Jurisdiction: Newly Introduced
NONE
Jurisdiction: Floor and Committee Activity
Texas HB 45 Requires the Supreme Court of Texas to adopt rules of evidence and procedure to implement limitations on the granting of comity to a foreign judgment or an arbitration award involving a marriage relationship or a parent-child relationship under the Family Code to protect against violations of constitutional rights and public policy and to set out requirements for such rules. Defines "foreign judgment," among other terms, as a judgment of a court, tribunal, or administrative adjudicator of a jurisdiction outside of the states and territories of the United States. Approved by full House 5/6/17.
Qualifications and Terms: Newly Introduced
NONE
Qualifications and Terms: Floor and Committee Activity
New York AB 1517 Allows towns and villages to require judges be admitted to practice of law in state. Approved by Assembly Judiciary Committee 5/9/17.
Rule Making Authority: Newly Introduced
NONE
Rule Making Authority: Floor and Committee Activity
NONE
Salary and Budget: Newly Introduced
NONE
Salary and Budget: Floor and Committee Activity
Alabama SB 238 Allows clerks to use proceeds from Circuit Clerk's Judicial Administration Fund for merit and promotion raises. Approved by full House 5/4/17. To Governor for approval.
North Carolina SB 117 Prohibits judges impeached or removed from office from receiving retirement benefits. Approved by House Judiciary Committee 5/10/17.
Texas HB 1765 ORIGINAL: Alters compensation of certain district judges for performing extrajudicial services. AMENDED: Clarifies salary entitlements for district, appeals, and presiding appellate court justices excluding compensation for any extrajudicial services performed on behalf of the county. Approved as amended by House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee 5/4/17.
Texas HB 4104 Requires county commissioners in county budget set number of court personnel and maximum compensation. Approved by full House 5/9/17.
Texas SB 824 Alters the district judge salary cap for district courts in counties with a population greater than 750,000, by excluding compensation for extrajudicial services provided by a district judge. Allows populous counties permissive authority to increase compensation of their district judges for extrajudicial services. Approved by full Senate 5/11/17.
Selection: Newly Introduced
NONE
Selection: Floor and Committee Activity
Colorado HB 1303 Vacates all judicial performance commissions and restructures commissions and their processes. Full House concurred with Senate amendments 5/10/17. To Governor for approval.
Texas HB 25 ORIGINAL: Ends straight-party voting for all races, including judicial offices. AMENDED: Same, but provides that the secretary of state shall inform county election administrators and the county chair of each political party of the elimination of straight ticket voting. Further provides that the secretary of state shall adopt rules and procedures to carry out the elimination that does not burden county election administrators and voters. Approved by Senate Business and Commerce Committee 5/11/17.
Texas SB 44 Modifies petition requirements for an application for a place on the general primary election ballot for certain judicial offices. Approved by full House 5/9/17.
Pennsylvania HB 111 (Constitutional Amendment) Replaces current election system for appellate judges with merit selection Appellate Court Nominating Commission and retention elections. Requires Senate confirmation for those chosen by commission and appointed by governor. Approved by House Judiciary Committee 5/9/17.
Structure Changes: Newly Introduced
NONE
Structure Changes: Floor and Committee Activity
Texas SB 1893 Divides state's 9 administrative judicial regions into 11 regions. Approved by full Senate 5/4/17
Other: Newly Introduced
NONE
Other: Floor and Committee Activity
Illinois HB 3054 ORIGINAL: Requires trial judges announce at start of every day parties may filed complaint with Judicial Inquiry Board. Requires clerks post Judicial Inquiry Board information in every courtroom and provide Judicial Inquiry Board forms. AMENDED: Removes requirement that judge make announcement. Provides that the clerk shall post in courthouse common areas a notice that a person may file a complaint against a judge with the Judicial Inquiry Board. Requires Board create uniform statewide notice. Approved by Senate Judiciary Committee 5/9/17.
Missouri HB 303 Creates crime of filing false documents with the Recorder of Deeds against a judge or other official. Approved by House Fiscal Oversight Committee 5/9/17.
Nevada AB 28 ORIGINAL: Authorizes the Commission on Judicial Discipline to order a justice of the peace or municipal judge to forfeit his or her office if he or she fails to attend the instruction program required of all new justices of the peace and municipal judges. AMENDED: Same, but allows for continued employment if the Commission finds that there was a reasonable excuse for the failure to attend the instruction program. Also requires the Commission to provide a thirty day notice to the justice of the peace or municipal judge. Approved by Senate Judiciary Committee 5/8/17.
Nevada AB 37 Requires justices of the peace and municipal courts with more than 1 justice/judge to select chief justice/chief judge. Applies disqualification procedures used in district court to these courts. Approved by Senate Judiciary Committee 5/8/17.
New York AB 1922 Enacts uniform electronic legal material act. Approved by full Assembly 5/5/17.
New York AB 3203 Establishes the chief administrator of the courts shall submit annually a report on the Drug Treatment Court Program during the preceding year Approved by Assembly Judiciary Committee 5/9/17.
Pennsylvania HB 149 Makes it a crime to make use of a device to record video, audio, or take photographs in a courtroom or hearing room, or in the entrances of these facilities, without the permission of the presiding officer, or as permitted by the rules of court. Approved by House Judiciary Committee 5/9/17.
Tennessee SB 726 ORIGINAL: Creates a streamlined process for judges and certain public officials to contest Uniform Commercial Code financing statements that they believe to lack any legal basis. AMENDED: Same, but requires a petition for review to be accompanied by a $200 cost bond unless the petition is filed by a financial institution that is insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), or the Farm Credit Administration (FCA). Approved by full House 5/9/17. To Governor for approval.
Texas HB 214 Requires the Supreme Court of Texas and the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, if appropriated funds or donations are available in the amount necessary to cover the cost, to make a video recording or other electronic visual and audio recording of each oral argument and public meeting of the court and to post the recording on the court's website. Approved by full House 5/4/17.
Texas HB 431 Modifies when a temporary justice of the peace may be called into service. Changes the prescribed period of the temporary justice's service from the duration of the disability to the duration of the justice's absence from the bench. Approved by full House 5/8/17.
Texas HB 1258 Provides anyone operating an electronic court record database may not allow public access to any court document electronically filed with a county court, statutory county court, or district court in this state unless the clerk of the court enters into a written agreement with the person authorizing public access to the document through the database and the commissioners court of the county in which the court is located approves the agreement. Approved by full House 5/9/17.
Texas HB 1532 Requires posting notice of self-help resources on the Internet website of a state court and in the office of the court clerk. Approved by full House 5/9/17.