H-2901.2  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2374

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2002 Regular Session

By Representatives Delvin, Lovick, Conway, Cooper, Nixon, Dickerson, Edwards and Esser

Read first time 01/16/2002.  Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

Authorizing a local holiday to be observed as a nonjudicial day by the superior, district, and municipal courts.

    AN ACT Relating to nonjudicial days; and amending RCW 2.08.030, 3.30.040, 3.50.110, and 35.20.020.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 2.08.030 and 1971 ex.s. c 60 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    The superior courts are courts of record, and shall be always open, except on nonjudicial days.  They shall hold their sessions at the county seats of the several counties, respectively, and at such other places within the county as are designated by the judge or judges thereof with the approval of the chief justice of the supreme court of this state and of the governing body of the county.  They shall hold regular and special sessions in the several counties of this state at such times as may be prescribed by the judge or judges thereof.

For the purposes of this section, "nonjudicial days" includes, for the superior court of a particular county, any paid holiday established by ordinance or resolution of the county legislative authority that is applicable to a majority of that county's employees.

    Sec. 2.  RCW 3.30.040 and 1984 c 258 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

    The district courts shall be open except on nonjudicial days.  Sessions of the court shall be held at such places as shall be provided by the district court districting plan.  The court shall sit as often as business requires in each city of the district which provides suitable courtroom facilities, to hear causes in which such city is the plaintiff.

For the purposes of this section, "nonjudicial days" includes, for the district court of a particular county, any paid holiday established by ordinance or resolution of the county legislative authority that is applicable to a majority of that county's employees.

    Sec. 3.  RCW 3.50.110 and 1984 c 258 s 114 are each amended to read as follows:

    The municipal court shall be open and shall hold such regular and special sessions as may be prescribed by the legislative body of the city or town:  PROVIDED, That the municipal court shall not be open on nonjudicial days.

For the purposes of this section, "nonjudicial days" includes, for the municipal court of a particular city or town, any paid holiday established by ordinance of the city or town legislative authority that is applicable to a majority of that city's or town's employees.

    Sec. 4.  RCW 35.20.020 and 1965 c 7 s 35.20.020 are each amended to read as follows:

    The municipal court shall be always open except on nonjudicial days.  It shall hold regular and special sessions at such times as may be prescribed by the judges thereof.  The judges shall have the power to act as magistrates in accordance with the provisions of chapter 10.16 RCW.  The legislative body of the city may by ordinance authorize a department of the municipal court to act as a night court, and shall appropriate the necessary funds therefor.

For the purposes of this section, "nonjudicial days" includes any paid holiday established by ordinance of the legislative body of the city that is applicable to a majority of the city's employees.

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