the county of Whatcom, three judges of the superior court.

Sec. 4. RCW 2.08.064 and 1989 c 328 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

There shall be in the counties of Benton and Franklin jointly, five judges of the superior court; in the county of Clallam, two judges of the superior court; in the county of Jefferson, one judge of the superior court; in the county of Snohomish, ((~~eleven~~)) thirteen judges of the superior court; in the counties of Asotin, Columbia and Garfield jointly, one judge of the superior court; in the county of Cowlitz, three judges of the superior court; in the counties of Klickitat and Skamania jointly, one judge of the superior court.

Sec. 5. RCW 2.08.065 and 1990 c 186 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

There shall be in the county of Grant, two judges of the superior court; in the county of Okanogan, one judge of the superior court; in the county of Mason, ((~~one~~)) two judges of the superior court; in the county of Thurston, six judges of the superior court; in the counties of Pacific and Wahkiakum jointly, one judge of the superior court; in the counties of Ferry, Pend Oreille, and Stevens jointly, two judges of the superior court; and in the counties of San Juan and Island jointly, two judges of the superior court.

Sec. 6. RCW 2.32.180 and 1990 c 186 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

It shall be and is the duty of each and every superior court judge in counties or judicial districts in the state of Washington having a population of over thirty-five thousand inhabitants to appoint, or said judge may, in any county or judicial district having a population of over twenty-five thousand and less than thirty-five thousand, appoint a stenographic reporter to be attached to the court holden by ((~~him~~)) such judge who shall have had at least three years' experience as a skilled, practical reporter, or who upon examination shall be able to report and transcribe accurately one hundred and seventy-five words per minute of the judge's charge or two hundred words per minute of testimony each for five consecutive minutes; said test of proficiency, in event of inability to meet qualifications as to length of time of experience, to be given by an examining committee composed of one judge of the superior court and two official reporters of the superior court of the state of Washington, appointed by the president judge of the superior court judges association of the state of Washington: PROVIDED, That a stenographic reporter shall not be required to be appointed for the seven additional judges of the superior court authorized for appointment by section 1, chapter 323, Laws of 1987, the additional superior court judge authorized by section 1, chapter 66, Laws of 1988, the additional superior court judges authorized by sections 2 and 3, chapter 328, Laws of 1989, ((or)) the additional superior court judges authorized by sections 1 and 2, chapter 186, Laws of 1990, or the additional superior court judges authorized by sections 1 through 5 of this 1991 act. Appointment of a stenographic reporter is not required for any additional superior court judge authorized after July 1, 1991. The initial judicial appointee shall serve for a period of six years; the two initial reporter appointees shall serve for a period of four years and two years, respectively, from September 1, 1957; thereafter on expiration of the first terms of service, each newly appointed member of said examining committee to serve for a period of six years. In the event of death or inability of a member to serve, the president judge shall appoint a reporter or judge, as the case may be, to serve for the balance of the unexpired term of the member whose inability to serve caused such vacancy. The examining committee shall grant certificates to qualified applicants. Administrative and procedural rules and regulations shall be promulgated by said examining committee, subject to approval by the said president judge.

The stenographic reporter upon appointment shall thereupon become an officer of the court and shall be designated and known as the official reporter for the court or judicial district for which he is appointed: PROVIDED, That in no event shall there be appointed more official reporters in any one county or judicial district than there are superior court judges in such county or judicial district; the appointments in each class AA county shall be made by the majority vote of the judges in said county acting en banc; the appointments in class A counties and counties of the first class may be made by each individual judge therein or by the judges in said county acting en banc. Each official reporter so appointed shall hold office during the term of office of the judge or judges appointing him, but may be removed for incompetency, misconduct or neglect of duty, and before entering upon the discharge of his duties shall take an oath to perform faithfully the duties of his office, and file a bond in the sum of two thousand dollars for the faithful discharge of his duties. Such reporter in each court is hereby declared to be a necessary part of the judicial system of the state of Washington.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. Section 2 of this act shall take effect January 1, 1992. Section 4 of this act shall take effect July 1, 1992. Sections 1, 3, and 5 of this act are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect July 1, 1991.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. The additional judicial positions created by sections 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of this act shall be effective only if each county through its duly constituted legislative authority documents its approval of any additional positions and its agreement that it will pay out of county funds, without reimbursement from the state, the expenses of such additional judicial positions as provided by statute.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill number, is not provided by June 30, 1991, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act shall be null and void.