FINAL BILL REPORT

                  ESSB 6211

                          C 308 L 96

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Concerning interlocal agreements.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Government Operations (originally sponsored by Senators Haugen, Smith, Hale, McCaslin and Hochstatter).

Senate Committee on Government Operations

House Committee on Government Operations

Background:  Cities are charged a filing fee for every criminal or traffic infraction, with exceptions, filed by a city for an ordinance violation.

All persons convicted of felonies or misdemeanors and sentenced to jail are the financial responsibility of the city or county.

The cities and counties have disagreed about the equitable apportionment of these criminal justice costs as they apply to misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor offenses.

Summary:  The Interlocal Cooperation Act is amended to require each county, city or town to be responsible for the costs incident to misdemeanors and gross misdemeanor offenses that occur in their respective jurisdictions and that are committed by adults.  The only exception to this is by contract or interlocal agreement.  The negotiation of the agreement must consider costs and revenues incident to the provision of these criminal justice services.

If an agreement on the level of compensation cannot be reached, either party may invoke binding arbitration.

The effective date is July 1, 1998 for cities or towns that have not adopted criminal codes.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate    36 13

House     96 0 (House amended)

Senate        (Senate refused to concur)

House     94 0 (House amended)

Senate 47 2 (Senate concurred)

Effective:  January 1, 1997