Title 2 — Title 2 COURTS OF RECORD

Whenever the commission determines that there is probable cause to believe that a judge or justice has violated a rule of judicial conduct or that the judge or justice suffers from a disability which is permanent or likely to become permanent and which seriously interferes with t…

The commission shall prepare and present to the legislature proposed operating budgets for the commission in accordance with the provisions of chapter 43.88 RCW. The commission shall report to the legislature in the manner required by law, with due regard for the confidentiality …

All pleadings, papers, evidence records, and files of the commission, including complaints and the identity of complainants, compiled or obtained during the course of an investigation or initial proceeding involving the discipline or retirement of a judge or justice, are exempt f…

The commission shall provide by rule for confidentiality of its investigations and initial proceedings in accordance with Article IV, section 31 of the state Constitution.Any person violating a rule on confidentiality is subject to a proceeding for contempt in superior court.[ 19…

The commission is subject to the open public meetings act, chapter 42.30 RCW. However, investigations, initial proceedings, public hearings, and executive sessions involving the discipline or retirement of a judge or justice are governed by this chapter and Article IV, section 31…

The commission shall for all purposes be considered an independent part of the judicial branch of government.[ 1981 c 268 s 13.]

The judicial information system committee, as established by court rule, shall determine all matters pertaining to the delivery of services available from the judicial information system. The committee may establish a fee schedule for the provision of information services and may…

There is created an account in the custody of the state treasurer to be known as the judicial information system account. The administrative office of the courts shall maintain and administer the account, in which shall be deposited all moneys received from in-state noncourt user…

The judicial information system committee shall develop a schedule of user fees for in-state noncourt users and all out-of-state users of the judicial information computer system and charges for judicial information system products and licenses for the purpose of distributing and…

(1) To support the judicial information system account provided for in RCW 2.68.020, the supreme court may provide by rule for an increase in fines, penalties, and assessments, and the increased amount shall be forwarded to the state treasurer for deposit in the account:(a) Pursu…

The supreme court, the court of appeals and all superior and district courts, through the judicial information system committee, shall:(1) Continue to plan for and implement processes for making judicial information available electronically;(2) Promote and facilitate electronic a…

The administrative office of the courts, under the direction of the judicial information system committee, shall:(1) Develop a judicial information system information technology portfolio consistent with the provisions of RCW 43.105.341;(2) Participate in the development of an en…

In order to implement the constitutional and statutory guarantees of counsel and to ensure effective and efficient delivery of indigent defense services funded by the state of Washington, an office of public defense is established as an independent agency of the judicial branch.[…

The supreme court shall appoint the director of the office of public defense from a list of three names submitted by the advisory committee created under RCW 2.70.030. Qualifications shall include admission to the practice of law in this state for at least five years, experience …

The director shall:(1) Administer all state-funded services in the following program areas:(a) Trial court criminal indigent defense, as provided in chapter 10.101 RCW;(b) Appellate indigent defense, as provided in this chapter and RCW 10.73.150;(c) Representation of indigent par…

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the office of public defense shall not provide direct representation of clients.(2) In order to protect and preserve client rights when administering the office's statutory duties to provide initial telephonic or video consultatio…

In providing indigent defense services for sexually violent predator civil commitment cases under chapter 71.09 RCW, the director shall:(1) In accordance with state contracting laws, contract with persons admitted to practice law in this state and organizations employing persons …

In providing postcommitment public defense services for indigent persons who are committed to state psychiatric care following acquittal by reason of insanity under chapter 10.77 RCW, the director shall:(1) In accordance with state contracting laws, contract with persons admitted…

(1) There is created an advisory committee consisting of the following members:(a) Three persons appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court, who shall also appoint the chair of the committee;(b) Two nonattorneys appointed by the governor;(c) Two senators, one from each o…

All employees of the office of public defense shall be exempt from state civil service under chapter 41.06 RCW.[ 1996 c 221 s 5.]

(1) All powers, duties, and functions of the supreme court and the administrative office of the courts pertaining to appellate indigent defense are transferred to the office of public defense.(2)(a) All reports, documents, surveys, books, records, files, papers, or written materi…

For the purposes of RCW 2.70.070 through 2.70.090, "parent ally" means a parent who has successfully resolved the issues that led the parent's child into the care of the juvenile dependency court system, resulting in family reunification or another permanency outcome, and who has…

(1) The goal of the parents for parents program is to increase the permanency and well-being of children in foster care through peer mentoring that increases parental engagement and contributes to family reunification.(2) The parents for parents program may provide structured pee…

Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, components of the parents for parents program, provided by parent allies, may include:(1) Outreach and support to parents at dependency-related hearings, beginning with the shelter care hearing;(2) A c…

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the parents for parents program shall be funded through the office of public defense and centrally administered through a pass-through to a Washington state nonprofit-lead organization that has ext…

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, a research entity with experience in child welfare research shall conduct an evaluation of the parents for parents program. The evaluation design must meet the standards necessary to determine whet…

Subject to the rules of discovery, the office of public defense is authorized to collect identifying information for any youth who speaks with a consulting attorney pursuant to RCW 13.40.740; provided, however, that such records are exempt from public disclosure.[ 2021 c 328 s 4.…

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of public defense shall administer a law student rural public defense program. The program shall coordinate with one or more law schools to place law students who are eligible to practic…

Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of public defense shall expand the capacity of its criminal defense training academy program to train practitioners who are new to public defense. The program must include and prioritize tra…

(1) Subject to amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of public defense may provide reimbursement of eligible expenses or contract directly with indigent defense providers for consultation and representation services for indigent adults facing pending charges …

(1) All powers, duties, and functions of the department of social and health services and the special commitment center pertaining to indigent defense under chapter 71.09 RCW are transferred to the office of public defense.(2)(a) The office of public defense may request any writt…

(1) All powers, duties, and functions of county government and the department of social and health services pertaining to public defense services for indigent persons who are committed following acquittal by reason of insanity under chapter 10.77 RCW are transferred to the office…

(1) In establishing an office of public guardianship and conservatorship, the legislature intends to promote the availability of guardianship, conservatorship, and alternate services that provide support for decision making for individuals who need them and for whom adequate serv…

The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.(1) "Agent" means a person granted authority to act for a principal under a power of attorney.(2) "Contract service provider" means a public guardian or public conservator …

(1) There is created an office of public guardianship and conservatorship within the administrative office of the courts.(2) The supreme court shall appoint a public guardianship and conservatorship administrator to establish and administer a public guardianship, public conservat…

The public guardianship and conservatorship administrator is authorized to establish and administer a public guardianship, public conservatorship, decision-making assistance, and estate administration program as follows:(1)(a) The office shall contract with certified professional…

The courts shall waive court costs and filing fees in any proceeding in which an incapacitated person is receiving *public guardianship services funded under this chapter.[ 2007 c 364 s 6.]Notes:*Reviser's note: RCW 2.72.010 was amended by 2020 c 312 s 402, deleting the definitio…

The public guardianship administrator may develop rules to implement this chapter. The administrator shall request and consider recommendations from the *advisory committee in the development of rules.[ 2007 c 364 s 7.]Notes:*Reviser's note: Section 5, chapter 364, Laws of 2007, …

The *office of public guardianship, in partnership with the office of the state long-term care ombuds, must develop and offer training targeted to the legal community and persons working in long-term care facilities regarding the different kinds of decision-making authority, incl…

(1) Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this specific purpose, the office shall contract with public or private entities or individuals to provide decision-making assistance services, prioritizing persons who are:(a) Age 18 or older whose income does not exceed …

(1) By October 1, 2025, and annually thereafter, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the office of public guardianship must submit a report to the legislature regarding the demand for the services provided by the office, barriers to service delivery, and outcomes achieved.(2) T…

There is created an interbranch advisory committee consisting of the following members:(1) Two legislative members, one from each of the two largest caucuses of the house of representatives, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives. One member shall be a member of…

The purpose of the interbranch advisory committee is to foster cooperation, communication, coordination, collaboration, and planning regarding issues of mutual concern among the three branches of state government. An additional purpose of the committee is to suggest ways to provi…

(1) The interbranch advisory committee may set its own meeting schedule. The committee shall discuss issues of mutual concern between the branches. Examples include, but are not limited to:(a) Funding legislative mandates;(b) Initiatives related to access to justice;(c) Issues of…

This chapter expires January 1, 2031.[ 2025 c 398 s 4; 2022 c 284 s 5.]