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Read. Follow. Verify.Utah Reorganizes Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission and Modifies Judge Certification Standards
Last action · March 23, 2026: Governor SignedSponsors: Brady Brammer and 1 other
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What This Bill Does
This bill reorganizes statutory provisions for the , updates judge certification and survey requirements, and requires a study on appeal reversals by October 1, 2026. The legislation takes effect on May 6, 2026.
Modifies the statutory framework and evaluation criteria governing judicial retention reviews and performance surveys for state judges and appellate justices.
- The Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission was created to evaluate Utah judges and provide objective information to voters ahead of retention elections. context
- The Judiciary Interim Committee is a legislative committee that reviews policy proposals and receives reports between general sessions. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission
The commission must comply with reorganized statutory rules, conduct a new study regarding appeal reversals, and submit a report to the Judiciary Interim Committee.
State Court Judges and Justices
Judges and justices are subject to updated certification standards, opinion-distribution timelines, survey procedures, and rules regarding appearances before the commission.
Judiciary Interim Committee
The committee receives a mandatory written report from the commission regarding the study on appeal reversals by November 1, 2026.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission do under this bill?
When does a judge get to speak before the commission?
What new timeliness standards apply to appellate judges?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
46 actions- Mar 23, 2026Lieutenant Governor's office for filingEnrolledGovernor Signed
- Mar 13, 2026SenateSenate/ to Governor
- Mar 13, 2026SenateSenate/ received enrolled bill from Printing
- Mar 11, 2026SenateSenate/ enrolled bill to Printing
- Mar 11, 2026Senate SecretaryEnrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
- Mar 6, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingDraft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
Show 40 earlier actions
- Mar 6, 2026Legislative Research and General Counsel / EnrollingBill Received from Senate for Enrolling
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling
- Mar 4, 2026SenateSenate/ received from House
- Mar 4, 2026HouseHouse/ to Senate
- Mar 4, 2026HouseHouse/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate
- Mar 4, 2026HouseFloorHouse/ passed 3rd reading
- Mar 4, 2026HouseHouse/ 3rd reading
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse/ 2nd reading
- Mar 3, 2026HouseHouse/ Rules to 3rd Reading Calendar
- Feb 26, 2026HouseHouse/ return to Rules due to fiscal impact
- Feb 26, 2026HouseHouse/ committee report favorable
- Feb 26, 2026HouseHouse Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 25, 2026HouseCommitteeHouse/ to standing committee
- Feb 24, 2026HouseIntroducedHouse/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 24, 2026HouseHouse/ received from Senate
- Feb 24, 2026SenateSenate/ to House
- Feb 24, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 3rd reading
- Feb 24, 2026SenateSenate/ floor amendment
- Feb 24, 2026SenateSenate/ 3rd reading
- Feb 23, 2026SenateFloorSenate/ passed 2nd reading
- Feb 23, 2026SenateSenate/ 2nd reading
- Feb 11, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0233S01
- Feb 11, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0233S01
- Feb 10, 2026SenateSenate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
- Feb 10, 2026SenateSenate/ comm rpt/ substituted
- Feb 9, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
- Feb 9, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Substitute Recommendation
- Feb 9, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0233S01
- Feb 9, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0233S01
- Feb 6, 2026SenateSenate/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
- Feb 6, 2026ReleasedLFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SB0233
- Feb 4, 2026SenateSenate Comm - Not Considered
- Feb 4, 2026Version SponsorLFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SB0233
- Feb 3, 2026SenateCommitteeSenate/ to standing committee
- Feb 3, 2026SenateIntroducedSenate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
- Feb 2, 2026SenateSenate/ received bill from Legislative Research
- Feb 2, 2026Legislative Fiscal AgencyLFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SB0233
- Feb 2, 2026Legislative Fiscal AnalystLFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SB0233
- Feb 2, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselNumbered Bill Publicly Distributed
- Feb 2, 2026Legislative Research and General CounselBill Numbered but not Distributed
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
New Appellate Timeliness Standards
The bill introduces specific opinion-distribution percentage deadlines for Supreme Court and Court of Appeals judges taking effect for submissions on or after May 6, 2026.
Connected Entities
Sources
le.utah.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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