FINAL BILL REPORT

                           SSB 5528

                          C 435 L 93

                      SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

Brief Description:  Altering court fees.

SPONSORS: Senate Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senator Quigley)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

BACKGROUND:

Superior court clerks are authorized to collect fees for court services.  The amounts of certain fees have not been adjusted for inflation and, according to county officials, no longer cover the costs of providing the relevant services.  It therefore is recommended that such court fees be increased.

SUMMARY:

The following court fees are increased to the following amounts:

Filing non-court document to $20;

Issuance of garnishment to $20 per garnishee;

Issuance of writ of attachment to $20;

Filing will only to $20;

Preparation of passport application to federally authorized fee (currently $10);

Special clerk services to $20 per hour;

Duplicating recordings of court proceedings, $10 per audio tape; $15 per video tape.

A county may impose user fees, a surcharge on fees for filing superior court domestic relations cases of up to $10, or both, to create and support a courthouse facilitator program to provide basic services to pro se litigants in family law cases.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

Senate    35   14

House     87   9   (House amended)

Senate    33   14   (Senate concurred)

EFFECTIVE:July 25, 1993