As a judicial branch commission, GJC typically does not take positions on proposed legislation, unless it impacts the administration of justice, especially with respect to gender issues. But our goal is to "eliminate gender bias in the legal profession and within the law and justice system." In order to achieve that goal, we have to stay informed about current events, including developments in the other branches of government that might impact our goals.

The Washington State Legislature established the Crime Victim Services Work Group in ESSB 5187, Sec. 918, which passed during the 2023 session. Pursuant to this legislation, the Washington State Supreme Court Gender and Justice Commission is responsible for convening stakeholders to report to the Legislature by October 21, 2024, regarding evidence-based training needs, standardizing and expanding assistance for crime victims, assessing funding, and developing a sustainable funding formula and criteria. Judge Jacquelyn High-Edward from Spokane County Superior Court will be chairing this work group on behalf of the Commission. Please contact commissions@courts.wa.gov for more information about the workgroup.

The Washington State Legislature directed the Gender and Justice Commission (GJC), with the support of the Washington State Women's Commission, to convene stakeholders to develop recommendations to the legislature and the courts regarding several protection order issues pursuant to sections 12, 16, and 36 of E2SHB 1320

Stakeholder Groups:

The overall project was led by Judge Jacqueline Shea-Brown and Erin Moody, co-chairs of the GJC's Domestic and Sexual Violence (DSV) Committee. The deliverables were also divided among three topical working groups:

• Litigant Rights & Access (led by Riddhi Mukhopadhyay & Judge Averil Rothrock)
• Technology (led by Hon. Timothy Fitzgerald & Elizabeth Hendren)
• Research & Information Sharing (led by Judge Michelle Demmert, Judge Cindy Smith & Judge Tanya Thorp)

The stakeholder groups, consisting of district court, superior court, and tribal court judges; court administrators; court clerks; advocates; attorneys; and researchers, met over the course of one year. (Litigant Rights & Access Meeting Minutes, Technology Meeting Minutes, Research & Information Sharing Meeting Minutes) The work was also informed by surveys, information from the Administrative Office of the Courts, listening sessions conducted by the Washington State Women's Commission and the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and review of relevant research.

Recommendations:

The stakeholder group submitted its report, Civil Protection Orders: E2SHB 1320 Stakeholder Group Recommendations to Support Access and Safety, to the legislature on December 1, 2021, regarding:

• jurisdictional division of authority;
• best practices for protection order cases involving minors;
• coercive control; and
• information sharing about civil protection orders among state courts and tribal, military, and other states' courts.

The stakeholder group submitted its recommendations to the courts on June 17, 2022, available here:
Those recommendations include best practices regarding:

• facilitating the receipt of evidence in civil protection order proceedings in ways that protect victim safety and privacy;
• improving access for unrepresented parties in civil protection order proceedings;
• concurrent civil protection order proceedings and criminal proceedings concerning the same alleged conduct;
• uses of technology to reduce administrative burdens in civil protection order proceedings;
• requirements for private vendors who provide services related to filing systems for civil protection orders; and
• data collection and sharing to promote research/study and transparency for the public.

Please contact Laura Jones at Laura.Jones@courts.wa.gov for questions about the E2SHB 1320 stakeholder groups.

The Washington State Legislature directed the Gender and Justice Commission, in collaboration with stakeholders, to reconvene two work groups and continue its examination of issues related to Domestic Violence Perpetrator Treatment and Domestic Violence Risk Assessment and report to the Legislature.

• Domestic Violence Perpetrator Treatment Report 
• Domestic Violence Risk Assessment Report 

Also in E2SHB 1517, the Legislature directed the Harborview Abuse and Trauma Center to develop a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Guide (CBT) for Intimate Partner Violence. The Guide provides an additional resource for the WA State response to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). It is a session by session curriculum to support the work of Domestic Violence Intervention Providers (DVIP).

Though the Commission was not involved in the development of this guide, the DV Work Groups recommended development of appropriate evidence-based training for domestic violence treatment providers in their E2SHB 1163 (2017) Reports to the Legislature (see section below).

• CBT Guide for Domestic Violence

View Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill 1517

The Washington State Legislature, in enacting E2SHB 1163, directed the Gender and Justice Commission, in collaboration with stakeholders, to convene two work groups on Domestic Violence Perpetrator Treatment (Sec. 7) and Domestic Violence Risk Assessment (Sec. 8) and report to the Legislature by June 2018.

• Domestic Violence Perpetrator Treatment Report 
• Domestic Violence Risk Assessment Report  

View ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1163 

The Washington State Legislature, in enacting ESHB 2777 (Laws of 2010, Ch. 274), directed the Administrative Office of the Courts through the Gender and Justice Commission to develop a pattern form for all domestic violence no contact orders, develop a model policy regarding rescission or modification of no contact orders, and to develop guidelines for reconciling duplicate or conflicting no contact orders.

Reports were sent to the Legislature in 2010 and 2011 indicating progress.

• Domestic Violence No Contact Orders - Pattern Form 
• Model Policy regarding Rescission or Modification of No Contact Orders 
• Guidelines for reconciling duplicate or conflicting No Contact Orders 


• December 2010 Report to the Legislature 
• December 2011 Report to the Legislature 

View ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2777 

Members of the Seattle University Women's Law Caucus worked with Legal Voice and select members of the Gender and Justice Commission to research, craft, and support HB 2747 sponsored by the Honorable Jeannie Darneille and the Honorable Karen Fraser. This law prevents the shackling of incarcerated pregnant women during transport and delivery. View ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2747

In 2007 Commission members and Staff continued to work with the Human Trafficking Task Force in developing a model state anti-trafficking law and to identify potential training topics designed to educate judicial officers and court personnel as to the issues related to Trafficking.

In 2006, the Commission was invited to participate in three Legislative projects:

• The Informal Shared Parenting Workgroup, which reviewed the Washington State Parenting Act and considered ways to reduce conflict in divorce cases and serve children's best interests while protecting victims of domestic violence and ensuring the rights of parents;
• The Domestic Violence Hope Card Committee, which examined the feasibility of producing a laminated wallet size version of the protection order and recommended that state resources would be better used to improve the system of support to victims with protection orders; and
• The Human Trafficking Task Force which began a five-year project to provide guidance to state leaders in responding to the crime of human trafficking and provide service to victims.