Bill

Bill > SSB1200


IA SSB1200

IA SSB1200
A bill for an act relating to judicial branch administration, including judicial officer residency, remote proceedings, court reporter supervision and duties, and civil pleadings availability.


summary

Introduced
03/04/2025
In Committee
03/04/2025
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead

Introduced Session

91st General Assembly

Bill Summary

This bill relates to judicial branch administration, S.F. _____ H.F. _____ including judicial officer residency, remote proceedings, court reporter supervision and duties, and civil pleadings availability. DIVISION I —— JUDICIAL OFFICER RESIDENCY. Under current law, a district judge must be a resident of the judicial election district in which appointed during the entire term of office. The bill expands this to include a county contiguous with the judicial election district of appointment. The bill also applies the new residency requirement to district associate judges, magistrates, full-time associate juvenile judges, and full-time associate probate judges. The bill repeals a Code section relating to judge residency requirements for a 1984-1985 transition for judicial election districts 5A and 5C. DIVISION II —— MISCELLANEOUS JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION. The bill authorizes court proceedings to be held by remote means of communication. The bill amends how court reporters are appointed and supervised. Under current law, a district judge may appoint a court reporter, and a district associate judge may appoint a court reporter subject to approval by the chief judge. A retired justice or judge, or a senior judge, may also appoint a temporary court reporter under current law. Under the bill, the chief judge of the judicial district or the chief judge’s designee has the authority to supervise, schedule, and assign duties of all court reporters in the judicial district. The bill allows a judge presiding over a reported proceeding to have authority to supervise the work of a court reporter while the court reporter is reporting in that matter. The bill provides that the chief judge may delegate the chief judge’s authority to appoint, supervise, and assign duties of court reporters to the district court administrator or the district court administrator’s designee. The bill requires judicial officers of a judicial district to appoint a court reporter, subject to approval of the chief judge of the judicial district S.F. _____ H.F. _____ or the chief judge’s designee. The bill allows the clerk of court to provide access to a civil pleading before a memorandum of the filing date of the pleading for the appearance docket is made.

AI Summary

This Study Bill proposes several changes to the administration of the judicial branch, primarily focusing on judicial officer residency, remote proceedings, court reporter management, and the availability of civil pleadings. It expands the residency requirement for district judges, district associate judges, magistrates, full-time associate juvenile judges, and full-time associate probate judges to include living in a county contiguous to their appointed judicial election district, not just within it. The bill also authorizes court proceedings to be conducted remotely, allowing for greater flexibility in how hearings are held. Furthermore, it centralizes the supervision, scheduling, and assignment of duties for all court reporters within a judicial district under the chief judge or their designee, while still allowing the presiding judge to supervise reporters during active proceedings, and clarifies the process for appointing and managing court reporters, including provisions for uncertified reporters in specific circumstances. Finally, the bill allows clerks of court to provide access to civil pleadings before the official filing date is recorded in the appearance docket, which is a public record of court actions.

Committee Categories

Justice

Sponsors (0)

No sponsors listed

Other Sponsors (1)

Judiciary (Senate)

Last Action

Senate Judiciary Subcommittee (13:30:00 3/5/2025 Senate Lounge) (on 03/05/2025)

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