BILL NUMBER: SB 56	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 24, 2006
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  AUGUST 21, 2006
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JULY 13, 2005
	AMENDED IN SENATE  MAY 27, 2005
	AMENDED IN SENATE  APRIL 18, 2005

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Dunn
   (Principal coauthor: Senator Ducheny)
   (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Jones)
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Benoit, Bermudez, Bogh, and Emmerson)

                        JANUARY 12, 2005

   An act to add Section  69614   6009.5 to the
Business and Professions Code, and to add Sections 69614 and 77001.5
 to the Government Code, relating to trial  courts
  court judges and officers  .



	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 56, as amended, Dunn  Trial  courts: judgeships
  court judges and officers  . 
   (1) Existing law requires a member of the State Bar to maintain
specified information on the official membership records of the State
Bar.  
   This bill would require the State Bar to adopt procedures to
facilitate reporting of mandatory and voluntary information by
providing members with a centralized mechanism for reporting
information online at the State Bar Internet Web site. 
    (2)    Existing law specifies the number of
judges of the superior court for each county.
   This bill would authorize  25   50 
additional judges to be allocated, upon appropriation by the
Legislature in the 2006-07 fiscal year, to the various county
superior courts, pursuant to uniform criteria approved by the
Judicial Council. The bill would require the Judicial Council to
report biannually to the Legislature and the Governor on the
factually determined need for new judgeships in each superior court,
as specified.  
    The bill would require the Judicial Council, on or before
November 1, 2007, to adopt, and report to the Legislature annually
thereafter upon, judicial administration standards and measures that
promote the fair and efficient administration of justice. 
   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 6009.5 is added to the 
 Business and Professions Code   , to read:  
   6009.5.  The State Bar shall adopt procedures to facilitate
reporting of mandatory and voluntary information by providing members
with a centralized mechanism for reporting information online at the
State Bar Internet web site, including, but not limited to, data
required to be provided pursuant to the State Bar Act, or by other
statutes, rules, and case law, and demographic information. Any
demographic data collected shall be used only for general purposes
and shall not be identified to any individual member or his or her
State Bar record. 
   SECTION 1.   SEC. 2.   Section 69614 is
added to the Government Code, to read:
   69614.  (a) Upon appropriation by the Legislature in the 2006-07
fiscal year, there shall be  25   50 
additional judges allocated to the various county superior courts
pursuant to the uniform criteria described in subdivision (b) for
determining the need for additional superior court judges.
   (b) The judges shall be allocated, in accordance with the uniform
standards for factually determining additional judicial need in each
county, as approved by the Judicial Council in August, 2001, and as
modified and approved by the Judicial Council in August, 2004,
pursuant to the Update of Judicial Needs Study, based on the
following criteria:
   (1) Court filings data averaged over a period of three years.
   (2) Workload standards that represent the average amount of time
of bench and nonbench work required to resolve each case type.
   (3) A ranking methodology that provides consideration for courts
that have the greatest need relative to their current complement of
judicial officers.
   (c) The Judicial Council shall report to the Legislature and the
Governor on or before November 1 of every even-numbered year on the
factually determined need for new judgeships in each superior court
using the uniform criteria for allocation of judgeships described in
subdivision (b), as updated and applied to the average of the prior
three calendar years' filings.  This report shall include an
analysis of the extent to which the allocation of new judgeships in
the prior two-year period has affected the administration of justice,
access to the courts, and the efficient use of judicial resources.

   SEC. 3.    Section 77001.5 is added to the  
Government Code   , to read:  
   77001.5.  On or before November 1, 2007, the Judicial Council
shall adopt, and shall report to the Legislature annually thereafter
upon, judicial administration standards and measures that promote the
fair and efficient administration of justice, including, but not
limited to, the following subjects:
   (1) Providing equal access to courts and respectful treatment for
all court participants.
   (2) Case processing, including the efficient use of judicial
resources.
   (3) General court administration.