Jurisdiction: Newly Introduced
NONE
Jurisdiction: Floor and Committee Activity
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. Approved as amended by House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee 4/16/15.
Texas HJR 32 (Constitutional Amendment) Provides "A court of this state shall uphold and apply the laws of the Constitution of the United States, this Constitution, federal laws, and the laws of this state, including the doctrine grounded in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and known as the church autonomy doctrine, which in part requires courts to refrain from involvement in religious doctrinal interpretation or application." Rejected by House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee 4/16/15.
Qualifications and Terms: Newly Introduced
NONE
Qualifications and Terms: Floor and Committee Activity
Nevada AB 66 ORIGINAL: Requires justice of the peace in township over 100,000 within a county with a population over 100,000 be an attorney. AMENDED: Same, but also increases civil jurisdiction of justice courts to $15,000 (all civil claims) and $10,000 (small claims). Approved as amended by full Senate 4/17/15.
Oregon SJR 4 (Constitutional Amendment) Repeals provision allowing for the establishment of a mandatory retirement age. Approved by full Senate 4/15/15.
Tennessee SB 408 Permits the Supreme Court to commission as senior judge a state trial court judge who served at least one full eight-year term but was not reelected following the judge's most recent term of judicial service. Approved by full Senate 4/14/15.
Rule Making Authority: Newly Introduced
NONE
Rule Making Authority: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Salary and Budget: Newly Introduced
Louisiana HB 293 Requires the supreme court to establish and maintain a website to post information regarding contracts for any goods or services. In House Judiciary Committee.
Minnesota HB 2210 Prohibits use of state funds for use of recording of criminal proceedings. In House Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance Committee.
Salary and Budget: Floor and Committee Activity
Nevada AJR 10 (Constitutional Amendment) ORIGINAL: Creates Citizens' Commission on Salaries for Certain Elected Officers to set salaries for Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, District Courts, and other state officials. Provides Commission's recommendations are binding. AMENDED: Same, but changes membership of Commission. Approved as amended by Assembly Legislative Operations and Elections Committee 4/15/15.
New Hampshire SB 65 Adds judicial branch employee member to the deferred compensation commission. Approved by full House 4/15/15. To Governor for approval.
New Hampshire SB 90 Changes to the preparation process for the judicial branch budget. Approved by House Finance Committee Division I 4/16/15.
New Mexico HB 89 Creates Court Language Access Fund to provide court interpreters, operate and staff the New Mexico Center for Language Access, etc. Pocket vetoed by governor.
New Mexico SB 106 Allows the administrative director of the courts to receive funds to carry out the duties of the office. Pocket vetoed by governor.
North Carolina HB 192 Directs AOC to create "compliance cost" online system for payment of violations of specified traffic and motor vehicle laws. Approved by House Judiciary II Committee 4/15/15.
Oregon SB 446 Provides for annual adjustment of judges' salaries based on Consumer Price Index. Approved by Senate Judiciary Committee 4/13/15.
Texas HB 2774 Provides county judges entitled to annual salary supplement from the state in an amount equal to 25 percent of the annual compensation provided for a district judge in the General Appropriations Act (currently county judges get $15,000). Approved as amended by House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee 4/16/15.
Selection: Newly Introduced
North Carolina HB 720 Creates merit selection system for appointment of trial judges. Provides judges to be appointed by General Assembly from list of 5 names submitted by commission. Provides legislature is not bound by list of names. Provides for retention elections. In House Judiciary I Committee.
North Carolina HB 737 Reinstates public financing of appellate races. In House Elections Committee.
Pennsylvania HB 955 Requires an incumbent Magisterial District Judge to file a declaration of candidacy and candidate affidavit in lieu of a nomination petition. In House State Government Committee.
South Carolina HB 3979 Requires judicial nominating commission release all qualified names (currently releases 3 names). Allows currently serving members of legislature to be elected to at-large judicial office (in South Carolina, judges are elected by legislature). In House Judiciary Committee
Selection: Floor and Committee Activity
North Carolina HB 8 Makes races for judicial office partisan (currently nonpartisan). Approved by House Elections Committee 4/15/15.
Tennessee SB 1 AS AMENDED: Provides for confirmation of judges of appellate courts. Provides a majority of each chamber's total membership (not just those present and voting) required for confirmation. Provides if one chamber votes to confirm/reject and other does not no action is deemed to have been taken. Creates trial court vacancy commission to provide governor names to fill interim vacancies in courts of record (such as Chancery, Circuit, and Criminal). Provides governor must select from names submitted by commission. Approved as amended by full Senate 4/16/15.
Tennessee SB 698 Provides for confirmation of judges of appellate courts. Provides a majority of each chamber who are present and voting required for confirmation. Provides if one chamber votes to confirm/reject and other does not no action is deemed to have been taken. Approved by Senate Judiciary Committee 4/8/2015.
Texas HB 2754 Eliminates certain requirements that judges gather signatures before appearing on ballot. Approved by House Elections Committee 4/16/15.
Structure Changes: Newly Introduced
NONE
Structure Changes: Floor and Committee Activity
Missouri HB 525 Specifies that drug courts must be established by every circuit court. Approved by House Civil and Criminal Proceedings Committee 4/15/15.
Montana HB 430 Creates judicial redistricting commission to recommend changes to district lines for 2017 legislature. Approved by full Senate 4/14/15. To Governor for approval.
Nevada AB 435 Creates 11th Judicial District. Approved as amended by Assembly Judiciary Committee 4/14/15.
Tennessee HB 144 ORIGINAL: Establishes advisory task forces to study and report recommendations on electronic filing in state courts and the appointment of counsel for indigent defendants. AMENDED: Creates advisory task force to review the composition of Tennessee’s current judicial districts and joint legislative committee on judicial redistricting. Referred to Administrative Office of the Courts for study by House Finance, Ways, and Means Subcommittee 4/14/15.
Tennessee SB 711 Authorizes creation of veterans courts in the state. Approved by full Senate 4/16/15.
Texas HB 1091 Provides challenges to state laws to be heard on request of Attorney General by three-judge panels of District Court, two of whom are to be chosen by Chief Justice. Approved as amended by House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee 4/16/15.
Texas HB 1603 Creates chancery court and the court of chancery appeals to hear certain complex civil cases. Approved by House Business & Industry Committee 4/16/15.
Washington SB 5107 Encourages the establishment of therapeutic courts. Approved with House amendment by full House 4/14/15. Senate concurs with House amendment 4/16/15. To Governor for approval.
Washington SB 5449 Creates a tax division of the Court of Appeals. Approved by full Senate 4/15/15.
Other: Newly Introduced
Alabama SB 337 Removes power of Probate Judges to issue marriage licenses. In Senate Judiciary Committee.
Other: Floor and Committee Activity
Colorado SB 185 Requires the judicial department to report data on charges, dispositions, sentences, and probation revocations, including race, ethnicity, gender, and incident report number. Approved by Senate Finance Committee 4/16/2015.
Hawaii HCR 155 Requests the Judicial Council convene committee to review Penal Code. Approved by Senate Judiciary Committee 4/17/15.
Hawaii HCR 217 Requests the judiciary to convene a task force to examine establishing Hawaiian language resources within the judiciary. Approved jointly by Senate Hawaiian Affairs and Judiciary Committees 4/17/15.
Missouri HB 122 Provides a municipal, associate circuit, or circuit judge who has completed the required firearms safety training course is added to the list of individuals who are exempt from specified provisions regarding the carrying of a concealed weapon. Approved as amended by House Select Committee on General Laws 4/9/15.
Missouri HB 1199 ORIGINAL: Requires municipal courts to report its existence to the Office of State Courts Administrator by December 31, 2015. AMENDED: Deletes references to State Courts Administrator and replaces with Clerk of Supreme Court. Approved as amended by House Civil and Criminal Proceedings Committee 4/15/15.
Nevada AB 160 Provides that justice courts and municipal courts may be held outside their township/precinct/city under specific circumstances. Approved by full Assembly 4/14/15.
Nevada AB 219 Specifies and requires credentials of court interpreters. Provides that an interpreter must also be provided at public expense if the person with limited English proficiency is a party or witness in a civil proceeding. Approved by Assembly Judiciary Committee 4/14/15. Approved by full Assembly 4/16/15.
Nevada SB 60 ORIGINAL: Requires clerk of court notify state Attorney General when state law or state constitutional provision struck down. AS AMENDED: Strikes all reference to clerk notification to Attorney General. Approved as amended by Senate Judiciary Committee 4/15/15.
Nevada SB 197 Prohibits filing false liens/encumbrances on judges or other public official. Approved as amended by Senate Judiciary Committee 4/14/15.
New Hampshire SB 14 Modifies composition of Judicial Council to reflect renamed/consolidated courts. Repeals a limitation on compensation for counsel for indigent defendants. Approved by full House 4/15/15. To Senate to concur with House amendment.
New Hampshire SB 258 Changes the timing of determination of weighted case units for the purpose of calculating the judicial branch operating budget request and judicial salaries from October to July. Approved by House Finance Committee Division I 4/16/15.
North Dakota SB 2161 Creates interdisciplinary committee on problem-solving courts. Senate rejects conference committee report 4/14/15.