Jurisdiction: Newly Introduced
Hawaii HB 2191 Amends appellate jurisdiction of the supreme court and the intermediate appellate court to conditions as they existed prior to July 1, 2006. Reestablishes criteria for assigning appeals. Reestablishes requirement that most appeals be filed with the supreme court instead of the intermediate appellate court. In House Judiciary Committee.
Hawaii HB 2194 Provides that a court of inferior jurisdiction may certify to the Hawaii Supreme Court a question or proposition of law on which the court of inferior jurisdiction seeks instruction for the proper decision of a remanded case. Requires the Supreme Court to answer the question within 15 calendar days. In House Judiciary Committee.
Hawaii SB 3019 Provides that a court of inferior jurisdiction may certify to the Hawaii Supreme Court a question or proposition of law on which the court of inferior jurisdiction seeks instruction for the proper decision of a remanded case. Requires the Supreme Court to answer the question within 15 calendar days. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Hawaii SB 3040 Amends appellate jurisdiction of the supreme court and the intermediate appellate court to conditions as they existed prior to July 1, 2006. Reestablishes criteria for assigning appeals. Reestablishes requirement that most appeals be filed with the supreme court instead of the intermediate appellate court In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Idaho HB 419 Bans court use of foreign/international law. In House State Affairs Committee.
Idaho HB 461 Prohibits state courts from enforcing federal court decisions deemed by legislature to be unconstitutional. In House State Affairs Committee.
Iowa HF 2106 Provides no statute shall be held unconstitutional by a court of this state except by the concurrence of at least five 5 justices of the supreme court of Iowa. In House Judiciary Committee.
Kansas SCR 1609 (Constitutional Amendment) Provides only local school boards may close schools and prohibits courts from doing so. In Senate Select Committee on Education Finance.
Maryland SB 157 Increases from $5,000 to $7,500 the minimum amount in controversy in civil cases over which the District Court and the circuit courts have concurrent jurisdiction. Increases from $5,000 to $7,500 the maximum amount of money over which the District Court has exclusive jurisdiction in a small claim action. Increases from $5,000 to $7,500 the minimum amount in controversy in civil cases in which appeals from the District Court are required to be heard on the record. In Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee.
West Virginia HB 4204 Bans court use of foreign/international law. In House Judiciary Committee.
Jurisdiction: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Qualifications and Terms: Newly Introduced
Hawaii SB 2983 (Constitutional Amendment) Increases mandatory judicial retirement age from 70 to 75. In Senate Judiciary Committee
South Carolina SB 841 Requires certain judicial continuing education programs include animal cruelty. On Senate floor.
Qualifications and Terms: Floor and Committee Activity
Virginia HB 1392 Provides that no person who would be subject to mandatory retirement under the provisions of the Judicial Retirement System shall be eligible to serve as a judge, justice, or substitute judge. Rejected by House Courts of Justice Subcommittee 1/29/18.
Rule Making Authority: Newly Introduced
New Mexico HJR 6 (Constitutional Amendment) Removes Supreme Court's power to make rules of practice and procedure. Provides "The practices and procedures pertaining to the supreme court and all inferior courts shall be established by law." In House State Government Committee.
New Mexico SJM 13 Creates an official request by the Legislature that the Supreme Court rescind Rules of Criminal Procedure related to bail/pretrial release. In Senate Rules Committee.
Utah HJR 3 (Constitutional Amendment) Provides Supreme Court's power to govern practice of law, admission to practice law, and conduct and discipline of persons admitted to practice law is limited to "before the courts of the State." In House Business and Labor Committee.
Tennessee HB 2199 Authorizes general sessions courts to permit filing, signing, and verifying documents electronically in the manner authorized by Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 5B In House (no committee).
Tennessee SB 1789 Authorizes general sessions courts to permit filing, signing, and verifying documents electronically in the manner authorized by Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 5B In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Rule Making Authority: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Salary and Budget: Newly Introduced
Maryland HJR 3 Sets judicial salaries. In House Appropriations.
Maryland SB 176 Clarifies the eligibility for a retirement allowance for certain members of the Judges' Retirement System who reach the mandatory retirement age required by Article IV, § 3 of the Maryland Constitution and have less than 5 years of eligibility service. In Senate Budget and Taxation Committee.
Maryland SJR 5 Sets judicial salaries. In Senate Budget and Taxation Committee.
New Mexico HB 235 Raises Municipal Court Automation Fee. In House Judiciary Committee.
Oregon HB 4096 Increases judicial salaries. In House Judiciary Committee.
Oregon SB 1545 Provides for cost of providing state court technology services to state agencies to be assessed against agencies beginning July 1, 2019. In Senate General Government and Accountability Committee.
South Carolina SB 910 Sets all judicial salaries as a percentage of a U.S. District Court judge's. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Vermont HB 703 Increases Probate judge salaries. In House Judiciary Committee.
West Virginia HB 4137 Removes the cap on payments for service by retired circuit judges, family court judges, and magistrates in limited circumstances. In House Pensions and Retirement Committee.
West Virginia SB 367 Allowing retired judicial officers recalled to service avoid normal cap on temporary employment payments. In Senate Pensions Committee.
Salary and Budget: Floor and Committee Activity
California SB 656 Alters eligibility and years of service for Judges’ Retirement System II. Approved by full Senate 1/29/18.
Georgia HB 409 Provides for optional benefits available to appellate court judges, notice of election of benefits, eligibility for benefits, disability benefits, and survivors benefits, so as to decrease the age of eligibility for certain benefits. Approved by House Retirement Committee 2/25/18.
Selection: Newly Introduced
Mississippi SB 2680 Requires nonpartisan election for Clerks of Court and other county officials. In House Elections Committee.
Maryland HB 513 (Constitutional Amendment) Ends elections for Circuit Court judges. Provides judges to be appointed by governor, confirmed by senate, and subject to yes/no retention elections. Reduces term in office from 15 years down to 10 years. In House Judiciary Committee.
Hawaii HB 2563 (Constitutional Amendment) Authorizes the senate to approve or reject subsequent terms of office for supreme court justices. Changes the required time frames from 30 to 90 days for the process to appoint and consent to a justice or judge. Harmonizes the senate consent procedures for district court judgeship nominees to mirror the senate consent procedures relating to supreme court justices and intermediate court of appeals and circuit court judges. In House Judiciary Committee.
Hawaii SB 3039 (Constitutional Amendment) Authorizes the senate to approve or reject subsequent terms of office for supreme court justices. Changes the required time frames from 30 to 90 days for the process to appoint and consent to a justice or judge. Harmonizes the senate consent procedures for district court judgeship nominees to mirror the senate consent procedures relating to supreme court justices and intermediate court of appeals and circuit court judges. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Iowa HJR 2004 (Constitutional Amendment) Ends merit/commission system for judicial selection. Provides judges to be appointed by governor and confirmed by senate. In House Judiciary Committee.
Illinois HB 4176 Provides that no judge or former judge may submit his or her candidacy for a vacancy in a judicial office by any method other than seeking retention in his or her office, unless that judge or former judge is seeking judicial office in a higher or lower court or he or she has not served as an elected or appointed judge for at least 2 years. In House Rules Committee.
Selection: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Structure Changes: Newly Introduced
Mississippi HB 1465 Permits but does not require creation of Domestic Abuse Courts. In House Judiciary B Committee.
Oklahoma SB 1067 Requires all drug courts be certified by Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Prefiled.
West Virginia SB 341 Creates WV Intermediate Court of Appeals. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Structure Changes: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Other: Newly Introduced
Colorado HB 1081 Requires the state court administrator to administer a division that is charged with reminding criminal defendants to appear at their scheduled hearings in the county courts and district courts of the state. In House Judiciary Committee.
Colorado HB 1131 Directs the division of criminal justice (division) within the department of public safety (department), in consultation with the office of the state court administrator, to operate a program that implements telephonic or internet-based networking software to let county courts and district courts conduct judicial procedures with remote participants. In House Judiciary Committee.
Iowa SF 2044 Provides if state supreme court or local court prohibits carrying of firearms into courthouses, courts are to pay rent and provide armed security to be paid for by reducing judge's salaries. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Iowa SF 2052 Provides people may carry a firearm into a courthouse with a handgun permit. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Iowa SF 2104 Provides no supreme court or judicial branch order may prohibit a person from carrying a firearm into a courthouse. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Mississippi HB 1431 Require the commissioner of public safety to create a concealed license for justice court judges which allows such judges to have reciprocity to carry a concealed weapon in other states. In House Judiciary B Committee.
New York AB 5946 Requires all courts report to chief administrator of the courts data on offenses by court/county including offense charged, the race, ethnicity, age, and sex of the individual charged, sentence imposed, and other data. On Assembly floor.
Ohio HCR 17 Summons Justice William O'Neill to show cause why he should not be removed from office. In House Government Accountability and Oversight Committee.
Oregon HB 4094 Directs Oregon Association for Court Administration, rather than League of Oregon Cities and Association of Oregon Counties, to report to Legislative Fiscal Officer information relating to caseload, revenues and expenditures of municipal courts and justice courts In House Judiciary Committee.
Oregon HB 4097 Allows presiding judge of district to create court facilitation program to help in proceeds other than family law. In House Judiciary Committee.
Tennessee HB 1635 Extends the Tennessee board of judicial conduct for two years to June 30, 2020 In House Government Operations Committee.
Tennessee HB 1722 Creates a streamlined process for judges and certain public officials to contest liens on real property that they believe to lack any legal basis. In House Civil Justice Committee.
Tennessee HB 1743 Requires the municipal judges conference to provide educational seminars or training for the judges attending the annual meeting and provides that the expenses for judges attending the annual meeting be paid by the administrative office of the courts rather than the municipality in which the judge presides. In House Civil Justice Committee.
Tennessee HB 1939 Allows county commissioner in the actual discharge of the commissioner's duties who has a valid handgun carry permit to carry in buildings in which judicial proceedings are taking place if county commission meetings are also held in the building. In House Civil Justice Committee.
Tennessee SB 1500 Allows county commissioner in the actual discharge of the commissioner's duties who has a valid handgun carry permit to carry in buildings in which judicial proceedings are taking place if county commission meetings are also held in the building. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Tennessee SB 1557 Extends the Tennessee board of judicial conduct for two years to June 30, 2020 In Senate Government Operations Committee.
Tennessee SB 1815 Requires the municipal judges conference to provide educational seminars or training for the judges attending the annual meeting and provides that the expenses for judges attending the annual meeting be paid by the administrative office of the courts rather than the municipality in which the judge presides. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Washington SB 6405 Requires creation of fiscal notes for supreme court decisions and for AOC to assist. In Senate Ways & Means Committee.
West Virginia HB 4302 Authorizes the use of bailiffs who are not law-enforcement officers. In House Judiciary Committee.
West Virginia SB 359 Authorizing Supreme Court establish curricula for mental hygiene commissioners and certain magistrates. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Other: Floor and Committee Activity
Michigan HB 4779 Enacts uniform electronic legal materials act. Approved full House 1/25/18.
New Mexico HB 61 Merges the Supreme Court, Supreme Court Law Library, and Supreme Court Building Commission into a single entity for purposes of consolidating the annual appropriations and budgeting process. Amends and recompiles statutes pertaining to the Supreme Court Law Library and Supreme Court Building Commission to provide direct administrative oversight by the Chief Justice and Justices of the Supreme Court Approved by House State Government Committee 1/30/18.
Ohio SCR 20 Summons Justice William O'Neill to show cause why he should not be removed from office. Approved by full Senate 1/17/18.
Tennessee SB 1971 Creates a streamlined process for judges and certain public officials to contest liens on real property that they believe to lack any legal basis. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Utah HB 51 Removes the Office of the Court Administrator from the Legislative Oversight and Sunset Act. Approved by full House 1/25/18.
Utah SB 106 Provides for delinking personal identifying information from court online records where the case has been dismissed. Approved by Senate Judiciary Committee 1/29/18.
Virginia SB 827 Increases from $10 to $20 the maximum amount a local governing body may assess against a convicted defendant as part of the costs in a criminal or traffic case in district or circuit court to fund courthouse and courtroom security. Approved by Senate Courts of Justice Committee 1/31/18.
Virginia SB 980 Directs creation of e-filing system for civil case filings in all Virginia Circuit Courts. Prohibits filing of paper documents after July 2019 except in limited cases. Directs the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court to administer a paid subscription service that provides access to all electronic records maintained by the clerks who use such electronic imaging system for civil cases filed on or after July 1, 2019. Specifies that such subscription shall be on an annual basis, with an annual fee to be established by the Judicial Council of Virginia. Directs the Virginia Information Technologies Agency to update its document entitled "Security Standard for Restricted Remote Access to Documents on Court-Controlled Websites". Approved by Senate Courts of Justice Committee 1/31/18.