Courts.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary does not provide specifics on which additional courthouses can be sold.

Courts

This law changes how courts report information, updates references from an outdated office to the Judicial Council, and allows additional courthouses to be sold.

What This Bill Does

• Removes the requirement for a pilot program studying juror compensation and diversity.
• Changes references from the Administrative Office of the Courts to the Judicial Council.
• Requires trial court operations reports with specific details by February 1 each year.
• Moves reporting deadlines for allocations and reimbursements to trial courts to February 1.
• Allows additional specified courthouses to be sold at fair market value.
• Eliminates some judicial statistics collection and reporting requirements.

Who It Names or Affects

• Courts
• The Judicial Council

Terms To Know

Judicial Council

A group that oversees the state court system.

Trial Court Operations Report

A report detailing how trial courts are run and their budget.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify who will benefit from the changes.
• It is unclear what specific courthouses can be sold under new rules.
• Some reporting requirements for judicial standards and measures have been removed, but it's unknown how this affects court operations.

Official Summary Text

AB 136, Committee on Budget.
Courts.
(1) Existing law requires the Judicial Council to sponsor a pilot program for 2 fiscal years to study whether increases in juror compensation and mileage reimbursement rates increase juror diversity and participation. Existing law requires the Judicial Council to provide a report to the Legislature describing the findings of the pilot program and providing information for promoting juror diversity by September 1, 2026. Existing law repeals these provisions on January 1, 2027.
This bill would repeal these provisions.
(2) Existing law requires the
Administrative Office of the Courts, an obsolete entity, to perform specified functions. Under existing law, any reference to the Administrative Office of the Courts means the Judicial Council.
This bill would revise references to the Administrative Office of the Courts to the Judicial Council.
(3) Existing law requires the Judicial Council to annually report to the Department of Finance, the Legislature, and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee the total amount of revenue collected in the prior fiscal year, by each court and county, from criminal fines, fees, forfeitures, penalties, restitution fines, and assessments related to infractions, misdemeanors, and felonies, as specified.
This bill would require the Judicial Council to
annually, on or before February 1, provide a report to the Legislature on the operations of each trial court that includes specified operational and budgetary metrics for the prior fiscal year, including, among others, backlogs and staff vacancies.
(4) Existing law requires the Judicial Council to report all approved allocations and reimbursements to trial courts in each fiscal year, as specified, on or before September 30 following the close of each fiscal year.
This bill would instead require the report to be submitted on or before February 1 each year.
(5) Existing law authorizes the Judicial Council to sell specific courthouses at fair market value and upon the terms and conditions the
Judicial Council deems in the best interests of the state.
This bill would authorize the Judicial Council to sell additional specified courthouses.
(6) Existing law requires the Judicial Council to collect and maintain statistics, and to publish them at least on a yearly basis, about the compliance of the superior court of each county and each branch court with the standards of timely disposition, as specified.
Existing law requires, on or before November 1, 2007, the Judicial Council to adopt, and report to the Legislature annually thereafter, judicial administration standards and measures that promote the fair and efficient administration of justice, as specified.
Existing law requires the Judicial Council to present an annual report to the Legislature on the use of the State Trial Court
Improvement and Modernization Fund, with appropriate recommendations.
This bill would delete these requirements for the Judicial Council and make a conforming change.
(7) This bill would appropriate $4,690,000 from the General Fund to the State Court Facilities Construction Fund to provide a one-time backfill.
(8) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as a bill providing for appropriations related to the Budget Bill.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF