BILL NUMBER: AB 2745	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Committee on Judiciary (Assembly Members Wieckowski
(Chair), Alejo, Chau, Dickinson, Garcia, Muratsuchi, and Stone)

                        MARCH 4, 2014

   An act to amend Section 2452 of the Family Code, and to add
Section 69618 to the Government Code, relating to courts.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2745, as introduced, Committee on Judiciary. Courts.
   (1) Existing law authorizes courts to order a family centered case
resolution to provide judicial assistance and management to parties
in actions for dissolution of marriage. Existing law requires a
court-ordered family centered case resolution plan to conform with
due process requirements and authorizes the plan to include, among
other things, an early neutral case evaluation and alternative
dispute resolution, as specified. Existing law requires the Judicial
Council to adopt a statewide rule of court to implement these
provisions by January 1, 2012, and also authorizes the council, by
rule, to modify the procedures described above.
   This bill would instead authorize the Judicial Council, by rule,
to increase the procedures described above.
   (2) Existing law specifies the number of judges of the superior
court for each county, and allocates additional judgeships to the
various counties in accordance with uniform standards for factually
determining additional need in each county, as approved by the
Judicial Council, and other specified criteria. Existing law provides
for the conversion of 146 subordinate judicial officer positions in
eligible superior courts upon the occurrence of specified conditions,
including that the proposed action is ratified by the Legislature,
except that no more than 16 positions may be converted to judgeships
in any fiscal year. Notwithstanding this provision, existing law
authorizes up to 10 additional subordinate judicial officer positions
to be converted to judgeships in any fiscal year, if the conversions
will result in a judge being assigned to a family law or juvenile
law assignment previously presided over by a subordinate judicial
officer and the proposed action is ratified by the Legislature.
   This bill would ratify the authority of the Judicial Council to
convert 10 subordinate judicial officer positions to judgeships in
the 2014-15 fiscal year when the conversion will result in a judge
being assigned to a family law or juvenile law assignment previously
presided over by a subordinate judicial officer.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 2452 of the Family Code is amended to read:
   2452.  The Judicial Council may, by rule,  modify
  increase  the procedures set forth in this
chapter.
  SEC. 2.  Section 69618 is added to the Government Code, to read:
   69618.  (a) The Legislature hereby ratifies the authority of the
Judicial Council to convert 10 subordinate judicial officer positions
to judgeships in the 2014-15 fiscal year when the conversion will
result in a judge being assigned to a family law or juvenile law
assignment previously presided over by a subordinate judicial
officer, pursuant to subparagraph (C) of paragraph (1) of subdivision
(c) of Section 69615.
   (b) The action described in subdivision (a) shall be in addition
to any action that may be taken pursuant to the authority described
in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) of Section
69615 to convert up to 16 subordinate judicial officer positions to
judgeships.