Bill reconciles court rules and statutes on infractions, updates filing deadlines
February 19, 2026 | Legislative Sessions, Washington
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
Substitute House Bill 2,178 was presented Feb. 19 to the Law and Justice Committee as a technical package aligning statutory language with current court rules and practice.
Tim Ford, staff counsel, summarized the changes: raising the aggregation threshold so multiple small property damages no longer aggregate at an older $250 level but instead align with the $750 second‑degree malicious mischief threshold; changing the statutory filing window for civil infractions from 48 hours to five days and adjusting response timelines from 15 days to 30 or 33 days (depending on service method); and repealing an obsolete requirement that the Administrative Office of the Courts distribute certain collections—transferring that duty to the State Treasurer, consistent with recent operating budgets.
Representative Milin Tai, the prime sponsor, described the package as narrowly focused and important to align procedure and statute. Jaylee Schultz of the Administrative Office of the Courts testified in support, saying the updates "ensure clarity, consistency, and transparency" for court practice. Committee members asked about the history of the aggregation mismatch; staff explained the earlier provision had not been updated when thresholds were changed in statute and the bill closes that gap.
The committee closed public testimony on HB 2,178 on Feb. 19 and indicated that work on technical amendments was ongoing; no final vote occurred during this hearing.
Tim Ford, staff counsel, summarized the changes: raising the aggregation threshold so multiple small property damages no longer aggregate at an older $250 level but instead align with the $750 second‑degree malicious mischief threshold; changing the statutory filing window for civil infractions from 48 hours to five days and adjusting response timelines from 15 days to 30 or 33 days (depending on service method); and repealing an obsolete requirement that the Administrative Office of the Courts distribute certain collections—transferring that duty to the State Treasurer, consistent with recent operating budgets.
Representative Milin Tai, the prime sponsor, described the package as narrowly focused and important to align procedure and statute. Jaylee Schultz of the Administrative Office of the Courts testified in support, saying the updates "ensure clarity, consistency, and transparency" for court practice. Committee members asked about the history of the aggregation mismatch; staff explained the earlier provision had not been updated when thresholds were changed in statute and the bill closes that gap.
The committee closed public testimony on HB 2,178 on Feb. 19 and indicated that work on technical amendments was ongoing; no final vote occurred during this hearing.
View the Full Meeting & All Its Details
This article offers just a summary. Unlock complete video, transcripts, and insights as a Founder Member.
✓
Watch full, unedited meeting videos
✓
Search every word spoken in unlimited transcripts
✓
AI summaries & real-time alerts (all government levels)
✓
Permanent access to expanding government content
30-day money-back guarantee
