The bill establishes a Montana Judicial Performance Evaluation System, creating a Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission responsible for evaluating district court judges and supreme court justices. This commission will be administratively allocated to the Department of Justice and is mandated to conduct evaluations, including midterm and preelection assessments, starting in 2026. The evaluations will utilize various factors such as survey results, courtroom observations, and public comments. Notably, the Secretary of State is required to include judicial evaluation information in the voter information pamphlet, which will now feature summaries of judges' most recent performance evaluations alongside other election-related information.

Key amendments to the bill include a change in the composition of the commission, reducing the number of members appointed by legislative leaders while increasing those appointed by the governor. The bill also introduces new definitions related to bias and impartiality and allows judges to appear before the commission to discuss their evaluations. Furthermore, it ensures the confidentiality of survey responses and mandates public reporting on judicial performance, which will become public records if a judge files for candidacy in an upcoming election. The bill outlines the necessary appropriations for its implementation, totaling $1 million over two fiscal years, and is set to terminate on June 30, 2035, with provisions for reporting to legislative committees on the commission's activities.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_1(1): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_1(10): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_1(11): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_1(12): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_1(13): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_1(14): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_1(15): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_1(2): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_1(3): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_1(4): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_1(5): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_1(6): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_1(7): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_1(8): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_1(9): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_1: 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2(1): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2(10): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2(11): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2(12): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2(13): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2(14): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2(15): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2(16): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2(17): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2(18): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2(2): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2(3): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2(4): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2(5): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2(6): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2(7): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2(8): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2(9): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_2: 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_3(1): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_3(2): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_3(3): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_3(4): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_3(5): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_3(6): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_3(7): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_3(8): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_3(9): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_3: 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_4(1): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_4(10): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_4(11): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_4(12): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_4(13): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_4(2): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_4(3): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_4(4): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_4(5): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_4(6): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_4(7): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_4(8): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_4(9): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_4: 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_5(1): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_5(2): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_5(3): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_5(4): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_5(5): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_5(6): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_5(7): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_5: 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_7: 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(1): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(10): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(11): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(12): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(13): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(14): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(15): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(16): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(17): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(18): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(19): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(2): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(20): 3-1-1124
SB0045_X(21): 3-1-1124
SB0045_X(22): 3-1-1124
SB0045_X(23): 3-1-1124
SB0045_X(24): 3-1-1124
SB0045_X(25): 3-1-1124
SB0045_X(26): 3-1-1124
SB0045_X(27): 3-1-1124
SB0045_X(28): 3-1-1124
SB0045_X(29): 3-1-1124
SB0045_X(3): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(30): 3-1-1124
SB0045_X(31): 3-1-1124
SB0045_X(32): 3-1-1124
SB0045_X(33): 3-1-1124
SB0045_X(34): 3-1-1124
SB0045_X(35): 3-1-1124
SB0045_X(36): 3-1-1124
SB0045_X(37): 3-1-1124
SB0045_X(4): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(5): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(6): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(7): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(8): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X(9): 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410
SB0045_X: 3-1-1124, 13-13-214, 13-27-401, 13-27-410