S-3706.1 _______________________________________________
SENATE BILL 6387
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State of Washington 56th Legislature 2000 Regular Session
By Senators Haugen, Hargrove, Swecker, Brown, Patterson, Sheahan, Morton, Long and Costa
Read first time 01/14/2000. Referred to Committee on Human Services & Corrections.
AN ACT Relating to using funds to improve the legal representation of indigent parents and children; and amending RCW 2.70.020.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 2.70.020 and 1996 c 221 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
The director, under the supervision and direction of the advisory committee, shall:
(1) Administer all criminal appellate indigent defense services;
(2) Submit a biennial budget for all costs related to state appellate indigent defense;
(3) Establish administrative procedures, standards, and guidelines for the program including a cost-efficient system that provides for recovery of costs;
(4) Recommend criteria and standards for determining and verifying indigency. In recommending criteria for determining indigency, the director shall compile and review the indigency standards used by other state agencies and shall periodically submit the compilation and report to the legislature on the appropriateness and consistency of such standards;
(5) Collect information regarding indigency cases funded by the state and report annually to the legislature and the supreme court;
(6) Coordinate with the supreme court and the judges of each division of the court of appeals to determine how attorney services should be provided;
(7) Within the funds appropriated for this purpose, administer and distribute funds to improve the legal representation of indigent parents and children in dependency, state-initiated paternity, and termination cases.
The office of public defense shall not provide direct representation of clients.
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