CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
SENATE BILL 6222
Chapter 103, Laws of 2024
68th Legislature
2024 Regular Session
DISTRICT COURT JUDGES—NUMBER
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 6, 2024
Passed by the Senate February 13, CERTIFICATE
2024
Yeas 49 Nays 0 I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of
the Senate of the State of
Washington, do hereby certify that
DENNY HECK the attached is SENATE BILL 6222 as
President of the Senate passed by the Senate and the House
of Representatives on the dates
hereon set forth.
Passed by the House February 27, 2024
Yeas 95 Nays 0 SARAH BANNISTER
Secretary
LAURIE JINKINS
Speaker of the House of
Representatives
Approved March 14, 2024 11:42 AM FILED
March 14, 2024
Secretary of State
JAY INSLEE State of Washington
Governor of the State of Washington
 SENATE BILL 6222
Passed Legislature - 2024 Regular Session
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session
By Senators Wagoner, Dhingra, and Lovick
Read first time 01/15/24. Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.
1 AN ACT Relating to the number of district court judges; and
2 amending RCW 3.34.010 and 3.34.020.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
4 Sec. 1. RCW 3.34.010 and 2023 c 5 s 1 are each amended to read
5 as follows:
6 The minimum number of district judges to be elected in each
7 county shall be: Adams, two; Asotin, one; Benton, five; Chelan, two;
8 Clallam, two; Clark, six; Columbia, one; Cowlitz, three; Douglas,
9 one; Ferry, one; Franklin, one; Garfield, one; Grant, three; Grays
10 Harbor, two; Island, one; Jefferson, one; King, twenty-three in 2009,
11 twenty-five in 2010, and twenty-six in 2011; Kitsap, four; Kittitas,
12 two; Klickitat, two; Lewis, two; Lincoln, one; Mason, one; Okanogan,
13 two; Pacific, two; Pend Oreille, one; Pierce, eleven; San Juan, one;
14 Skagit, three; Skamania, one; Snohomish, nine; Spokane, eight;
15 Stevens, one; Thurston, three; Wahkiakum, one; Walla Walla, two;
16 Whatcom, two; Whitman, one; Yakima, four. This number may be
17 increased only as provided in RCW 3.34.020.
18 Sec. 2. RCW 3.34.020 and 2003 c 97 s 2 are each amended to read
19 as follows:
p. 1 SB 6222.SL
 1 (1) Any ((change)) increase in the number of full and part-time
2 district judges after January 1, 1992, shall be determined by the
3 ((legislature)) county legislative authority of the affected county
4 after receiving a recommendation from the supreme court. The supreme
5 court shall make its recommendations to the ((legislature)) county
6 legislative authority based on an objective workload analysis that
7 takes into account available judicial resources and the caseload
8 activity of each court.
9 (2) The administrator for the courts, under the supervision of
10 the supreme court, may consult with the board of judicial
11 administration and the district and municipal court judges'
12 association in developing the procedures and methods of applying the
13 objective workload analysis.
14 (3) For each recommended change from the number of full and part-
15 time district judges in any county as of January 1, 1992, the
16 administrator for the courts, under the supervision of the supreme
17 court, shall complete a judicial impact note detailing any local or
18 state cost associated with such recommended change.
19 (4) If the ((legislature)) county legislative authority approves
20 an increase in the base number of district judges in any county as of
21 January 1, 1992, such increase in the base number of district judges
22 and all related costs may be paid for by the county from moneys
23 provided under RCW 82.14.310, and any such costs shall be deemed to
24 be expended for criminal justice purposes as provided in RCW
25 82.14.315, and such expenses shall not constitute a supplanting of
26 existing funding.
27 (5)(a) A county legislative authority that desires to ((change))
28 increase the number of full or part-time district judges from the
29 base number on January 1, 1992, must first request the assistance of
30 the supreme court. The administrator for the courts, under the
31 supervision of the supreme court, shall conduct an objective workload
32 analysis and make a recommendation of its findings to the
33 ((legislature)) county legislative authority for consideration as
34 provided in this section. Changes in the number of district court
35 judges may only be made by the ((legislature)) county legislative
36 authority in a year in which the quadrennial election for district
37 court judges is not held.
38 (b) The legislative authority of any county may change a part-
39 time district judge position to a full-time position.
p. 2 SB 6222.SL
Passed by the Senate February 13, 2024.
Passed by the House February 27, 2024.
Approved by the Governor March 14, 2024.
Filed in Office of Secretary of State March 14, 2024.
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Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 3.34.010, 3.34.020
Bill as Passed Legislature: 3.34.010, 3.34.020
Session Law: 3.34.010, 3.34.020