H-3353.1          _______________________________________________

                                  HOUSE BILL 2278

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State of Washington              54th Legislature             1996 Regular Session

By Representatives Hargrove, Buck, Goldsmith, Pelesky, McMahan, Chappell, Fuhrman and Mulliken

Read first time 01/09/96.  Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

Providing for court costs.

     AN ACT Relating to court costs; and amending RCW 4.84.030 and 4.84.250.

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

     Sec. 1.  RCW 4.84.030 and 1987 c 202 s 121 are each amended to read as follows:

     In any action in ((the superior)) any court of Washington the prevailing party shall be entitled to his or her costs and disbursements((; but the plaintiff shall in no case be entitled to costs taxed as)) including reasonable attorneys' fees ((in actions within the jurisdiction of the district court when commenced in the superior court)).  A prevailing governmental entity shall be entitled to recover costs and disbursements but not attorneys' fees.

     Sec. 2.  RCW 4.84.250 and 1984 c 258 s 88 are each amended to read as follows:

     Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter ((4.84 RCW)) and RCW 12.20.060, in any action ((for damages where the amount pleaded by the prevailing party as hereinafter defined, exclusive of costs, is seven thousand five hundred dollars or less,)) there shall be taxed and allowed to the prevailing party, except a prevailing governmental entity, as a part of the costs of the action a reasonable amount to be fixed by the court as attorneys' fees.  ((After July 1, 1985, the maximum amount of the pleading under this section shall be ten thousand dollars.))

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