The bill amends existing law (RCW 2.08.063) to revise the authorized number of superior court judges in listed counties, specifically increasing Skagit County from four to five judges. The statute as amended lists judge totals for these counties: Lincoln 1; Skagit 5; Walla Walla 2; Whitman 1; Yakima 8; Adams 1; Whatcom 5. The bill includes a funding contingency: the act is declared null and void if specific funding for it is not provided in the omnibus appropriations act by June 30, 2026. The measure is identified as Senate Bill 5836 (S-3540.1), was prefiled December 5, 2025, read for the first time January 12, 2026, and was referred to the Senate Committee on Law & Justice. This is a statutory modification to the allocation of superior court judges (a procedural and organizational change to court staffing), not the creation of a criminal offense or penalty change. The text does not state an effective date beyond the funding contingency, does not specify the appropriation amount or source, and does not describe how or when any new judgeship would be filled; those details are therefore unclear from the provided excerpts.

If enacted and funded, Skagit County would get one additional superior court judge (increasing its total from four to five), which would likely reduce individual judge caseloads and require money for that judge’s salary, benefits, staff, and physical courtroom or office space. The state legislature must provide specific funding in the omnibus appropriations act by June 30, 2026 for the change to take effect; without that appropriation the addition is void and nothing changes. The people most directly affected are Skagit County’s court system, county planners, and the state budget office: court administrators would need to plan for the new position and related operating costs, and the legislature would need to decide whether to fund it. Important details are missing here—there’s no dollar amount, no effective date, and no description of how or when the judgeship would be filled—so the timing, full cost, and implementation approach remain uncertain.