H-2373.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1164

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By House Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Representatives Sheahan and Sheldon)

Read first time 03/03/97.

Requiring dispute resolution costs to be shared equally between landlords and tenants.

    AN ACT Relating to dispute resolution services; and amending RCW 7.75.030.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 7.75.030 and 1984 c 258 s 503 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) A dispute resolution center established under this chapter shall provide dispute resolution services either without charge to the participants or for a fee which is based on the participant's ability to pay.

(2) If a dispute resolution center charges a fee for services provided under chapter 59.18 or 59.20 RCW, the fee shall be shared equally by the parties.  If, upon a showing of financial hardship, the dispute resolution center waives a portion of the fee for either or all parties, the waived portion of one party's fee may not be charged to the other party.

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