BillCam

Judges And Court Commissioners

Number	Legislature	Summary	Subjects
SB-276	State (Kentucky)	Propose to amend Sections 97, 99, 119, and 122 of the Constitution of Kentucky to increase the term of office for Commonwealth Attorneys from 6 years to 8 years beginning in 2030; to increase the terms of judges of the District Court from 4 years to 8 years beginning in 2030; and to increase the requirement of being a license attorney from 2 years to 8 years for District Court judges beginning in 2022; provide ballot language; submit to voters for ratification or rejection. Democrat: 100% (1) 100% Democrat support	Courts, District Judges And Court Commissioners Attorney, Commonwealth's Constitution, Ky. Local Mandate
SB-276	State (Kentucky)	Propose to amend Sections 97, 99, 119, and 122 of the Constitution of Kentucky to increase the term of office for Commonwealth Attorneys from 6 years to 8 years beginning in 2030; to increase the terms of judges of the District Court from 4 years to 8 years beginning in 2030; and to increase the requirement of being a license attorney from 2 years to 8 years for District Court judges beginning in 2022; provide ballot language; submit to voters for ratification or rejection. Democrat: 100% (1) 100% Democrat support	Courts, District Judges And Court Commissioners Attorney, Commonwealth's Constitution, Ky. Local Mandate
HB-551	State (Kentucky)	Create a new section of KRS Chapter 452 to set the venue for constitutional challenges to statutes, executive orders, and regulations; establish procedures for selecting a panel of three Circuit Judges to hear challenges, establish three districts from which panel judges can be drawn. Republican: 100% (2) 100% Republican support	Judges And Court Commissioners Statutes Administrative Regulations And Proceedings Circuit Clerks Civil Actions Civil Procedure Courts, Circuit Governor
HB-635	State (Kentucky)	Amend KRS 118A.060 and 118A.100 to remove provisions that judicial elections shall be conducted on a nonpartisan basis; provide that elections for an office of the Court of Justice shall be conducted in accordance with KRS Chapter 118; repeal KRS 118A.090, 118A.150, and 118A.190; Effective November 3, 2020, only if voters ratify a proposed constitutional amendment providing for the partisan election of justices and judges. Republican: 100% (1) 100% Republican support	Court Of Appeals Court, Supreme Courts, Circuit Courts, District Effective Dates, Delayed Elections And Voting Judges And Court Commissioners Secretary Of State Courts, Family
HB-644	State (Kentucky)	Create a new section of KRS Chapter 21 to provide that any current or former judge or justice with an account in the Judicial Retirement Plan, who is convicted of or enters into a plea agreement to avoid conviction of a felony or misdemeanor relating to his or her duties or for engaging in sex with a minor, including rape, sodomy, sexual abuse, and sexual misconduct, shall cease membership in the Judicial Retirement Plan and forfeit all rights and benefits earned in the Judicial Retirement Plan, except for return of his or her individual contributions and any interest; amend KRS 6.696 to provide that any current or former legislator convicted of a felony or misdemeanor or entering a plea agreement to avoid conviction of a felony or misdemeanor for engaging in sex with a minor, including rape, sodomy, sexual abuse, and sexual misconduct, shall forfeit all rights and benefits under the state-administered plan to which the legislator has made contributions for his or her service, except for return of his or her individual contributions and any interest; amend KRS 16.652, 61.535, and 78.852 to provide that any member of the retirement systems administered by the Kentucky Retirement Systems who is convicted of or enters into a plea agreement to avoid conviction of a felony or misdemeanor for engaging in sex with a minor, including rape, sodomy, sexual abuse, and sexual misconduct, shall cease membership in the retirement system to which the member has made contributions and forfeit all rights and benefits earned in that system, except for return of his or her individual contributions and any interest; amend KRS 161.700 to provide that any member of the Teachers' Retirement System who is convicted of or enters into a plea agreement to avoid conviction of a felony or misdemeanor for engaging in sex with a minor, including rape, sodomy, sexual abuse, and sexual misconduct, shall cease membership in the Teachers' Retirement System and forfeit all rights and benefits earned in that system, except for return of his or her individual contributions and any interest; amend KRS 6.505, 21.360, 21.470, 21.480, 61.692, 161.700, and 161.714 to conform; and specify in noncodified language that this Act shall only apply to felonies, misdemeanors, and plea agreements entered into on or after the effective date of this Act. Republican: 100% (4) 100% Republican support	Crimes And Punishments General Assembly Judges And Court Commissioners Public Officers And Employees Retirement And Pensions Teachers Actuarial Analysis
HB-300	State (Kentucky)	Propose to amend Sections 110, 111, 117, 119, and 122 of the Constitution of Kentucky to provide that the Supreme Court districts shall be the same in number and follow the same boundaries as the Congressional districts apportioned to the state; provide that the Chief Justice shall be elected on a statewide basis and shall serve in addition to a Justice elected from each Supreme Court district; provide that Justices of the Supreme Court representing the Supreme Court districts shall be residents of the district from which they seek the office but shall be elected on a statewide basis; provide transition language; provide ballot language; submit to voters for ratification or rejection. Republican: 100% (1) 100% Republican support	Court Of Appeals Court, Supreme Elections And Voting Judges And Court Commissioners Constitution, Ky. Local Mandate
HB-405	State (Kentucky)	Propose to amend Sections 97, 99, 119, and 122 of the Constitution of Kentucky to increase the term of office for Circuit Court Clerks and Commonwealth's Attorneys from six years to eight years beginning in 2024; increase the term of office for county attorneys and district judges from four years to eight years beginning in 2022; increase the requirement of being a licensed attorney from two years to eight years for district judges beginning in 2022; exempt any person serving as a District Judge on the effective date of the Act from the eight-year licensure requirement; provide ballot language; submit to voters for ratification or rejection. Republican: 100% (4) 100% Republican support	Courts, District Judges And Court Commissioners Attorney, Commonwealth's Attorney, County Circuit Clerks Constitution, Ky. Local Mandate
HR-76	State (Kentucky)	Direct that a committee be appointed to determine whether an impeachment proceedings should be instituted against Kenton County Family Court Judge Dawn M. Gentry. Republican: 90% (9) Democrat: 10% (1) 90% Republican support 10% Democrat support	General Assembly Judges And Court Commissioners
HB-356	State (Kentucky)	The Judicial Branch Budget: appropriate $476,780,400 in fiscal year 2020-2021 and $490,618,400 in fiscal year 2021-2022 from the General Fund, Restricted Funds, and Federal Funds; provide funds for defined calculations; provide funds for current position levels; provide funds for a 2.5% increase in each year of the biennium for all non-elected and elected personnel; provide that funds in the Court Operations and Administration appropriation unit carry forward; provide that if the Supreme Court retains the 2008 and 2018 increases in civil filing fees, the additional income, not to exceed $15,468,100 in each fiscal year, shall be deposited in a trust and agency account for court operations; provide funds to support use allowance, operating, and non-recurring furniture and equipment costs for two judicial center projects; provide funds to create a maintenance pool for planned and unanticipated non-capital projects for local courthouses and judicial centers; provide funds to compensate local units of government for providing court space and for costs incurred in the development of local court facilities; provide that funds in the Local Facilities Fund carry forward; provide that funds in the Local Facilities Use Allowance Contingency Fund carry forward; provide funds for actuarial-assessed judicial retirement benefits; provide for administrative expenses; provide General Fund support for use allowance payments for Jefferson County; defer General Fund support for operating costs, annualized use allowance payments, and nonrecurring furniture and equipment costs for Butler, Crittenden, Jessamine, Clinton, and Owsley Counties to the 2022-2024 fiscal biennium; authorize leases; clarify that nothing in this bill shall reduce funding of court facility projects authorized by the General Assembly; provide that if a court facility project is occupied and use allowance funding is insufficient that use allowance payments must be approved from the Local Facilities Use Allowance Contingency Fund, or if funds are not available in the Local Facilities Use Allowance Contingency Fund, the use allowance payments shall be deemed a necessary government expense; provide the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts with expenditure authority; provide for severability of budget provisions; declare that KRS 48.312 controls duplicate appropriations; clarify that KRS 48.313 controls when a total or subtotal of the bill conflicts with a sum of the appropriations of which it consists; provide that any unexpended balance remaining in the Court's Restricted Funds or Federal Funds accounts carry forward; provide for the final budget document; provide for the transferability of funds; provide for appropriations revisions; provide that issuance of paychecks scheduled for June 30, 2020, June 30, 2021, and June 30, 2022, shall not be issued prior to July 1, 2020, July 1, 2021, and July 1, 2022; provide for participation in any Budget Reduction Plan or Surplus Expenditure Plan. Republican: 100% (3) 100% Republican support	Court, Supreme Courts Courts, Circuit Courts, District Judges And Court Commissioners Judicial Circuits Judicial Districts State Agencies State Employees Courts, Family

Title: AN ACT proposing to amend Sections 97, 99, 119, and 122 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to terms of Constitutional offices.

Session: Kentucky 2020 Regular Session

Number: SB-276

Subjects: Courts, District, Judges And Court Commissioners, Attorney, Commonwealth's, Constitution, Ky., Local Mandate

Democrat: 100% (1)

Title: AN ACT proposing to amend Sections 97, 99, 119, and 122 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to terms of Constitutional offices.

Session: Kentucky 2020 Regular Session

Number: SB-276

Subjects: Courts, District, Judges And Court Commissioners, Attorney, Commonwealth's, Constitution, Ky., Local Mandate

Democrat: 100% (1)

Title: AN ACT relating to civil actions.

Session: Kentucky 2020 Regular Session

Number: HB-551

Subjects: Judges And Court Commissioners, Statutes, Administrative Regulations And Proceedings, Circuit Clerks, Civil Actions, Civil Procedure, Courts, Circuit, Governor

Republican: 100% (2)

Title: AN ACT relating to elections.

Session: Kentucky 2020 Regular Session

Number: HB-635

Subjects: Court Of Appeals, Court, Supreme, Courts, Circuit, Courts, District, Effective Dates, Delayed, Elections And Voting, Judges And Court Commissioners, Secretary Of State, Courts, Family

Republican: 100% (1)

Title: AN ACT relating to forfeiture of retirement benefits upon conviction of a sexual offense against a minor.

Session: Kentucky 2020 Regular Session

Number: HB-644

Subjects: Crimes And Punishments, General Assembly, Judges And Court Commissioners, Public Officers And Employees, Retirement And Pensions, Teachers, Actuarial Analysis

Republican: 100% (4)

Title: AN ACT proposing an amendment to Sections 110, 111, 117, 119, and 122 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to Supreme Court Districts.

Session: Kentucky 2020 Regular Session

Number: HB-300

Subjects: Court Of Appeals, Court, Supreme, Elections And Voting, Judges And Court Commissioners, Constitution, Ky., Local Mandate

Republican: 100% (1)

Title: AN ACT proposing to amend Sections 97, 119, and 122 of the Constitution of Kentucky relating to terms of Constitutional offices.

Session: Kentucky 2020 Regular Session

Number: HB-405

Subjects: Courts, District, Judges And Court Commissioners, Attorney, Commonwealth's, Attorney, County, Circuit Clerks, Constitution, Ky., Local Mandate

Republican: 100% (4)

Title: A RESOLUTION directing the appointment of a committee to determine whether there is sufficient cause to institute impeachment proceedings against Dawn M. Gentry, Family Court Judge in Kenton County and present Articles of Impeachment to the House of Representatives.

Session: Kentucky 2020 Regular Session

Number: HR-76

Subjects: General Assembly, Judges And Court Commissioners

Republican: 90% (9) Democrat: 10% (1)

Title: AN ACT making appropriations for the operations, maintenance, support, and functioning of the Judicial Branch of the government of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its various officers, boards, commissions, subdivisions, and other state-supported activities.

Session: Kentucky 2020 Regular Session

Number: HB-356

Subjects: Court, Supreme, Courts, Courts, Circuit, Courts, District, Judges And Court Commissioners, Judicial Circuits, Judicial Districts, State Agencies, State Employees, Courts, Family

Republican: 100% (3)

Judges And Court Commissioners

SB-276

State (Kentucky)

SB-276

State (Kentucky)

HB-551

State (Kentucky)

HB-635

State (Kentucky)

HB-644

State (Kentucky)

HB-300

State (Kentucky)

HB-405

State (Kentucky)

HR-76

State (Kentucky)

HB-356

State (Kentucky)