BILL ANALYSIS Senate Appropriations Committee Fiscal Summary Senator Christine Kehoe, Chair 2763 (Feuer) Hearing Date: 08/12/2010 Amended: As proposed to be amended Consultant: Jacqueline Wong-HernandezPolicy Vote: Judiciary 3-1 _________________________________________________________________ ____ BILL SUMMARY: AB 2763 authorizes the Judicial Council to convert up to an additional 10 subordinate judicial officer (SJO) positions to judgeships each year, upon vacancy, if the conversion of these additional positions will result in a judge being assigned to a family or juvenile law assignment previously presided over by an SJO. This bill also would require the Judicial Council to provide the Legislature with a special assessment of the need for new judgeships in the family and juvenile law assignments for each superior court and a report on the effectiveness of the additional conversions. _________________________________________________________________ ____ Fiscal Impact (in thousands) Major Provisions 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Fund Up to 10 SJO conversions up to $310 up to $620 up to $930 General* Reports to Legislature Minor and absorbable General* *Trial Courts Trust Fund; annual cost pressure. _________________________________________________________________ ____ STAFF COMMENTS: SUSPENSE FILE. This bill seeks to ensure that a greater number of family and juvenile law cases are presided over by judges, rather than SJOs. Under existing law, up to 16 vacant SJO positions, as specified, can be converted into judgeships. Functionally, the money that paid the salary of an SJO position which is vacant could be used toward a new judge's salary (which is approximately $31,000 more than an SJO salary). Similar to the conversions authorized under existing law, this bill would authorize up to 10 additional SJO conversions only in those superior courts selected pursuant to specified uniform criteria for determining the need for additional superior court judges. Further, an eligible court would only be entitled to the judgeship if the conversion will result in a judge being assigned to a family or juvenile law assignment previously presided over by an SJO. By allowing up to 10 new conversions, this bill could result in new annual state cost pressure of up to $310,000 each year, since the bill allows for up to 10 new conversions annually (added to the previous year's number). The Judicial Council has indicated that this $310,000 cost could be absorbed within existing resources of the Trial Courts Trust Fund. This bill requires Judicial Council to submit specified reports to the Legislature. This workload will be minor and absorbable within existing Council staff and resources. The author's proposed amendments would specify that additional SJO conversions are permitted only to the extent that the conversions may be accomplished within existing resources.