FINAL BILL REPORT

HB 1158

C 330 L 09

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: ) (REVISED FOR PASSED LEGISLATURE: Allowing electronic signatures on juror declarations.

Sponsors: Representatives Goodman, Rodne, Pedersen, Warnick and Klippert; by request of Board For Judicial Administration.

House Committee on Judiciary

Senate Committee on Judiciary

Background:

Washington selects jurors at random from voter registration, driver's license, and identicard records. The courts are required to establish a method to preliminarily determine, by a written declaration, whether a person summoned for jury duty is eligible to serve on a jury. Written declarations are typically mailed with the juror summons in the form of a juror questionnaire. Written declarations are signed under penalty of perjury by the person summoned that he or she is eligible for jury service.

Summary:

As an alternative to a written declaration and written signature, courts are permitted to establish a means to use an electronic declaration to preliminarily determine whether a person summoned for jury duty is eligible to serve on a jury. Electronic declarations are signed under penalty of perjury by the person summoned for jury service. An electronic signature may be used instead of a written signature. An electronic signature is an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a document and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign a document.

Votes on Final Passage: