This bill introduces a new section to chapter 26.09 RCW that exempts certain petitioners from paying fees associated with filing for dissolution of marriage if they have previously obtained a full domestic violence protection order against their spouse or if the spouse has been charged with a crime of domestic violence. Under these circumstances, petitioners will not be required to pay any filing fees or surcharges, and law enforcement is mandated to provide personal service of the summons and petition at no cost to the petitioner. The bill also amends several existing statutes, including RCW 26.12.260, 36.18.016, 36.18.020, and 36.18.040, to ensure that user fees or surcharges imposed by county legislative authorities do not apply to these specific petitions.

Additionally, the bill updates the fees that sheriffs can collect for their official services, explicitly stating that they may not charge for the service of summons and petitions related to the new exemption. It adjusts various fee amounts, such as increasing the fee for levying a writ of attachment or execution to $30 per hour and setting the fee for making copies of papers at $1 for the first page and 50 cents for each additional page. The bill allows county legislative authorities to determine the amounts of fees collected by sheriffs for administrative costs while ensuring that public funds cannot be used for private litigation costs. It also clarifies that fines imposed by this section do not apply to juvenile offenders.

Statutes affected:
Original bill: 10.99.020, 26.09.016, 36.18.020, 36.18.040