SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SSB 5144

                As Passed Senate, March 6, 1997

Title:  An act relating to the administration of county clerks' offices.

Brief Description:  Modifying numerous local government administrative requirements.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senator Roach).

Brief History:

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

Passed Senate, 3/6/97, 47-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5144 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:  Several current provisions relating to the administration of the county clerks= offices are confusing or unclear, contain archaic language, or incomplete citations to controlling statutory provisions.

Summary of Bill:  Various technical clarifications or corrections are made to sections relating to the administration of the county clerks= offices.  No execution on a foreign judgment is allowed until ten days after the judgment is filed in the clerk=s office.  Jurisdiction to modify a judgment of the district court appealed to the superior court is clearly placed in the superior court.  Archaic language is eliminated and common usage adopted.  

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  The bill clarifies and cleans up uncertainty in current law.

Testimony Against:  None.

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

House Amendment(s):  The provision regarding transfers of district court judgments to superior court is deleted from the foreign judgments section and reinserted into the section involving entry of judgments.  Execution of foreign judgments may not issue until after the judgment creditor has filed proof of the mailing with the clerk.  Various grammatical and stylistic changes are made.