BILL REQ. #:  S-4971.1 

Read first time 02/03/2006.   Referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

     AN ACT Relating to juror compensation at the superior court level; amending RCW 2.36.150; and adding a new section to chapter 2.36 RCW.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 2.36.150 and 2004 c 127 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     Except as provided in section 2 of this act, jurors shall receive for each day's attendance, besides mileage at the rate determined under RCW 43.03.060, the following expense payments:
     (1) Grand jurors may receive up to twenty-five dollars but in no case less than ten dollars;
     (2) Petit jurors may receive up to twenty-five dollars but in no case less than ten dollars;
     (3) Coroner's jurors may receive up to twenty-five dollars but in no case less than ten dollars;
     (4) District court jurors may receive up to twenty-five dollars but in no case less than ten dollars:
PROVIDED, That a person excused from jury service at his or her own request shall be allowed not more than a per diem and such mileage, if any, as to the court shall seem just and equitable under all circumstances: PROVIDED FURTHER, That the state shall fully reimburse the county in which trial is held for all jury fees and witness fees related to criminal cases which result from incidents occurring within an adult or juvenile correctional institution: PROVIDED FURTHER, That the expense payments paid to jurors shall be determined by the county legislative authority and shall be uniformly applied within the county.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 2.36 RCW to read as follows:
     In any state fiscal period in which funds are appropriated for this purpose, the superior court juror fee under RCW 2.36.150 shall be at least twenty dollars per juror per day and shall not exceed forty dollars. During such fiscal periods, the state shall reimburse each county at least ten dollars per juror per day, and the state shall reimburse each county up to an additional ten dollars per juror per day, on a dollar-for-dollar matching basis, for any increased fee in excess of twenty dollars per juror per day.