CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5974
68TH LEGISLATURE
2024 REGULAR SESSION
Passed by the Senate January 31, 2024
  Yeas 42  Nays 6
President of the Senate
Passed by the House February 22, 2024
  Yeas 66  Nays 27
Speaker of the House of Representatives
CERTIFICATE
I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5974 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.
Secretary
Secretary
Approved
FILED
Secretary of State
State of Washington
ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5974
Passed Legislature - 2024 Regular Session
State of Washington
68th Legislature
2024 Regular Session
BySenate Human Services (originally sponsored by Senators Frame, Saldaña, Dhingra, Hasegawa, Kuderer, Nguyen, Nobles, Trudeau, and C. Wilson)
READ FIRST TIME 01/19/24.
AN ACT Relating to the disposition of unenforceable legal financial obligations other than restitution imposed by a court or an agent of the court against a juvenile prior to July 1, 2023; amending RCW 13.40.192; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 13.40.192 and 2023 c 449 s 20 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) If a juvenile is ordered to pay restitution, the money judgment remains enforceable for a period of 10 years. When the juvenile reaches the age of 18 years or at the conclusion of juvenile court jurisdiction, whichever occurs later, the superior court clerk must docket the remaining balance of the juvenile's restitution in the same manner as other judgments for the payment of money. The judgment remains valid and enforceable until 10 years from the date of its imposition. The clerk of the superior court may seek extension of the judgment for restitution in the same manner as RCW 6.17.020 for purposes of collection as allowed under RCW 36.18.190.
(2)(a) A judgment against a juvenile for any legal financial obligation other than restitution including, but not limited to, fines, penalty assessments, attorneys' fees, court costs, and other administrative fees, is not enforceable after July 1, 2023. The superior court clerk shall not accept payments from a respondent who was ordered to pay legal financial obligations, including fines, penalty assessments, attorneys' fees, and court costs after July 1, 2023. Any such debts shall be rendered null and void, and considered satisfied and paid in full by July 1, 2027, according to the following schedule:
(i) By June 30, 2025, debts resulting from cases filed from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2023;
(ii) By June 30, 2026, debts resulting from cases filed from July 1, 2013, through June 30, 2018; and
(iii) By June 30, 2027, debts resulting from cases filed prior to July 1, 2013.
(b) Nothing in this section shall prevent a court from granting individual relief at any time in response to a motion.
(c) The presiding judge of a superior court may at any time authorize an administrative process to waive outstanding debt for any uncollectible legal financial obligation, other than restitution, imposed against a juvenile. The administrative process must ensure that debts:
(i) Are waived within any statutorily required deadlines;
(ii) Do not affect an individual's credit;
(iii) Are recalled from any collections agency; and
(iv) Do not appear in any background check.
(d) For the purposes of this section, the clerk of the superior court may seek a judicial order to waive outstanding debt for any uncollectible legal financial obligations, other than restitution, in the same manner as the clerk is authorized to seek an extension of jurisdiction under RCW 6.17.020 for purposes of collection as allowed under RCW 36.18.190. Any motion filed by the clerk of the superior court under this section does not constitute the practice of law.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2. The administrative office of the courts shall submit an annual report to the relevant committees of the legislature on the implementation of this act beginning on November 1, 2024, in compliance with RCW 43.01.036.
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