(1) The administrative office of the courts, through the gender and justice commission of the Washington state supreme court, and with the support of the Washington state women's commission, shall consider and develop recommendations regarding the jurisdictional division of authority and responsibility among superior courts and courts of limited jurisdiction for protection order proceedings, and the differing approaches to jurisdiction among the types of protection orders. The work shall assess whether jurisdiction should be harmonized, modified, or consolidated to further the stated intent of chapter 215, Laws of 2021. The work shall consider the underlying rationale for the existing jurisdictional division, assess whether the jurisdictional division creates barriers to access, gather data on usage and financial costs or savings, and weigh other relevant benefits and ramifications of modifying or consolidating jurisdiction.
(2) In developing the recommendations, the gender and justice commission must work with representatives of superior, district, and municipal court judicial officers, court clerks, and administrators, including those with experience in protection order proceedings, as well as advocates and practitioners with expertise in each type of protection order, including those involving minors. Participants should include those from both rural and urban jurisdictions.
(3) The gender and justice commission shall provide summary recommendations to the legislature by December 1, 2021.
[ 2021 c 215 § 12.]