State of Washington | 59th Legislature | 2005 Regular Session |
Read first time 02/07/2005. Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
AN ACT Relating to mandatory arbitration; amending RCW 7.06.010; reenacting and amending RCW 7.06.020; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 7.06.010 and 2002 c 338 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
In counties with a population of more than one hundred ((fifty))
thousand, mandatory arbitration of civil actions under this chapter
shall be required. In counties with a population of one hundred
((fifty)) thousand or less, the superior court of the county, by
majority vote of the judges thereof, or the county legislative
authority may authorize mandatory arbitration of civil actions under
this chapter.
Sec. 2 RCW 7.06.020 and 1987 c 212 s 101 and 1987 c 202 s 127 are
each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
(1) All civil actions, except for appeals from municipal or
district courts, which are at issue in the superior court in counties
which have authorized arbitration, where the sole relief sought is a
money judgment, and where no party asserts a claim in excess of fifteen
thousand dollars, or if approved by the superior court of a county by
two-thirds or greater vote of the judges thereof, up to ((thirty-five))
fifty thousand dollars, exclusive of interest and costs, are subject to
mandatory arbitration.
(2) If approved by majority vote of the superior court judges of a
county which has authorized arbitration, all civil actions which are at
issue in the superior court in which the sole relief sought is the
establishment, termination or modification of maintenance or child
support payments are subject to mandatory arbitration. The
arbitrability of any such action shall not be affected by the amount or
number of payments involved.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 RCW 7.06.020 applies to any case in which a
notice of arbitrability is filed on or after the effective date of this
act.