HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 2754

                    Amended by the Senate

Title:  An act relating to court administration.

Brief Description:  Authorizing use of closed circuit television in court procedural hearings.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Judiciary (originally sponsored by Representatives McMorris, Appelwick, Padden, Campbell, Schoesler, Johanson, Foreman, Mielke, Finkbeiner, Fuhrman, Mastin, Wineberry, Sheahan, L. Thomas, Cooke, Brough and Springer).

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Judiciary, February 2, 1994, DPS;

Passed House, February 9, 1994, 95-0;

Amended by Senate.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 14 members:  Representatives Appelwick, Chair; Johanson, Vice Chair; Padden, Ranking Minority Member; Ballasiotes, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Campbell; Chappell; Eide; Forner; J. Kohl; Long; Morris; Schmidt; Scott and Tate.

Staff:  Pat Shelledy (786-7149).

Background:  To ensure that a procedural hearing is conducted in a timely and secure manner, courts may need or want to conduct procedural hearings in one location when the defendant is located in another location.  Some courts have used closed circuit television or other electronic equipment to conduct procedural hearings.

Summary of Bill:  Unless inconsistent with court rules, courts may conduct procedural hearings by using closed circuit television or other electronic equipment to facilitate the efficiency and security under which those proceedings are conducted.

EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENT(s): The original bill is stricken and replaced with a provision which directs the Office of the Administrator for the Courts to promulgate procedures and standards for the use of electronic equipment in      courts. The underlying bill authorized courts to use electronic equipment to conduct procedural hearings. The amendment does not restrict use of the equipment to procedural hearings.  Courts have inherent authority to adopt procedural rules in any case, so the distinction between the underlying bill and the amendment is technical.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This bill will greatly reduce costs of transporting offenders, especially juvenile offenders, across large counties for their procedural hearings.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Representative Cathy McMorris, prime sponsor (pro); and Dan LaRoche, Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (pro).

VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE:

Yeas 95; Excused 3

Excused: Representatives Cooke, Edmondson, Sommers