SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5142

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

               Law & Justice, February 11, 1997

Title:  An act relating to the collection of judgments.

Brief Description:  Allowing county clerks to collect civil judgments where the county is the creditor.

Sponsors:  Senators Roach, Loveland and Winsley.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Law & Justice:  1/30/97, 2/11/97 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5142 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Roach, Chair; Johnson, Vice Chair; Fairley, Goings, Hargrove, Haugen, Kline, Long, McCaslin, Stevens and Zarelli.

Staff:  Mal Murphy (786-7412)

Background:  Currently, county clerks have the ability to collect (either in-house or through an agency) the court-ordered legal financial obligations ordered pursuant to a misdemeanor or felony conviction.  There is no authority for them to do so when the county is the creditor pursuant to a civil judgment.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  County clerks may use the same means to collect civil judgments where the county is the creditor as are available against criminal defendants.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  Language clarifies that legal financial obligations of debtors in juvenile cases, including the cost of collection, may be collected by the county clerk.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 24, 1997.

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

Testimony For:  This is a priority of the Clerk=s Association.  It gives clerks the same authority to collect civil judgments as criminal obligations.  There is a need to clarify the authority over cases involving juveniles.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Debbie Wilke, WA Assoc. of County Officials; Pam Daniels, Snohomish County Clerk (pro).