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HJ315 • 2026

Election of Circuit Court Judges, General District Court Judges, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Judges.

Election of Circuit Court Judges, General District Court Judges, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Judges.

Children Elections
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Maldonado
Last action
2026-04-16
Official status
Passed
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide details on nomination processes or the consequences of a failed election, so these points were removed from the explanation.

Election of Judges

This bill sets up specific elections for Circuit Court judges, General District Court judges, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court judges in certain judicial circuits and districts.

What This Bill Does

  • Names the dates when new judges will start their jobs.
  • Lists which courts need to elect new judges.
  • Specifies the number of judges needed for each court.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Courts in specific judicial circuits and districts
  • People running for judge positions

Terms To Know

Judicial Circuit
A group of counties or cities that share the same court system.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify how judges are chosen beyond setting up elections.
  • Only applies to specific judicial circuits and districts listed in the bill.
  • Does not explain what happens if there is no winner in an election.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-16 House

    Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ315ER)

  2. 2026-04-15 Senate

    Agreed to by Senate

  3. 2026-04-15 House

    Agreed to by House by voice vote

  4. 2026-03-14 House

    Enrolled

  5. 2026-03-13 House

    Presented, ordered printed (HJ315)

  6. 2026-03-13 House

    Presented, ordered printed (HJ315)

  7. 2026-03-13 Senate

    Agreed to by Senate

  8. 2026-03-13 House

    Agreed to by House (92-Y 0-N 0-A)

  9. 2026-03-13 House

    Taken up for immediate consideration

  10. 2026-03-13 House

    Engrossed by House

  11. 2026-03-13 Senate

    Rules suspended (38-Y 0-N 0-A)

  12. 2026-03-13 Senate

    Agreed to by Senate (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  13. 2026-03-13 House

    Agreed to by House (96-Y 0-N 0-A)

Official Summary Text

Election of Circuit Court Judges, General District Court Judges, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Judges.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Election of Circuit Court Judges, General District Court Judges, and Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Judges.
Agreed to by the House of Delegates, March 13, 2026
Agreed to by the Senate, March 13, 2026
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly shall proceed today
To the election of Circuit Court judges for terms of eight years commencing as follows:
One judge for the Fourth Judicial Circuit, term commencing April 16, 2026.
One judge for the Tenth Judicial Circuit, term commencing July 1, 2026.
One judge for the Twelfth Judicial Circuit, term commencing July 1, 2026.
One judge for the Twenty-first Judicial Circuit, term commencing May 1, 2026.
One judge for the Twenty-second Judicial Circuit, term commencing May 1, 2026.
One judge for the Twenty-fourth Judicial Circuit, term commencing April 1, 2026.
One judge for the Twenty-fourth Judicial Circuit, term commencing July 1, 2026.
One judge for the Twenty-seventh Judicial Circuit, term commencing July 1, 2026.
To the election of General District Court judges for terms of six years commencing as follows:
One judge for the Fourth Judicial District, term commencing June 1, 2026.
One judge for the Sixth Judicial District, term commencing May 1, 2026.
One judge for the Tenth Judicial District, term commencing July 1, 2026.
One judge for the Twelfth Judicial District, term commencing July 1, 2026.
One judge for the Twelfth Judicial District, term commencing May 1, 2026.
One judge for the Twelfth Judicial District, term commencing July 1, 2026.
One judge for the Fifteenth Judicial District, term commencing April 1, 2026.
One judge for the Fifteenth Judicial District, term commencing April 1, 2026.
One judge for the Eighteenth Judicial District, term commencing May 16, 2026.
One judge for the Twenty-first Judicial District, term commencing May 1, 2026.
One judge for the Twenty-third Judicial District, term commencing November 1, 2026.
One judge for the Twenty-sixth Judicial District, term commencing July 1, 2026.
One judge for the Twenty-seventh Judicial District, term commencing July 1, 2026.
One judge for the Twenty-ninth Judicial District, term commencing April 1, 2026.
To the election of Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court judges for terms of six years commencing as follows:
One judge for the First Judicial District, term commencing April 1, 2026.
One judge for the Twelfth Judicial District, term commencing December 1, 2026.
One judge for the Twelfth Judicial District, term commencing July 1, 2026.
One judge for the Fifteenth Judicial District, term commencing July 1, 2026.
One judge for the Fifteenth Judicial District, term commencing April 1, 2026.
One judge for the Sixteenth Judicial District, term commencing June 1, 2026.
One judge for the Eighteenth Judicial District, term commencing April 1, 2026.
One judge for the Twenty-second Judicial District, term commencing June 1, 2026.
One judge for the Twenty-fourth Judicial District, term commencing August 1, 2026.
One judge for the Twenty-eighth Judicial District, term commencing April 1, 2026.
And that in the execution of the joint order nominations shall be made in the order herein named, and that each house shall be notified of said nominations, and when the rolls shall be called for the whole number, the presiding officers of each house shall appoint a committee of three, which together shall constitute the joint committee to count the vote of each house in each case and report the results to their respective houses. The joint order may be suspended by the presiding officer of either house at any time but for no longer than twenty-four hours to receive the report of the joint committee.