S.B. 221

1

JUDICIAL RETENTION ELECTION TASK
2 FORCE
3 2007 GENERAL SESSION
4 STATE OF UTAH
5 Chief Sponsor: D. Chris Buttars
6 House Sponsor: Curtis Oda
7
8 LONG TITLE
9 General Description:
10 This bill creates the Judicial Retention Election Task Force.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This bill:
13 . designates three members of the Senate, appointed by the president of the Senate;
14 . designates five members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the speaker
15 of the House; and
16 . designates one member of the Utah Supreme Court, one member of the Court of
17 Appeals, and one member of the District Court, appointed jointly by the president of
18 the Senate and speaker of the House.
19 Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
20 This bill appropriates:
21 . $6,090 to the Senate; and
22 . $10,150 to the House of Representatives.
23 Other Special Clauses:
24 This bill is repealed on November 30, 2007.
25 Uncodified Material Affected:
26 ENACTS UNCODIFIED MATERIAL
27

28 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
29 Section 1. Judicial Retention Election Task Force -- Creation -- Membership --
30 Interim rules followed -- Compensation -- Staff.
31 (1) There is created the Judicial Retention Election Task Force consisting of the
32 following 11 members:
33 (a) three members of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate, no more than
34 two of whom may be from the same political party;
35 (b) five members of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the
36 House of Representatives, no more than three of whom may be from the same political party;
37 (c) one member of the Utah Supreme Court, appointed jointly by the president of the
38 Senate and speaker of the House of Representatives;
39 (d) one member of the Utah Court of Appeals, appointed jointly by the president of the
40 Senate and speaker of the House of Representatives; and
41 (e) one district court judge, appointed jointly by the president of the Senate and speaker
42 of the House of Representatives.
43 (2) (a) The president of the Senate shall designate a member of the Senate appointed
44 under Subsection (1)(a) as a cochair of the task force.
45 (b) The speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the House
46 of Representatives appointed under Subsection (1)(b) as a cochair of the task force.
47 (3) In conducting its business, the task force shall comply with the rules of legislative
48 interim committees.
49 (4) Salaries and expenses of the members of the task force shall be paid in accordance
50 with Section 36-2-2 and Legislative Joint Rule 15.03.
51 (5) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall provide staff support
52 to the task force.
53 Section 2. Duties -- Interim report.
54 (1) The task force shall review and make recommendations to the Judicial Council and
55 the Legislature on the following issues:
56 (a) the value of the formal judicial evaluation program established by rule of the
57 Judicial Council pursuant to Section 78-3-21 , in providing the public with sufficient
58 information to make an accurate assessment of a judge's performance; and

59 (b) an evaluation of and potential changes to:
60 (i) the questions on the attorneys' surveys for appellate and trial court judges;
61 (ii) selection methods of attorney respondents for judicial performance surveys; and
62 (iii) the certification process of judges to stand for a retention election.
63 (2) The task force may study and make recommendations upon any other issue related
64 to the manner of judicial retention elections and the information provided to the public
65 regarding a judge's judicial performance.
66 (3) A final report, including any proposed legislation shall be presented to the Judiciary
67 Interim Committee before November 30, 2007.
68 Section 3. Appropriation.
69 There is appropriated from the General Fund for fiscal year 2007 only:
70 (1) $6,090 to the Senate to pay for the compensation and expenses of senators on the
71 task force; and
72 (2) $10,150 to the House of Representatives to pay for the compensation and expenses
73 of representatives on the task force.
74 Section 4. Repeal date.
75 This bill is repealed on November 30, 2007.




Legislative Review Note
as of 1-30-07 12:03 PM

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel