S-3779.1          _______________________________________________

                            SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 6156

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1992 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senators Talmadge, Nelson, Rasmussen, Newhouse, Moore, Bluechel, Gaspard, Hayner, Erwin, Pelz, Thorsness, Williams, Madsen, Niemi, M. Kreidler, von Reichbauer, Stratton, Barr, McDonald, Murray and Johnson)

Read first time 01/31/92.Revising provisions relating to warrant servers.

     AN ACT Relating to warrant officers; amending RCW 35.20.270; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

     Sec. 1.  RCW 35.20.270 and 1977 ex.s. c 108 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

     (1) The position of warrant ((server)) officer is hereby created ((within the courts created by chapter 35.20 RCW)) and maintained by the city within the city police department.  The number and qualifications of ((said)) warrant ((servers)) officers shall be fixed by ordinance, and their compensation shall be paid by the city.

     (2) ((Said)) Warrant ((servers)) officers shall be vested only with the special authority to make arrests authorized by ((the)) warrants ((which they have been directed to serve by courts created by chapter 35.20 RCW)) and for such crimes as are determined appropriate by the city legislative authority.

     (3) All criminal and civil process issuing out of courts created under this title shall be directed to the chief of police of the city served by the court and/or to the sheriff of the county in which the court is held and/or the warrant ((servers of the court)) officers and be by them executed according to law in any county of this state.

     (4) No process of courts created under this title shall be executed outside the corporate limits of the city served by the court unless the person authorized by ((said)) the process shall first contact the applicable law enforcement agency in whose jurisdiction the process is to be served.

     (5) Upon a defendant being arrested in another city or county the cost of arresting or serving process thereon shall be borne by the court issuing ((said)) the process including the cost of returning the defendant from any county of the state to the city.

     (6) ((Said)) Warrant ((servers)) officers shall not be entitled to death, disability, or retirement benefits pursuant to chapter 41.26 RCW on the basis of service as a warrant ((server)) officer as described in this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.      This act is 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 June 1, 1992.