Jurisdiction: Newly Introduced
Arizona HB 2024 Prohibits state courts from enforcing U.S. Supreme Court decisions unless decision is enacted by Congress. In House (no committee).
Arizona HCR 2016 (Constitutional Amendment) Grants Superior Court original jurisdiction over "Annulment and dissolution of marriage" (currently reads "Divorce and for Annulment of marriage.") In House (no committee).
Indiana HB 1322 Specifies that circuit courts, superior courts, and probate courts have original and concurrent jurisdiction under certain provisions of the Indiana Code. In House Courts and Criminal Code Committee.
Missouri HJR 69 (Constitutional Amendment) Prohibits a state court from using any international law or Sharia law. In House (no committee).
New Mexico SJR 4 (Constitutional Amendment) Provides "district court shall not have appellate jurisdiction of on the record driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs cases or domestic violence cases from metropolitan court." In Senate Rules Committee.
South Carolina SB 948 Bans use by state courts of foreign or international law. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Jurisdiction: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Qualifications and Terms: Newly Introduced
Indiana HB 1304 Defines "court clerk". Makes it a crime to work as a court clerk without registering with the state's supreme court. Sets education requirements for all court clerks. In House Courts and Criminal Code Committee.
Qualifications and Terms: Floor and Committee Activity
Indiana SB 81 Allows a senior judge or a judge pro tempore serving in a county that has more than one superior court judge to, with the consent of any judge of a superior court in the county, sit as the judge of the superior court in any matter as if the senior judge or judge pro tempore were the elected judge or appointed judge of the superior court. Approved by Senate Judiciary Committee 1/14/16.
Rule Making Authority: Newly Introduced
Arizona HB 2219 Establishes the Supreme Court as the entity responsible for licensing attorneys for the practice of law in Arizona and specifies membership of any organization is not required for attorneys to become or remain a licensed attorney in Arizona. In House (no committee).
Arizona HB 2221 Establishes the Supreme Court as the entity responsible for regulation of attorneys. Specifies limited reasons Supreme Court may collect assessment/fees from attorneys. In House (no committee).
Arizona HCM 2002 Urges Supreme Court to modify its rules related to the State Bar of Arizona to ensure the protection of First Amendment freedoms. In House (no committee).
Arizona HCM 2003 Urges Supreme Court to establish improved transparency measures with respect to the expenditure of State Bar of Arizona member dues. In House (no committee).
Rule Making Authority: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Salary and Budget: Newly Introduced
NONE
Salary and Budget: Floor and Committee Activity
Georgia HB 738 Allows excess court law library funds to be used to purchase software, equipment, fixtures, or furnishings for the office of the district attorney or solicitor-general or for county judicial facilities, including but not limited to courtrooms and jury rooms. In House Governmental Affairs Committee.
Indiana HB 1167 Allows a county, city, or town to adopt an ordinance to establish a $2 local court security fee to be collected in each action in which a person is required to pay: (1) a criminal costs fee; or (2) a civil costs fee. Specifies that the revenue provided to a county, city, or town from a local court security fee may be used only 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, city, or town. In House Courts and Criminal Code Committee.
Kansas HB 2449 Repeals provision of HB 2005 of 2015 that defunds courts if they strike down any portion of HB 2005 of 2015. In House Appropriations Committee.
Kansas SB 320 Repeals provision of HB 2005 of 2015 that defunds courts if they strike down any portion of HB 2005 of 2015. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
New Hampshire HB 1676 Allows for the attachment, assignment, or execution on 1/2 of the amount of benefits accruing to a person under the judicial retirement plan In House Judiciary Committee.
New Mexico SB 97 Creates a nonreverting “judge pro tempore fund” in the state treasury to be managed by the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) through vouchers to compensate appointed judges pro tempore who serve temporarily in district courts. In Senate (no committee).
Selection: Newly Introduced
Arizona HCR 2028 (Constitutional Amendment) Ends merit selection of judges. Requires all judges be elected in presidential election years. In House (no committee).
Nebraska LB 779 Allows for counties to change partisan elections for clerks of court and other county offices to nonpartisan. In Senate Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.
Nebraska LR 298 (Constitutional Amendment)) Ends merit/commission selection of judges in state. Provides "The legislature shall provide by law for the election of judges provided for in this article and may provide for appointment of 10 judges for the unexpired terms in the case of vacancies." In Senate Judiciary Committee.
South Carolina HB 4665 Requires candidates for magistrates court to be screened by the judicial merit selection commission before they may be appointed by the governor by and with the consent of the senate In House Judiciary Committee.
Virginia SB 355 Creates statewide (appellate) and local (trial) judicial nominating commissions. Provides commissions to submit names to general assembly for election. In Senate Courts of Justice Committee.
Virginia SB 496 Codifies the procedures used by the State Bar to evaluate and recommend candidates for election by the General Assembly to the appellate courts, the federal courts, and the State Corporation Commission. In Senate Courts of Justice Committee.
Selection: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Structure Changes: Newly Introduced
Kentucky SB 8 (Constitutional Amendment) Requires the Supreme Court to analyze and propose adjustments to the Commonwealth's judicial circuits and districts and the judicial assignments therein to account for population changes and caseloads in the same years as legislative redistricting is required. Requires Supreme Court do same for its own districts, based on population only. In Senate State & Local Government Committee.
Nebraska LB 915 Expands drug courts statute to include alcohol use, DUI, reentry, and certain mental health symptoms. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Virginia HB 1057 Requires the Supreme Court of Virginia to promulgate guidelines for the establishment of separate dockets by any court in the Commonwealth. Provides cases heard on a separate docket established by any court shall be treated in the same manner and subject to the same dispositions as cases not heard on such special docket. In House Courts of Justice Committee.
Virginia SB 317 Establishes veterans court dockets as specialized court dockets within the existing structure of Virginia's court system, offering judicial monitoring of intensive treatment and supervision of offenders who have special conditions and needs based on military service In Senate Courts of Justice Committee.
Virginia SB 380 Establishes behavioral health courts as specialized court dockets within the existing structure of Virginia's court system, offering judicial monitoring of intensive treatment and supervision of offenders who have mental illness and co-occurring substance abuse issues In Senate Courts of Justice Committee.
Structure Changes: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Other: Newly Introduced
Arizona HB 2383 Provides various reports of the supreme court to be posted online In House (no committee).
Arizona HB 2384 Provides probation funding report to be posted by supreme court online. In House (no committee).
Colorado HB 1059 For purposes of the crime of retaliation against a judge adds to the definition of "judge" a current or previous state justice or judge whom the chief justice of Colorado assigns to perform judicial duties. In House Judiciary Committee.
Georgia HB 741 Modifies dates of supreme court terms. In House Judiciary Committee.
Georgia SB 262 Removes requirement that judges & jurors who are related to party within six degrees of consanguinity or affinity recuse or be disqualified. Reduces degrees down to three degrees. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Indiana HB 1047 Creates the circuit and superior court motion clerk pilot program to provide assistance to courts with preparing orders for complex motions. Provides that the judicial center may administer the pilot program. Requires the judicial center to report to the interim study committee on courts and the judiciary concerning the pilot program. Requires the committee to receive reports concerning the pilot program, and allows the committee to make recommendations and to propose legislation concerning the pilot program. Approved by House Judiciary Committee 1/21/16.
Indiana HB 1304 Requires the clerk of the supreme court to create and maintain a registry of certain paralegals and court clerks. Requires a new clerk for the: (1) court of appeals; (2) superior courts; (3) circuit courts; and (4) city and town courts; to register with the clerk of the supreme court not later than 30 days after beginning employment. Makes it a Class C infraction for court clerks to work without being registered with the clerk of the supreme court. Allows current court clerks to register with the supreme court without meeting specified registration requirements under certain circumstances. In House Courts and Criminal Code Committee.
Missouri HB 1858 Establishes provisions relating to filings with the recorder of deeds and establishes the crime of false filings. Makes it felony to make such false filings against judges. In House Civil and Criminal Proceedings Committee.
Missouri HB 2051 Establishes a residence address exemption for driver's license applications made by judges. In House (no committee).
Missouri HR 5 Requests the House Judiciary Committee investigate Judge Patricia Joyce's order determining Aaron Fisher's constitutional right to a speedy trial was violated and dismissing his case with prejudice. In House (no committee).
New Hampshire HB 1270 Provides judges must give precisely worded jury nullification instruction: "The test you must use is this: If you have a reasonable doubt as to whether the state has proved any one or more of the elements of the crime charged, you must find the defendant not guilty. If you find that the law does not apply to the proven facts of the case, you must find the defendant not guilty. However, if you find, that the state has proved all of the elements of the offense charged beyond a reasonable doubt, but you find that based upon the facts of this case a guilty verdict will yield an unjust result, you may find the defendant not guilty." In House Judiciary Committee.
Rhode Island HB 7092 Increases penalties for assaults on judges and other officials. In House Judiciary Committee.
Rhode Island HB 7180 Creates office of inspector general with power to investigate any state branch/agency, including courts, for fraud, waste, and abuse. In House Finance Committee.
Tennessee HB 1519 Adds a former or current judicial commissioner to the board of judicial conduct to be appointed by the governor from nominees supplied by the judicial commissioners association of Tennessee In House Civil Justice Committee.
Tennessee SB 1661 Adds a former or current judicial commissioner to the board of judicial conduct to be appointed by the governor from nominees supplied by the judicial commissioners association of Tennessee In Senate Civil Justice Committee.
Utah SB 42 Requires the Judicial Council to direct courts to give notice to the public when court proceedings are being recorded. Prefiled.
Virginia HB 64 Requires the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court to establish an electronic filing system for use by the general district courts. Requires judges or clerks of the general district courts to transmit to the appellate court all documents required on appeal in electronic form. In House Courts of Justice Committee.
Virginia HB 1153 Allows persons retired under the Virginia Retirement System to sit as temporary recalled judges if they have prior service as a judge and such persons do not engage in the practice of law within or without the Commonwealth. In House Courts of Justice Committee.
Virginia HB 332 Provides that a judge or retired judge of the Commonwealth may carry a concealed handgun throughout the Commonwealth without a permit. In House Militia, Police and Public Safety Committee.
Virginia HB 624 Requires that the circuit court case files on crimes that are considered to be violent felonies or acts of violence be retained for 50 years or until the sentence term ends, whichever comes later. In House Courts of Justice Committee.
Virginia SB 357 Adds interfering with clerk of court to statute prohibiting obstruction of justice. In Senate Courts of Justice Committee.
Washington SB 6255 Requires judges recuse in cases in which they received $50 from party/attorney/lawfirm in prior 3 years. In Senate Law & Justice Committee.
Other: Floor and Committee Activity
Washington SB 6317 Creates "Office of Superior Courts" within the judicial branch with its own director separate from the administrative office of the courts. The “Office of Superior Courts” would not but under the control of the Supreme Court or AOC but a committee of 5 Superior Court judges. Approved by Senate Law & Justice Committee 1/15/16.