Jurisdiction: Newly Introduced
Mississippi HB 177 Prohibits use of foreign law in state's courts. In House Judiciary A Committee.
Mississippi SB 2116 Prohibits use of foreign law in state's courts. In Senate Judiciary A Committee.
Montana SB 199 Prohibits use of foreign law in state's courts. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
New Hampshire CACR 3 (Constitutional Amendment) Provides legislature alone shall have the authority and full discretion to define reasonable standards for elementary and secondary public education and to establish reasonable standards of accountability therefore. Provides legislature alone shall have full discretion to determine the amount of, and methods of raising and distributing, state funding for education. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Oregon SB 176 Prohibits courts from applying Sharia law. Prefiled.
South Carolina SB 325 Increases magistrate courts' jurisdiction to $15,000 from $7,500. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
South Carolina SB 326 Provides Supreme Court may make rules regarding South Carolina Bar subject to statute. Provides constitutional provision giving Supreme Court power to regulate practice of law is subject to statute. Provides any rule requiring attorney be a member of the South Carolina Bar is superseded and of no force and effect. In Senate Labor, Commerce and Industry Committee.
Texas HB 562 Prohibits courts from using or referencing foreign law in a proceeding involving marriage, a suit for dissolution of a marriage, or a suit affecting the parent-child relationship. Prefiled.
Texas HB 670 Prohibits courts from using or referencing foreign law in a state. Prefiled.
Washington HB 1246 Prohibits courts use of foreign laws. In House Judiciary Committee.
Washington HB 1248 Increases District Court jurisdiction from $75,000 to $100,000. In House Judiciary Committee.
Washington SB 5125 Increases District Court jurisdiction from $75,000 to $100,000. In Senate Law & Justice Committee.
Washington SB 5192 Prohibits courts use of foreign laws. In Senate Law & Justice Committee.
Jurisdiction: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Qualifications and Terms: Newly Introduced
Pennsylvania SB 207 (Constitutional Amendment) Increases mandatory retirement age for judges from 70 to 75. (Second adoption. Approved by 2013/2014 session). In Senate Judiciary Committee.
South Carolina SB 316 Removes age limit above which a judge cannot join the judicial retirement system. Removes requirement that members of judicial retirement system retire by end of calendar year they turn 72. Removes mandatory retirement age for magistrates. In Senate Finance Committee.
Wyoming HJR 5 (Constitutional Amendment) Removes mandatory retirement age of 70. In House Judiciary Committee.
Qualifications and Terms: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Rule Making Authority: Newly Introduced
NONE
Rule Making Authority: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Salary and Budget: Newly Introduced
Colorado SB 89 Gradually shifts responsibility to provide for courtrooms and court facilities from counties to state. Prefiled.
Indiana HB 1462 Allows a clerk of a city or town court to retain a court clerk administrative fee from the excess amounts of bail, fines, civil penalties, and certain fees and court costs collected by the clerk. (Current law allows only a clerk of a circuit court to retain an administrative fee.) Increases the maximum amount of the court clerk administrative fee from $3 to $5. In House Courts and Criminal Code Committee.
Indiana SB 422 Requires court clerks collect a court security fee of $2 in each action in which a person is required to pay a criminal costs fee or a civil costs fee. Requires the clerks to distribute 100% of the court security fees collected to the auditor of state. Requires the auditor of state to transfer the court security fees to each county. Provides that the court security fees are to be: (1) distributed equally among the counties; and (2) deposited in each county's court security fund. Establishes a court security fund in each county to pay for the costs of installing, operating, maintaining, and upgrading security measures, plans, procedures, and systems in and around: (1) courtrooms; and (2) buildings that contain courtrooms; located in the county. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Nebraska LB 194 Creates Supreme Court Attorney Services Cash Fund for regulation of practice of law in state. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Nebraska LB 297 Change the salaries of Supreme Court judges. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
New Hampshire SB 65 Adds judicial branch employee member to the deferred compensation commission. In Senate Executive Departments and Administration Committee.
New Hampshire SB 90 Change preparation process for the judicial branch budget. In Senate Finance Committee.
New Mexico HB 89 Creates Court Language Access Fund to provide court interpreters, operate and staff the New Mexico Center for Language Access, etc. Prefiled.
Oregon HB 2338 Modifies annual salaries of judges of Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, Oregon Tax Court and circuit courts. Prefiled.
South Carolina SB 317 (Constitutional Amendment) Guarantees 1% of all general revenue to state's judiciary. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
West Virginia SB 63 Expands facilities eligible for funding assistance from Courthouse Facilities Improvement Authority. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Salary and Budget: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Selection: Newly Introduced
Alaska SJR 3 (Constitutional Amendment) Expands Judicial Council from 7 to 10. Provides governor to name majority of council members (6 out of 10). Requires governor-appointed members of Council be confirmed by legislature. Provides quorum of 7 to take any action. Prefiled.
Arizona HCR 2002 (Constitutional Amendment) Requires judges in retention elections receive a 60% "yes" vote to remain in office. Prefiled.
Arizona HCR 2006 (Constitutional Amendment) For counties/courts that use merit selection, allows legislature to remove judge from office on 2/3rds vote without need to demonstrate cause or impeachable offense. Prefiled.
Indiana HB 1038 Moves elections of city and town officers, including judges, to even-numbered years. In House Elections and Apportionment Committee.
Kansas HCR 5003 (Constitutional Amendment) Allows for recall of judges. In House Federal and State Affairs Committee.
Kansas HCR 5004 (Constitutional Amendment) Provides for direct partisan election of appellate judges. In House Judiciary Committee.
Kansas HCR 5005 (Constitutional Amendment) Ends merit selection for Supreme Court. Provides governor may select nominees for Supreme Court and Court of Appeals subject to senate confirmation. Provides failure by Senate to vote on candidate within certain time frame results in automatic confirmation. Provides judges subject to yes/no retention elections. In House Judiciary Committee.
Kansas HCR 5006 (Constitutional Amendment) Ends merit selection for Supreme Court. Provides governor may select nominees for Supreme Court and Court of Appeals subject to senate confirmation. Provides judges to remain in office for life. Provides failure by Senate to vote on candidate within certain time frame results in automatic confirmation. In House Judiciary Committee.
Missouri SB 246 Provides that a Supreme, Appellate or Circuit Court judge who is appointed shall be disqualified from hearing a case when an attorney or a party to the case being heard served on the Appellate or one of the Circuit Judicial Commissions that nominated the judge. In Senate (no committee).
Montana HB 220 Defines/redefines "State judicial district" and "judicial district" for purposes of recalling judges. Allows judges of higher courts to be recalled for any reason. In House Judiciary Committee.
New Hampshire CACR 8 (Constitutional Amendment) Provides judges to be nominated by the Governor **or** the Council (currently Governor AND Council), and confirmed by a majority of the Legislature in joint session. In House Judiciary Committee.
Pennsylvania SB 44 (Constitutional Amendment) Replaces current election system for appellate judges with merit selection Appellate Court Nominating Commission and retention elections. Requires Senate confirmation for those chosen by commission and appointed by governor. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
South Carolina SB 124 Prohibits lawyer-legislators from voting for judges or appearing before judges they nominated. (In South Carolina, most judges are elected by the legislature or appointed by the governor on the nomination/recommendation of the local senator). In Senate Judiciary Committee.
West Virginia HB 2010 Requires nonpartisan elections of judges. In House Judiciary Committee.
West Virginia SB 10 Requires nonpartisan elections of judges. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Selection: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Structure Changes: Newly Introduced
Arizona HB 2088 Provides presiding judge of the superior court in each county may establish a homeless court, veterans court and mental health court to adjudicate cases filed in the superior court in the county. Prefiled.
Arizona HB 2310 Provides presiding judge of the superior court in each county may establish a mental health court to adjudicate cases filed in the superior court in the county. Prefiled.
Kansas SB 17 Revises Judicial Council membership. Adds House and Senate corrections and juvenile justice committee chairs. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Missouri HB 525 Specifies that drug courts must be established by every circuit court In House (no committee).
South Carolina SB 327 Requires drugs courts to be created under the direction and control of the local prosecutors and the South Carolina Commission on Prosecution Coordination. Provides judges of these courts to be selected by Chief Justice. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Texas HB 543 Creates first-time DWI offenders courts. Prefiled.
Washington SB 5107 Encourages the establishment of therapeutic courts. In Senate Law & Justice Committee.
West Virginia SB 129 Creates Intermediate Court of Appeals consisting of no permanent judges but panels of three judges (2 current or retired circuit court, one supreme court justice). In Senate Judiciary Committee.
West Virginia SB 134 Creates Intermediate Court of Appeals made up of three divisions of 3 judges each and elected in same manner as supreme court. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Structure Changes: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Other: Newly Introduced
Kansas SB 12 Increases penalties for assaults on attorneys, judges and court services officers in the performance of their duties. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Missouri HB 500 Expands crime of "tampering with a judicial officer" to include all state officials. In House (no committee).
Montana HB 210 Removes specific crime and enhanced penalties for assault on a judge. In House Judiciary Committee.
Nebraska LB 301 Allows for court opinions and the Nebraska Reports to be released and published electronically. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
New Hampshire HB 172 Creates commission to study the operations of small claims court. In House Judiciary Committee.
New Hampshire HB 246 Specifies failure to deliver a jury nullification instruction subjects judge to impeachment for maladministration. In House Judiciary Committee.
New Hampshire HB 247 Prohibits the assignment and acceptance of recommendations of unauthorized judicial referees. Provides judges who assign/accept subject to impeachment for maladministration. In House Judiciary Committee.
North Dakota HB 1166 Removes limitation on placement of District Judges' chambers. In House Judiciary Committee.
North Dakota HB 1307 Creates crime of filing false lien on judges and other officials. In House Judiciary Committee.
North Dakota SB 2161 Creates interdisciplinary committee on problem-solving courts. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Oregon HB 2319 Increases number of Oregon State Bar members appointed to Council on Court Procedures from 12 to 14. Prefiled.
Oregon SB 157 Directs Department of Veterans' Affairs to submit report to interim legislative committees, no later than July 1, 2016, regarding implementation of veterans' and servicemembers' specialty treatment courts. Prefiled.
Pennsylvania SB 212 Creates crimes of simulated legal process, impersonating public official or legal tribunal, and hindering public official related to filing of false liens and similar items against judges and others. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Rhode Island SB 18 Requires independent performance audits of judiciary to be conducted periodically by the state auditor general. In Senate Finance Committee.
Tennessee SB 41 Establishes advisory task forces to study and report recommendations on electronic filing in state courts and the appointment of counsel for indigent defenses. In Senate (no committee).
Other: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE