HB 1350, sponsored by Rep. Christine Kilduff (D–University Place), clarifies that the civil jurisdiction of courts of limited jurisdiction is limited to the issuance and enforcement of temporary protection orders in cases that require transfer to superior court. As such, the district or municipal court must transfer the case after entry of the temporary order.
Many protection order statutes allow courts of limited jurisdiction to enter temporary orders and then transfer the case to superior court; but that language is missing from the anti-harassment statutes. This bill proposes to close that gap.
HB 1350 advanced out of the House and is now in the Senate Law & Justice Committee. A hearing has not been scheduled.