Jurisdiction: Newly Introduced
NONE
Jurisdiction: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Qualifications and Terms: Newly Introduced
NONE
Qualifications and Terms: Floor and Committee Activity
Louisiana HB 203 (Constitutional Amendment) ORIGINAL: Eliminates mandatory retirement for judges. Provides no person shall be denied the right to hold public office or public employment solely on account of age. Provides judges over 70 to be reviewed by judicial disciplinary committee. AMENDED: Same, but removes reference to review by judicial disciplinary committee. Approved as amended by House Judiciary Committee 3/29/18. Approved as amended by House Civil Law and Procedure committee 4/3/18.
Louisiana SB 278 (Constitutional Amendment) Repeals mandatory retirement age for judges. Approved by Senate Governmental Affairs Committee 3/27/18.
Rule Making Authority: Newly Introduced
Louisiana HB 744 Provides that a district court or a court of limited jurisdiction may sign orders and judgments while outside of its territorial jurisdiction during an emergency or disaster that prevents it from operating in its own jurisdiction. In House Civil Law and Procedure Committee.
Rule Making Authority: Floor and Committee Activity
California SB 1208 Allows expands instances where chief justice, as chair of judicial council, may shut down or move courts due to disaster/emergency. Provides civil time limits to be extended but only to fewest days necessary. Provides emergency declaration made by President or Governor sufficient to exercise power. Approved as amended by Senate Rules Committee 4/3/18.
Minnesota HF 2809 Requires Supreme Court adopt and maintain an emergency operations and continuity of government plan to ensure the secure, continued operation of the judicial branch in the event of a disaster, emergency, or declared emergency. Approved by House Government Operations Committee 3/21/18. Approved by Public Safety and Security Policy and Finance 3/29/18.
Tennessee SB 1789 SENATE: Authorizes general sessions courts to permit filing, signing, and verifying documents electronically in the manner authorized by Tennessee Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 5B. Must comply with technological standards promulgated by the Supreme Court. HOUSE: Provides that local rules will govern the methods by which such papers may be filed, signed or verified and requires the local jurisdiction to be responsible for all expenditures for implementation of such system. Approved with House amendment by full House 3/26/18. To Senate to concur.
Salary and Budget: Newly Introduced
NONE
Salary and Budget: Floor and Committee Activity
Idaho HB 582 Revises the salaries of justices and judges. Approved by full Senate 3/16/18. To Governor for approval.
New Jersey SB 1229 Increases annual salary of Governor's cabinet officers, judges, county prosecutors, and certain other public employees. Approved by Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee 4/5/18.
Selection: Newly Introduced
NONE
Selection: Floor and Committee Activity
Colorado HCR 1001 (Constitutional Amendment) Eliminates requirement that clerks write a separate retention question for each justice or judge standing for retention. Allows county clerks to write a single ballot question for each level of courts, shortening and simplifying the ballot. Approved by full House 4/3/18.
Hawaii HCR 199 Requests the judiciary to study and make recommendations on ways to increase gender equity in the filling of judicial vacancies. Approved by House Judiciary Committee 3/27/18.
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 full Senate 3/19/18.
Structure Changes: Newly Introduced
NONE
Structure Changes: Floor and Committee Activity
Connecticut HB 5505 Establishes the Connecticut center for Commercial Claims as a mechanism for the expeditious resolution of commercial cases. Approved by Joint Judiciary Committee 4/2/18.
Georgia HR 993 (Constitutional Amendment) Creates state-wide Business Court. Provides judges to be appointed and reappointed by Governor with consent of House and Senate Judiciary Committees. Provides Superior Courts may create their own business court divisions and have concurrent jurisdiction with Business Court in equity cases. House concurs with Senate amendment 3/29/18. To appear on November 2018 ballot.
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. Provides supreme court "shall" certify need for changes to lines and judgeships. House concurs with Senate amendment 3/22/18. To Governor for approval.
Missouri HB 2562 Combines or renames various statutes related to drug courts, DWI courts, etc. into treatment courts. Approved by House Judiciary Committee 3/28/18.
Other: Newly Introduced
Minnesota HF 3952 Requests task force to assess expanding use of audio and audio-visual recording of court proceedings. In House Public Safety and Security Policy and Finance Committee.
Other: Floor and Committee Activity
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. Approved by full House 4/5/18.
Connecticut HB 5247 Requires an internal review of the security procedures employed by courthouses. Approved by Joint Judiciary Committee 4/2/18.
Connecticut SB 223 Requires the Chief Court Administrator to establish a training program for judges regarding mental health and post-traumatic stress disorders affecting veterans involved in the criminal justice system. Approved by Joint Committee on Veterans' Affairs 3/14/18.
Connecticut SB 483 Requires the Chief Court Administrator, in consultation with the Chief Public Defender, Chief State's Attorney and the dean of The University of Connecticut School of Law, to study the feasibility of establishing one or more opioid intervention courts in the state. Approved by Joint Judiciary Committee 4/2/18.
Louisiana HB 524 Requires annual sexual harassment training and policies be implemented. Establishes minimum standards the policies must contain. Requires all courts report to the chief justice. Approved by full House 3/21/18.
Louisiana SB 265 Provides for minimum standards for elevator access to multistory courthouses for the disabled community. Approved by Senate Health and Welfare Committee 3/21/18.
Tennessee HB 1939 AS AMENDED: 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. Does not allow for carrying the weapon into a room where judicial proceedings are in progress. Approved by full House 4/2/18