JUDICIARY and ATTORNEYS

• AB 143 (Committee on Budget) This bill provides for statutory changes necessary to enact courts-related provisions of the Budget Act of 2021. act to amend Section 6322.1 of the Business and Professions Code, to amend Sections 68085.1, 68085.3, 68085.4, 68085.45, 68502.6, 68701.5, 68703, 68704, 68752, 68754, 68756, 70371, 70371.7, 70372, 70373, 70374, 70377, 70391, 70395, 70396, 70397, 70617, 70657.5, and 70658 of, to add Section 68701.1 to, to add Article 7 (commencing with Section 68645) to Chapter 2 of Title 8 of, Article 4 (commencing with Section 68770) to Chapter 2.5 of Title 8 of, and Article 7.1 (commencing with Section 70398) to Chapter 5.7 of Title 8 of, to add and repeal Section 29553 of, and to repeal Sections 70371.5, 70371.8, and 70391.7 of, the Government Code, to amend Section 1463.007 of, and to add Section 1428.5 to, the Penal Code, and to amend Sections 40611 and 42007.1 of, and to repeal Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 40280) of Article 4 of Division 17 of, the Vehicle Code, relating to courts, and making an appropriation therefor, to take effect immediately, bill related to the budget.

• AB 414 (Maienschein) This bill repeals several statutes made obsolete by the state’s assumption of the obligation to fund court operations and trial court unification. act to amend Sections 71601 and 71614 of, to repeal Sections 53721.5, 53721.6, and 70219 of, and to repeal Chapter 13.6 (commencing with Section 26290), Chapter 13.7 (commencing with Section 26295), and Chapter 13.8 (commencing with Section 26299.000) of Part 2 of Division 2 of Title 3 of, the Government Code, relating to local government.

• AB 855 (Ramos) Replaces Columbus Day with Native American Day as an approved judicial holiday. Specifically, this bill: 1) Deletes the statutory exclusion of “the fourth Friday in September, known as “Native American Day” from the list of state holidays not recognized by the courts. 2) Adds Columbus Day to the list of holidays excluded from the list of approved judicial holidays. act to amend Section 135 of the Code of Civil Procedure, relating to courts.

• AB 1293 (Cooley) Annually retests pensions for retired members of the Judges Retirement System (JRS), Judges Retirement System II (JRS II), and the Legislators’ Retirement System (LRS), respectively, against the most recent federal limitation on compensation and benefits pursuant to federal law. act to add Sections 9359.06, 75075.03, and 75527.5 to the Government Code, relating to retirement.

• AB 1452 (Ting) Creates a pilot program in the San Francisco Superior Court, in conjunction with the City and County of San Francisco and their justice partners, to determine whether paying low-income jurors $100 a day for their service on a criminal jury would lead to a more diverse panel of jurors. act to add and repeal Section 240 of the Code of Civil Procedure, relating to juries.

• AB 1578 (Committee on Judiciary) Makes nearly two-dozen technical and generally non-controversial changes to various code sections related to the jurisdiction of the Assembly Judiciary Committee. act to amend Sections 52.1 and 2983.3 of the Civil Code, to amend Sections 1245.020, 1245.060, 1250.320, 1260.230, 1276, and 1277 of the Code of Civil Procedure, to amend Section 44944 of the Education Code, to amend Section 22329 of the Financial Code, to amend Sections 11425.20, 11440.20, 11440.30, 11507.6, 11508, 12935, 12945.2, and 19242 of the Government Code, to amend Sections 13009, 13009.1, and 103430 of the Health and Safety Code, to amend Section 10139 of the Insurance Code, and to amend Section 4712 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, relating to state government.

• SB 211 (Umberg) This bill authorizes the State Bar to collect an annual license fee for active licensees and inactive licensees for 2022 in the same amount as 2021. This bill removes governance restrictions that were imposed by statute on the California Lawyers Association and removes obsolete provisions of the State Bar Act. act to amend Sections 6056, 6086.15, 6094.5, 6140, 6140.2, 6141, 6141.3, 6145, 6213, 6216, and 6223 of, to add Section 6210.5 to, and to repeal Sections 6011 and 6069.5 of, the Business and Professions Code, relating to attorneys.

• SB 241 (Umberg) This bill enacts the 2021 California Court Efficiency Act, which grants the Court Reporters Board (CRB) a method for permitting out-of-state deposition reporters to register with and be governed by the CRB; establishes a statutory framework for conducting court proceedings in civil cases through the use of remote technology; extends the general rule that a trial continuance or postponement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic extends other case deadlines to arbitration continuances or postponements; requires, as of July 1, 2024, courts to electronically transmit documents issued by the court where parties have consented to, or are required to use, electronic service; and requires courts to hear minors’ compromise petitions within 30 days of filing and to issue a decision at the conclusion of the hearing if the petition is uncontested. act to amend, repeal, and add Section 8050 of, and to add and repeal Section 8051 of, the Business and Professions Code, to amend Sections 599 and 1010.6 of, and to add and repeal Section 367.75 of, the Code of Civil Procedure, and to add Section 3505 to the Probate Code, relating to civil actions.

• SB 498 (Umberg) This bill increases access to free legal services for Californians with incomes at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and excludes specified veteran disability income from the calculation, thus further qualifying veterans for legal services. act to amend Sections 6213 and 6214 of the Business and Professions Code, relating to attorneys.