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Senate adopts substitute for SB 119 to set up legislative task force on court commissioners
Summary
Lawmakers adopted a first substitute to Senate Bill 119 to establish a legislative task force of four representatives and four senators to study court commissioners’ duties and court consolidation implementation; senators flagged the need for a revised fiscal note after substitute changes.
Senate Bill 119, proposing a legislative task force to study court commissioners and related court-consolidation issues, was debated on the floor and advanced after senators approved a substitute. Sponsor remarks described a short-term, legislator-only task force charged with reviewing duties assigned to court commissioners and evaluating implementation steps for court consolidation that has been accelerated in the schedule.
Senator Baird and other sponsors said an ad hoc interim committee had concluded that additional legislative review was necessary because duties had been assigned to court commissioners that may exceed their statutory authority; a Supreme Court case on the matter was cited as pending. The substitute expanded the task force composition (adding one senator and one representative) and increased the fiscal note; Senator Black raised the need for a revised fiscal note to reflect the added appropriation, and the sponsor agreed to secure a revised note.
The chamber moved to accept the substitute and the motion carried. The first substitute for SB 119 received 25 aye votes with no nays and was placed on the third-reading calendar. Senators noted the task force will look at court commissioners, the misdemeanor handling placement, and issues related to a fast-tracked court consolidation timetable.
