H-4246.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2801

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2002 Regular Session

By House Committee on Judiciary (originally sponsored by Representatives Alexander and DeBolt)

Read first time 02/08/2002.  Referred to Committee on .

Changing provisions relating to the venue of court actions filed against the state.

    AN ACT Relating to the venue of court actions filed against the state; and amending RCW 4.92.010.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 4.92.010 and 1986 c 126 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    Any person or corporation having any claim against the state of Washington shall have a right of action against the state in the superior court.

    The venue for such actions shall be as follows:

    (1) The county of the residence or principal place of business of one or more of the plaintiffs;

    (2) The county where the cause of action arose;

    (3) The county in which the real property that is the subject of the action is situated; or

    (4) The county where the action may be properly commenced by reason of the joinder of an additional defendant((; or

    (5) Thurston county)).

    Actions shall be subject to change of venue in accordance with statute, rules of court, and the common law as the same now exist or may hereafter be amended, adopted, or altered.

    Actions shall be tried in the county in which they have been commenced in the absence of a seasonable motion by or in behalf of the state to change the venue of the action.

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