KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to California

SB-136 • 2026

Courts.

Courts.

Budget Taxes
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review (S) - ()
Last action
2025-06-24
Official status
From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on BUDGET.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill's impact on court operations is not detailed.

Courts Changes

The bill modifies reporting requirements for trial courts, updates references from an outdated office to the Judicial Council, changes deadlines for reporting allocations and reimbursements, allows additional courthouses to be sold at fair market value, eliminates certain data collection and reporting duties of the Judicial Council, and provides funding for court facilities.

What This Bill Does

  • Repeals a pilot program studying juror compensation and diversity.
  • Updates references from an outdated office to the Judicial Council in reports.
  • Requires trial courts to report their operations and budget details by February 1 each year.
  • Moves the deadline for reporting allocations and reimbursements to trial courts to February 1.
  • Allows additional specified courthouses to be sold at fair market value.
  • Eliminates certain data collection and reporting requirements for the Judicial Council.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Courts and the Judicial Council
  • The Department of Finance, Legislature, and Joint Legislative Budget Committee

Terms To Know

Judicial Council
A group that oversees California's court system.
Trial Court
Courts where cases are heard by a judge or jury and decisions are made.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify how the changes will affect court operations.
  • It is unclear what specific courthouses can be sold under new rules.

Bill History

  1. 2025-06-24 California Legislative Information

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on BUDGET.

  2. 2025-03-24 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on BUDGET.

  3. 2025-03-20 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

  4. 2025-03-20 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 28. Noes 10. Page 442.) Ordered to the Assembly.

  5. 2025-03-18 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  6. 2025-03-17 California Legislative Information

    Ordered to second reading.

  7. 2025-03-17 California Legislative Information

    Withdrawn from committee. (Ayes 27. Noes 10. Page 384.)

  8. 2025-02-05 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on B. & F. R.

  9. 2025-01-24 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after February 23.

  10. 2025-01-23 California Legislative Information

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Official Summary Text

SB 136, as amended, Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review.
Budget Act of 2025.
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.
This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to enact statutory changes relating to the Budget Act of 2025.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Download Bill PDF