Mandatory retirement, unified court bills still alive

The bill that would end a mandatory retirement age for certain judges and the bill that would unify Clark County courts are ready for third reading in their respective houses.

Senate Bill 463 seeks to eliminate or repeal any provision that establishes a mandatory retirement age for Superior and County court judges. The law currently states that an attorney must be less than 70 years old at the time he or she takes office.

House Bill 1266 made it out of the Committee on Courts and Criminal Code as introduced, but on second reading legislators amended the bill to include Madison County courts. The legislation now proposes to establish unified Circuit Courts for Clark and Madison counties.

Also passing second reading this week:
– Senate Bill 212, which repeals the law concerning the establishment and operation of county courts and discusses trial court jurisdiction;
– Senate Bill 214, state use of contingency fee counsel, which was amended in committee;
– Senate Bill 97, funding of lawsuits by companies via a loan to plaintiffs, which was amended on second reading;
– Senate Bill 520, application of foreign laws;
– Senate Bill 495, lawsuits by school corporations, which was amended in committee; and
– Senate Bill 530, on merging criminal deviate conduct into the crime of rape.

Senate Bill 540, on the discharge of long-term inmates, was adopted Tuesday by the Corrections, Criminal & Civil Matters Committee. Senate Bill 346, on environmental legal action statute of limitations, passed the Energy & Environmental Affairs Committee Tuesday with amendments.

Senate Bill 180, on limited partnerships and liability companies, passed second reading Monday and the Senate on Tuesday. It has not yet been assigned to a committee in the House of Representatives.

A complete list of introduced legislation is available on the General Assembly’s website.