Read first time 01/13/12.   Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

     AN ACT Relating to the applicability of statutes of limitation in arbitration proceedings; and amending RCW 7.04A.090.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 7.04A.090 and 2005 c 433 s 9 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) A person initiates an arbitration proceeding by giving notice in a record to the other parties to the agreement to arbitrate in the agreed manner between the parties or, in the absence of agreement, by mail certified or registered, return receipt requested and obtained, or by service as authorized for the initiation of a civil action. The notice must describe the nature of the controversy and the remedy sought.
     (2) Unless a person interposes an objection as to lack or insufficiency of notice under RCW 7.04A.150(3) not later than the commencement of the arbitration hearing, the person's appearance at the hearing waives any objection to lack of or insufficiency of notice.
     (3) A claim sought to be arbitrated is subject to the same limitations of time for the commencement of actions as if the claim had been asserted in a court.