Senate Bill No. [number], introduced by G. Hertz at the request of the Senate Select Committee on Judicial Oversight and Reform, aims to revise public record laws specifically concerning the Supreme Court. The bill mandates that all meetings of public agencies, including the Supreme Court, be open to the public, with certain exceptions for individual privacy and litigation strategy discussions. Notably, it requires that any closed meetings involving judicial deliberations be recorded electronically and that these recordings, along with written records, be made available for public inspection once the case is finalized. The bill also clarifies that a case is considered final after the time for any further review by any court has expired.

Additionally, the bill amends existing laws to ensure that judicial deliberations of the Supreme Court are included in the definition of public records, thereby enhancing transparency. It specifies that confidential information related to judicial deliberations will only be protected until the case becomes final. The effective date for this legislation is set for October 1, 2025. Overall, the bill seeks to strengthen public access to judicial processes while balancing the need for individual privacy and the integrity of judicial deliberations.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(1): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(2): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(3): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(4): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(5): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(6): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1(7): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_1: 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(1): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(10): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(11): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(12): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(13): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(2): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(3): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(4): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(5): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(6): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(7): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(8): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2(9): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_2: 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_3(1): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_3(2): 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002
SB0040_3: 2-3-203, 2-3-212, 2-6-1002