Jurisdiction: Newly Introduced
NONE
Jurisdiction: Floor and Committee Activity
Colorado SB 56 Increases County Court civil jurisdiction from $15,000 to $25,000. Approved by Senate Finance Committee 3/8/18.
Florida HB 7061 ORIGINAL: Increases County Court jurisdiction from $15,000 to $50,000. Provides Supreme Court may adjust every 5 years based on Consumer Price Index. AMENDED: CPI adjustments deleted. Approved as amended by full House 3/5/18.
Iowa SF 2282 Requires 5/7 majority of state supreme court to declare law unconstitutional. Approved by full Senate 3/6/18.
Qualifications and Terms: Newly Introduced
Louisiana SB 278 (Constitutional Amendment) Repeals mandatory retirement age for judges. Prefiled.
Minnesota HF 3321 Increases mandatory judicial retirement age from 70 to 80. In House Public Safety and Security Policy and Finance Committee.
Qualifications and Terms: Floor and Committee Activity
South Carolina HB 4811 Requires those initially appointed as Magistrate Court judges to be attorneys in counties above 75,000 and have at least a 4-years bachelor's degree in counties below 75,000. Approved by House Judiciary Committee 3/7/18.
Rule Making Authority: Newly Introduced
NONE
Rule Making Authority: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Salary and Budget: Newly Introduced
Louisiana HB 493 Provides Judicial Council would no longer report whether court costs/fees "reasonably related to the operation of the courts or court system" Prefiled.
Minnesota HF 3231 Makes court technology fund permanent. In House Public Safety and Security Policy and Finance Committee.
Salary and Budget: Floor and Committee Activity
West Virginia SJR 3 (Constitutional Amendment) Grants legislature power to set appropriations for judiciary (currently, constitution prohibits legislature from diminishing judiciary's budget request). Provides the Legislature may not make any law that conditions the increase or decrease of an item relating to the judiciary upon a particular ruling, order, or decision of a court of this state. Approved by full House 3/9/18. To Senate to concur with House amendment.
Wyoming SF 24 Delineating responsibility for court information technology equipment between the judicial branch and counties. Approved by full House 3/5/18. To Governor for approval.
Selection: Newly Introduced
Minnesota SF 2936 Removes requirement that the term "incumbent" be printed next judge's name on the ballot. In Senate State Government Finance and Policy and Elections Committee.
Rhode Island SB 2588 Requires that the judicial selection commission be composed of at least three (3) members of color. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Rhode Island SB 2611 Vests with the governor the sole authority to nominate, on the basis of merit, from a list submitted by the judicial nominating commission with the advice and consent of the senate, all judges and magistrates, to all courts. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Selection: Floor and Committee Activity
Tennessee SJR 611 (Constitutional Amendment) Provides supreme court to continue to select attorney general, but subject to confirmation by general assembly. Approved as amended by Senate Judiciary Committee 3/7/18.
Structure Changes: Newly Introduced
Louisiana SB 273 Requires random selection of appellate panels. Prefiled.
Rhode Island SB 2608 Establishes a new and separate calendar within the superior court to expediently hear and decide land use matters concerning the development of renewable energy resources. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Structure Changes: Floor and Committee Activity
Kentucky HB 348 AS AMENDED: Authorizes the Supreme Court to require the Administrative Office of the Courts to perform an analysis to determine the need to rearrange the judicial circuits and districts or reallocate the number of judges relative to population or caseload every eight years Adjusts existing Circuits. Approved as amended by House Judiciary Committee 3/5/18.
Other: Newly Introduced
Louisiana SB 265 Provides for minimum standards for elevator access to multistory courthouses for the disabled community. Prefiled.
Other: Floor and Committee Activity
Florida SB 1396 Raises the county court’s jurisdictional amount for civil cases demanding money from $15,000 to $50,000. Authorizes a supreme court justice who resides outside of Tallahassee to maintain his or her headquarters in a district court of appeal courthouse, a county courthouse, or other appropriate facility in the justice’s district and be reimbursed for travel and subsistence while in Tallahassee. Clarifies that sheriffs when providing security in court facilities remain in operational control over the way security is provide Approved by Senate Appropriations Committee 3/2/18.
Hawaii SB 1304 Requires courts, to the extent reasonably possible, to provide interpreter services if any party to a proceeding requests that the proceeding be conducted in the Hawaiian language. Floor amended 3/6/18.
Louisiana SB 8 (First Extraordinary Session) Creates online fiscal database for all expenditures and salaries, including courts. Approved by full Senate 3/4/18.
Mississippi SB 2044 Expands authority of Chief Justice to appoint special judges to help clear docket backlogs. Approved by full House 3/7/18. To Governor for approval.
Oklahoma SB 1346 ORIGINAL: Provides court records produced online may not include items that contain a complete personal identification number. AMENDED: Provides date of birth and may only be released under rules developed by Supreme Court. Requires Supreme Court create records portal to that end. Approved by full Senate 3/8/18.
Utah SB 106 Requires removal of personal identifying information from court's online system if criminal case dismissed. Approved by full House 3/6/18. To Governor for approval.