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Washington committee hears debate on eliminating court fees that drive post‑sentence debt
Summary
Lawmakers and witnesses debated House Bill 2102, which would limit legal financial obligations (LFOs), void certain court-imposed costs and interest, and create administrative pathways to waive uncollectible debt; proponents cited collection failures and equity concerns while cities and collection firms warned of local cost shifts.
State lawmakers on Jan. 20 heard hours of testimony on House Bill 2102, a proposal to restrict court-imposed legal financial obligations and to make certain eliminated debts unenforceable.
Representative Julia Reed, the bill sponsor, told the House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee the legislation aims to end what she described as ‘‘poverty fees’’ that follow people long after their cases are closed. "From 2018 to 2021, Washington courts imposed more than $530,000,000 in legal financial obligations," Reed said, arguing that large sums of LFO debt are unpaid and impede reentry.
Supporters — including legal-assistance groups, academic clinics and the Washington State Sentencing Guidelines Commission — said the bill would create consistent…
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