H‑2140.1   _____________________________________________

SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1275

           _____________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By House Committee on Judiciary (originally sponsored by Representatives Lantz and Esser; by request of Administrator for the Courts)

READ FIRST TIME 02/27/01. 

_1      AN ACT Relating to the administrator for the courts; amending

_2  RCW 2.56.010, 2.56.020, and 2.56.030; and making an appropriation.

_3  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

_4      Sec. 1.  RCW 2.56.010 and 1984 c 20 s 1 are each amended to read as

_5  follows:

_6      There shall be a state office to be known as the office of

_7  administrator for the courts who shall be appointed by the supreme

_8  court of this state from a list of five persons submitted by the

_9  governor of the state of Washington, and shall hold office at the

10  pleasure of the appointing power.  ((He shall not be over the age of

11  sixty years at the time of his appointment.  He shall receive a))

12  The administrator's salary ((to)) shall be fixed by the supreme

13  court.

14      Sec. 2.  RCW 2.56.020 and 1957 c 259 s 2 are each amended to read

15  as follows:

16      The administrator for the courts, with the approval of the

17  chief justice of the supreme court of this state, shall appoint

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_1  and fix the compensation of such assistants as are necessary to

_2  enable ((him to perform)) performance of the power and duties

_3  vested in ((him.  During his term of office or employment,)) the

_4  office of administrator for the courts.  Neither the administrator

_5  nor any assistant shall engage ((directly or indirectly)) in the

_6  practice of law for remuneration in this state.  This section does

_7  not prohibit the administrator or an assistant from providing pro

_8  bono legal services or from providing legal services for himself

_9  or herself or immediate family members.

10      Sec. 3.  RCW 2.56.030 and 1997 c 41 s 2 are each amended to read as

11  follows:

12      The administrator for the courts shall, under the supervision

13  and direction of the chief justice:

14      (1) Examine the administrative methods and systems employed in

15  the offices of the judges, clerks, stenographers, and employees of

16  the courts and make recommendations, through the chief justice,

17  for the improvement of the same;

18      (2) Examine the state of the dockets of the courts and

19  determine the need for assistance by any court;

20      (3) Make recommendations to the chief justice relating to the

21  assignment of judges where courts are in need of assistance and

22  carry out the direction of the chief justice as to the assignments

23  of judges to counties and districts where the courts are in need

24  of assistance;

25      (4) Collect and compile statistical and other data and make

26  reports of the business transacted by the courts and transmit the

27  same to the chief justice to the end that proper action may be

28  taken in respect thereto;

29      (5) Prepare and submit budget estimates of state appropriations

30  necessary for the maintenance and operation of the judicial system

31  and make recommendations in respect thereto;

32      (6) Collect statistical and other data and make reports

33  relating to the expenditure of public moneys, state and local, for

34  the maintenance and operation of the judicial system and the

35  offices connected therewith;

36      (7) Obtain reports from clerks of courts in accordance with law

37  or rules adopted by the supreme court of this state on cases and

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_1  other judicial business in which action has been delayed beyond

_2  periods of time specified by law or rules of court and make report

_3  thereof to supreme court of this state;

_4      (8) Act as secretary of the judicial conference referred to in

_5  RCW 2.56.060;

_6      (9) Submit annually, as of February 1st, to the chief justice,

_7  a report of the activities of the administrator's office for the

_8  preceding calendar year including activities related to courthouse

_9  security;

10      (10) Administer programs and standards for the training and

11  education of judicial personnel;

12      (11) Examine the need for new superior court and district judge

13  positions under a weighted caseload analysis that takes into

14  account the time required to hear all the cases in a particular

15  court and the amount of time existing judges have available to

16  hear cases in that court.  The results of the weighted caseload

17  analysis shall be reviewed by the board for judicial

18  administration which shall make recommendations to the

19  legislature.  It is the intent of the legislature that weighted

20  caseload analysis become the basis for creating additional

21  district court positions, and recommendations should address that

22  objective;

23      (12) Provide staff to the judicial retirement account plan

24  under chapter 2.14 RCW;

25      (13) Attend to such other matters as may be assigned by the

26  supreme court of this state;

27      (14) Within available funds, develop a curriculum for a general

28  understanding of child development, placement, and treatment

29  resources, as well as specific legal skills and knowledge of

30  relevant statutes including chapters 13.32A, 13.34, and 13.40 RCW,

31  cases, court rules, interviewing skills, and special needs of the

32  abused or neglected child.  This curriculum shall be completed and

33  made available to all juvenile court judges, court personnel, and

34  service providers and be updated yearly to reflect changes in

35  statutes, court rules, or case law;

36      (15) Develop, in consultation with the entities set forth in

37  RCW 2.56.150(3), a comprehensive statewide curriculum for persons

38  who act as guardians ad litem under Title 13 or 26 RCW.  The

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_1  curriculum shall be made available July 1, 1997, and include

_2  specialty sections on child development, child sexual abuse, child

_3  physical abuse, child neglect, clinical and forensic investigative

_4  and interviewing techniques, family reconciliation and mediation

_5  services, and relevant statutory and legal requirements.  The

_6  curriculum shall be made available to all superior court judges,

_7  court personnel, and all persons who act as guardians ad litem;

_8      (16) Develop a curriculum for a general understanding of crimes

_9  of malicious harassment, as well as specific legal skills and

10  knowledge of RCW 9A.36.080, relevant cases, court rules, and the

11  special needs of malicious harassment victims.  This curriculum

12  shall be made available to all superior court and court of appeals

13  judges and to all justices of the supreme court;

14      (17) Develop, in consultation with the criminal justice

15  training commission and the commissions established under chapters

16  43.113, 43.115, and 43.117 RCW, a curriculum for a general

17  understanding of ethnic and cultural diversity and its

18  implications for working with youth of color and their families.

19  The curriculum shall be available to all superior court judges and

20  court commissioners assigned to juvenile court, and other court

21  personnel.  Ethnic and cultural diversity training shall be provided

22  annually so as to incorporate cultural sensitivity and awareness

23  into the daily operation of juvenile courts statewide;

24      (18) Authorize the use of closed circuit television and other

25  electronic equipment in judicial proceedings.  The administrator

26  shall promulgate necessary standards and procedures and shall

27  provide technical assistance to courts as required;

28      (19) Periodically undertake an assessment of the unmet civil

29  legal needs of low-income people in the state, including the needs

30  of persons who suffer disparate access barriers, and develop a

31  funding plan to meet the civil legal needs of such persons.  The

32  assessment should be conducted in consultation with the Washington

33  state bar association and the access to justice board;

34      (20) Administer state funds as may be appropriated for

35  improving the operation of the courts and provide support for

36  court coordinating councils, under the direction of the board for

37  judicial administration.

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_1      NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  The sum of five hundred thousand dollars,

_2  or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the

_3  biennium ending June 30, 2003, from the public safety and

_4  education account to the office of administrator for the courts,

_5  under the direction of the board of judicial administration,

_6  solely for the support of court coordinating council planning

_7  activities.

‑‑‑ END ‑‑‑

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