HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2754

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                          Judiciary

Title:  An act relating to court administration.

Brief Description:  Authorizing use of closed circuit television in court procedural hearings.

Sponsors:  Representatives McMorris, Appelwick, Padden, Campbell, Schoesler, Johanson, Foreman, Mielke, Finkbeiner, Fuhrman, Mastin, Wineberry, Sheahan, L. Thomas, Cooke, Brough and Springer.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Judiciary, February 2, 1994, DPS.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 14 members:  Representatives Appelwick, Chair; Johanson, Vice Chair; Padden, Ranking Minority Member; Ballasiotes, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Campbell; Chappell; Eide; Forner; J. Kohl; Long; Morris; Schmidt; Scott and Tate.

Staff:  Pat Shelledy (786-7149).

Background:  To ensure that a procedural hearing is conducted in a timely and secure manner, courts may need or want to conduct procedural hearings in one location when the defendant is located in another location.  Some courts have used closed circuit television or other electronic equipment to conduct procedural hearings.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Unless inconsistent with court rules, courts may conduct procedural hearings by using closed circuit television or other electronic equipment to facilitate the efficiency and security under which those proceedings are conducted.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  A provision is added to recognize that court procedures under the statute must comply with any court rules adopted by the Supreme Court.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This bill will greatly reduce costs of transporting offenders, especially juvenile offenders, across large counties for their procedural hearings.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Representative Cathy McMorris, prime sponsor (pro); and Dan LaRoche, Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (pro).