CA SB 133
Title: Courts.
Author: Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee
Summary
SB 133, Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review. Courts. (1) The California Constitution vests the judicial power of the state in the Supreme Court, courts of appeal, and superior courts, and establishes the Judicial Council to, among other things, adopt rules of court and perform functions prescribed by statute. Existing law, the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law, authorizes and regulates the formation and operation of, among others, nonprofit public benefit corporations.This bill would establish the California Access to Justice Commission, a nonprofit public benefit corporation, and would authorize the commission to receive funding appropriated by the Legislature. The bill would specify the membership of the commission and terms of the members. The bill would specify the purposes for which the commission may receive and use funding including, among others, providing ongoing leadership in efforts to achieve full and equal access to justice for all Californians. The bill would make the commission subject to the Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation Law and would set the public meeting requirements for the commission.(2) Existing law, the State Bar Act, provides for the licensure and regulation of attorneys by the State Bar of California, a public corporation. Existing law requires an attorney or law firm receiving or disbursing trust funds to establish and maintain an Interest On Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) account in which the attorney or law firm is required to deposit or invest specified client deposits or funds. Existing law requires interest and dividends earned on IOLTA accounts to be paid to the State Bar of California and used for programs providing civil legal services without charge to indigent persons. Existing law requires the State Bar of California to distribute IOLTA funds and specified other funds to qualified legal service projects and qualified support centers, as defined, for the provision of civil legal services without charge to indigent persons in accordance with a specified statutory scheme. Existing law authorizes qualified legal services projects and qualified support centers to use the funds to provide work opportunities with pay and scholarships for disadvantaged law students to help defray their law school expenses, among other purposes.This bill would authorize qualified legal service projects and qualified support centers to also use the funds to provide loan repayment assistance for the purposes of recruiting and retaining attorneys in accordance with a loan repayment assistance program administered by the California Access to Justice Commission. The bill would appropriate $250,000 from the General Fund to the Judicial Council to provide funding to the California Access to Justice Commission to administer a tax advantaged student loan repayment assistance program for service providers employed by qualified legal service projects and support centers, as specified.(3) Existing law establishes the Appellate Court Trust Fund, the proceeds of which shall be used for the purpose of funding the courts of appeal and the Supreme Court. Existing law requires the funds, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to be apportioned by the Judicial Council to the courts of appeal and the Supreme Court taking into consideration all other funds available and the needs of each court in a manner that promotes equal access to the courts, ensures the ability of the courts to carry out their functions, and promotes implementation of statewide policies.This bill would authorize the funds to be apportioned by the Judicial Council to the Supreme Court, courts of appeal, and the Judicial Council, taking into consideration all other funds available to each and the needs of each.(4) Existing law generally requires the superior court, as an employer, to provide employees with the use of a lactation room or other location for employees to express milk in private, including, among other things, a clean and safe place to s
Status
Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 34, Statutes of 2023.
Bill Documents
CA SB 133 - 06/30/23 - Chaptered
06/30/23 - CA SB 133 (06/30/23 - Chaptered)
CA SB 133 - 06/28/23 - Enrolled
06/28/23 - CA SB 133 (06/28/23 - Enrolled)
CA SB 133 - 06/26/23 - Amended Assembly
06/26/23 - CA SB 133 (06/26/23 - Amended Assembly)
CA SB 133 - 01/18/23 - Introduced
01/18/23 - CA SB 133 (01/18/23 - Introduced)