FINAL BILL REPORT

SB 5574


 


 

C 27 L 03

Synopsis as Enacted

 

Brief Description: Clarifying district court jurisdiction over actions involving commercial electronic mail.

 

Sponsors: Senators Finkbeiner, Poulsen and Reardon; by request of Attorney General.


Senate Committee on Technology & Communications

House Committee on Judiciary


Background: The district courts in Washington State have concurrent jurisdiction with superior courts over misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor violations and civil cases under $50,000. They have exclusive jurisdiction over small claims and infractions.

 

Washington statutes regarding unsolicited, deceptive commercial electronic mail, or spam, are designed to protect state residents against bulk commercial e-mails that contain misleading information in the subject line, use a third party's internet address without permission or disguise the message's origin.

 

According to the Attorney General's Office, many plaintiffs have used Washington's anti-spam law to take legal action against out-of-state senders of spam in district courts. These plaintiffs have met with varying degrees of success. Some district courts have exercised jurisdiction over out-of-state defendants, and some have not.

 

Summary: It is clarified that the district courts in Washington State have jurisdiction over actions brought against senders of spam in violation of Washington's anti-spam law. It is also clarified that it is proper for the district courts in Washington to hear actions against non-resident defendants who violate Washington's anti-spam law.

 

Votes on Final Passage:

 

Senate       49  0

House       95  0

 

Effective: July 27, 2003