This bill creates a new law by adding a new chapter (sections 2–6) to Title 2 RCW that establishes a temporary court unification task force to study Washington’s court system, review inefficiencies and inequities caused by disparate local court rules, technology, and funding, and identify where a more unified or centralized approach may improve efficiency, uniformity, consistency of outcomes, and access. The task force must form issue-specific subcommittees that can set agendas, invite nonvoting experts, and meet in person, virtually, or hybrid; the task force is cochaired by the chair of the House civil rights and judiciary committee and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the Washington State Bar Association is requested to provide staff support. This is a procedural change rather than a criminal or penalty change: it creates a study and reporting structure with required meetings, preliminary and final reports, and a sunset. Key deadlines require the first full meeting by October 1, 2026, a preliminary report by June 30, 2027, a final report with specific solution proposals and a long-term implementation plan by June 30, 2028, at least one full membership meeting after the final report and before June 30, 2029, and completion of the task force’s work by December 31, 2029, when the chapter expires. Full membership must meet at least twice per calendar year. The bill specifies broad membership drawn from judicial branch entities, county and city associations, the Washington State Bar Association, tribal-state court consortium, offices for public defense and civil legal aid, prosecutors, law enforcement associations, paralegals, community nonprofits, organizations representing survivors of gender-based violence, and other listed groups; the Governor’s and Attorney General’s offices may each appoint one nonvoting representative within existing resources. It authorizes travel reimbursement for members and allows compensation for members whose participation would be hindered by financial hardship, referencing existing reimbursement and compensation statutes (RCW 44.04.120, chapter 43.03 RCW, and RCW 43.03.220) and requires reports to the interbranch advisory committee under chapter 2.76 RCW and relevant legislative committees. The text references external statutes and other standards (for example, the Washington State Bar Association’s new standards for indigent defense and a constitutional mandate) but does not provide their content here; the precise title or numbering of the new chapter is not given beyond noting sections 2–6 constitute it.

If enacted, this creates a temporary, state-led review process that brings judges, court staff, bar leaders, local governments, prosecutors, defenders, tribes, law enforcement, and advocacy groups together to identify where inconsistent local court rules, technology, or funding cause delays or unequal outcomes and to recommend specific ways to harmonize practices. The likely near-term effect is extra staff time and meeting duties for those organizations, modest travel and possible compensation costs for individual members, and a set of concrete recommendations and a long-term plan by mid-2028 that could lead to later policy or budget changes if the legislature or courts act on them. The Washington State Bar Association is asked to provide staff support so it will likely absorb coordination work, and many listed agencies and associations will need to appoint representatives and participate in at least periodic full meetings through 2029. Some expenses are explicitly covered (travel reimbursement and possible hardship compensation under existing statutes) and the governor’s and attorney general’s nonvoting appointments are to be handled within existing resources, but the bill relies on other statutes and referenced bar standards not included here, so the exact rules for reimbursement, compensation, and how or whether recommendations become binding are unclear.