H-1115              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 1400

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Representative R. Meyers

Read first time 1/23/89 and referred to Committee on Judiciary.

AN ACT Relating to family court commissioners; and amending RCW 26.12.050.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 5, chapter 50, Laws of 1949 as amended by section 1, chapter 83, Laws of 1965 ex. sess. and RCW 26.12.050 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, in class "A" counties and counties of the first through ninth classes, the superior court may appoint the following persons to assist the family court in disposing of its business:  ((PROVIDED, That in counties of the third through ninth class, such positions may not be created without prior consent of the county commissioners:

          (1))) (a) One or more competent persons to act as family court commissioners, and

          (((2))) (b) Such investigators, stenographers and clerks as the court shall find necessary to carry on the work of the family court.

(2) The county legislative authority in counties of the third through ninth class must approve the creation of family court commissioner positions.

(3) The appointments provided for in this section shall be made by majority vote of the judges of the superior court of the county and may be made in addition to all other appointments of commissioners and other judicial attaches otherwise authorized by law.  Family court commissioners and investigators shall serve at the pleasure of the judges appointing them and shall receive such compensation as the ((county commissioners shall determine)) county legislative authority shall determine.  The appointments may be full or part-time positions.  A person appointed as a family court commissioner may also be appointed to any other commissioner position authorized by law.