Z 0574

Z‑0574.1 _____________________________________________

HOUSE BILL 1275

_____________________________________________

State of Washington 57th Legislature 2001 Regular Session

By Representatives Lantz and Esser; by request of Administrator for the Courts

Read first time 01/22/2001. Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

_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, neither~~

_4 ~~the administrator nor any assistant shall engage directly or~~

_5 ~~indirectly in the practice of law in this state~~)) the office of

_6 administrator for the courts.

_7 Sec. 3. RCW 2.56.030 and 1997 c 41 s 2 are each amended to read as

_8 follows:

_9 The administrator for the courts shall, under the supervision

10 and direction of the chief justice:

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

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

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

14 for the improvement of the same;

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

16 determine the need for assistance by any court;

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

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

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

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

21 of assistance;

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

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

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

25 taken in respect thereto;

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

27 necessary for the maintenance and operation of the judicial system

28 and make recommendations in respect thereto;

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

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

31 the maintenance and operation of the judicial system and the

32 offices connected therewith;

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

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

35 other judicial business in which action has been delayed beyond

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

37 thereof to supreme court of this state;

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_1 (8) Act as secretary of the judicial conference referred to in

_2 RCW 2.56.060;

_3 (9) Submit annually, as of February 1st, to the chief justice,

_4 a report of the activities of the administrator's office for the

_5 preceding calendar year including activities related to courthouse

_6 security;

_7 (10) Administer programs and standards for the training and

_8 education of judicial personnel;

_9 (11) Examine the need for new superior court and district judge

10 positions under a weighted caseload analysis that takes into

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

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

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

14 analysis shall be reviewed by the board for judicial

15 administration which shall make recommendations to the

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

17 caseload analysis become the basis for creating additional

18 district court positions, and recommendations should address that

19 objective;

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

21 under chapter 2.14 RCW;

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

23 supreme court of this state;

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

25 understanding of child development, placement, and treatment

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

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

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

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

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

31 service providers and be updated yearly to reflect changes in

32 statutes, court rules, or case law;

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

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

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

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

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

38 physical abuse, child neglect, clinical and forensic investigative

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_1 and interviewing techniques, family reconciliation and mediation

_2 services, and relevant statutory and legal requirements. The

_3 curriculum shall be made available to all superior court judges,

_4 court personnel, and all persons who act as guardians ad litem;

_5 (16) Develop a curriculum for a general understanding of crimes

_6 of malicious harassment, as well as specific legal skills and

_7 knowledge of RCW 9A.36.080, relevant cases, court rules, and the

_8 special needs of malicious harassment victims. This curriculum

_9 shall be made available to all superior court and court of appeals

10 judges and to all justices of the supreme court;

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

12 training commission and the commissions established under chapters

13 43.113, 43.115, and 43.117 RCW, a curriculum for a general

14 understanding of ethnic and cultural diversity and its

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

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

17 court commissioners assigned to juvenile court, and other court

18 personnel. Ethnic and cultural diversity training shall be provided

19 annually so as to incorporate cultural sensitivity and awareness

20 into the daily operation of juvenile courts statewide;

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

22 electronic equipment in judicial proceedings. The administrator

23 shall promulgate necessary standards and procedures and shall

24 provide technical assistance to courts as required;

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

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

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

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

29 assessment should be conducted in consultation with the Washington

30 state bar association and the access to justice board;

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

32 improving the operation of the courts and provide support for

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

34 judicial administration.

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

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

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

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_1 education account to the office of administrator for the courts,

_2 under the direction of the board of judicial administration,

_3 solely for the support of court coordinating council planning

_4 activities.

‑‑‑ END ‑‑‑

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