House Bill 1140 Summary

• Authorizes magistrates to accept domestic violence complaints and civil no-contact order filings when clerk's offices are closed, issue summons, and schedule hearings before district court judges by the end of the next business day, effective December 1, 2022.

• Expands magistrate eligibility to include residents of contiguously bordering counties and clarifies that small claims and motor vehicle lien actions are assigned based on the county where the magistrate was appointed rather than residency, effective October 1, 2022.

• Establishes procedures for chief district court judges to discipline magistrates in accordance with Rules of Conduct for Magistrates, with complaints and investigatory records treated as personnel records that lose confidentiality upon issuance of disciplinary action, effective October 1, 2022.

• Increases Judicial Standards Commission from one to two Court of Appeals judges and designates them as chair and vice-chair, and extends emergency judge assignment authority through July 1, 2023.

• Repeals annual legislative reporting requirements on third-party electronic records access and local government contracts, and appropriates $50,000 for court system education on statutory changes, effective July 1, 2022.