Clarifying public defense caseload standards for local jurisdictions.
SB 5913 clarifies requirements for local jurisdictions (counties and cities) that provide public defense services. It amends Washington law to explicitly require local standards covering caseload limits, attorney qualifications, compensation, case types, and handling of costs like expert witnesses. The bill mandates that these standards must address specific operational elements, such as monitoring attorney performance and client complaint procedures. This directly affects public defense systems across Washington, ensuring consistent minimum requirements for how legal representation is structured and managed.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Dec 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Dec 17, 2025
Last action Jan 12, 2026
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
2
Key actions
0
Committee
0
1 primary · 2 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Nikki Torres
RRepublican
Co
Jeff Wilson
RRepublican
Co
Perry Dozier
RRepublican
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