Amended in Assembly August 28, 2015

Amended in Senate June 2, 2015

Amended in Senate March 23, 2015

Senate Bill No. 229

Introduced by Senator Roth

(Coauthor: Senator Stone)

(Coauthor: Assembly Member Obernolte)

February 13, 2015

An act relating to courts, and making an appropriation therefor.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 229, as amended, Roth. Courts: judgeships.

Existing law 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. Existing law authorizes 50 additional judges, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to be allocated to the various county superior courts, pursuant to uniform criteria approved by the Judicial Council.

This bill would appropriate begin delete $10,000,000 end delete begin insert $5,000,000 end insert from the General Fund for the purpose of funding begin delete 6 end delete begin insert 12 end insert superior court judge positions in judgeships currently authorized by the Legislature. The bill would require the Judicial Council to determine which positions are funded, pursuant to that uniform criteria.

Vote: ²⁄₃. Appropriation: yes. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

The sum of begin delete ten million dollars ($10,000,000) end delete begin insert five
million dollars ($5,000,000) end insert is hereby appropriated from the
General Fund for the purpose of funding begin delete six end delete begin insert 12 end insert new superior court
judgeships, and accompanying staff, as authorized pursuant to
Section 69614.2 of the Government Code. The Judicial Council
shall determine the allocation of the funded judgeships pursuant
to the uniform criteria described in subdivision (b) of Section
69614 of the Government Code, as updated and approved by the
Judicial Council.