First Substitute H.B. 336

This document includes House Floor Amendments incorporated into the bill on Fri, Feb 28, 2014 at 10:56 AM by jeyring. -->

Representative Jeremy A. Peterson proposes the following substitute bill:

1 COURT SYSTEM TASK FORCE
2 2014 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Chief Sponsor: Jeremy A. Peterson
5 Senate Sponsor: John L. Valentine
6
7 LONG TITLE
8 General Description:
9 This bill creates the Court System Task Force, composed of 19 members, and specifies
10 study issues.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This bill:
13 . creates the Court System Task Force, composed of H. [ 19 ] 18 .H members;
14 . requires the task force to study issues regarding the structure, jurisdiction, and
15 organization of the court system in Utah; and
16 . requires that the task force provide the Judiciary Interim Committee with a report of
17 the task force's recommendations by November 30, 2015.
18 Money Appropriated in this Bill:
19 This bill appropriates in fiscal year 2014-15:
20 . to the Senate, as a one-time appropriation:
21 . from the General Fund, $9,300, to pay for the Court System Task Force; and
22 . to the House of Representatives, as a one-time appropriation:
23 . from the General Fund, $18,500, to pay for the Court System Task Force.
24 Other Special Clauses:
25 This bill is repealed on December 1, 2015.

26 Uncodified Material Affected:
27 ENACTS UNCODIFIED MATERIAL
28
29 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
30 Section 1. Court System Task Force -- Creation -- Membership -- Quorum --
31 Compensation -- Staff.
32 (1) There is created the Court System Task Force consisting of the following
32a H. [ 19 ] 18 .H
33 members:
34 (a) two members of the Senate appointed by the president of the Senate, no more than
35 one of whom may be from the same political party;
36 (b) four members of the House of Representatives appointed by the speaker of the
37 House of Representatives, no more than two of whom may be from the same political party;
38 (c) the chief justice of the Utah Supreme Court, or the chief justice's designee;
39 (d) the Utah attorney general, or the attorney general's designee;
40 (e) the executive director of the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice;
41 (f) a member representing the state justice courts, appointed by the chair of the Judicial
42 Council;
43 (g) a member representing the state juvenile courts, appointed by the chair of the
44 Judicial Council;
45 (h) a member representing the state district courts, appointed by the chair of the
46 Judicial Council;
47 (i) H. [ a member of the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission;
48 (j) ] .H the director of the Statewide Association of Public Attorneys, or the director's
49 designee;
50 (k) a representative from the League of Cities and Towns;
51 (l) a member of the Utah Association of Counties;
52 (m) a member of the Utah Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers appointed by the
53 board of directors;
54 (n) one member of the Utah State Bar who does not practice in the areas of criminal
55 prosecution or defense, appointed by the director; and
56 (o) a member of the public with knowledge of and interest in the courts, jointly

57 appointed by the president of the Senate and the speaker of the House of Representatives.
58 (2) (a) The president of the Senate shall designate a member of the Senate appointed
59 under Subsection (1)(a) as a cochair of the task force.
60 (b) The speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the House
61 of Representatives appointed under Subsection (1)(b) as a cochair of the task force.
62 (3) A majority of the members of the task force constitutes a quorum. The action of a
63 majority of a quorum constitutes the action of the task force.
64 (4) (a) Salaries and expenses of the members of the task force who are legislators shall
65 be paid in accordance with Section 36-2-2 and Legislative Joint Rules, Title 5, Chapter 3,
66 Legislator Compensation.
67 (b) A member of the task force who is not a legislator may not receive compensation
68 for the member's work associated with the task force, but may receive per diem and
69 reimbursement for travel expenses incurred as a member of the task force at the rates
70 established by the Division of Finance under Sections 63A-3-106 and 63A-3-107 .
71 (5) The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel shall provide staff support
72 to the task force.
73 Section 2. Duties -- Interim report.
74 (1) The task force shall study the following issues:
75 (a) the structure of the current court system, including justice courts, appellate courts,
76 juvenile courts, and district courts;
77 (b) whether adding specialized divisions or modifying existing divisions would
78 enhance efficiency or due process within the system;
79 (c) court commissioners;
80 (d) the jurisdictional limits of the different levels of courts;
81 (e) options for promoting other avenues of dispute resolution.
82 (2) A final report, including any proposed legislation, shall be presented to the
83 Judiciary Interim Committee before November 30, 2015.
84 Section 3. Appropriation.
85 Under the terms and conditions of Title 63J, Chapter 1, Budgetary Procedures Act, for
86 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014, and ending June 30, 2015, the following sums of money
87 are appropriated from resources not otherwise appropriated, or reduced from amounts

88 previously appropriated, out of the funds or accounts indicated for the fiscal year beginning
89 July 1, 2014, and ending June 30, 2015. These are additions to any amounts previously
90 appropriated for fiscal year 2015.
91 To Legislature - Senate
92 From General Fund, one-time

$9,300

93 Schedule of Programs:
94 Administration $9,300
95 To Legislature - House of Representatives
96 From General Fund, one-time

$18,500

97 Schedule of Programs:
98 Administration $18,500
99 Section 4. Repeal date.
100 This bill is repealed on December 1, 2015.