The bill amends the Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska to update the regulations governing judicial nominating commissions. Key changes include establishing that all commission members and alternates must reside in the judicial district they serve, and limiting consecutive service on the commission to a maximum of twelve years, down from eight. It also specifies that if a lawyer member resigns, the alternate lawyer member from the same political party will fill the vacancy, or a nonpartisan alternate if no party-aligned alternate is available. The nomination process for lawyer members is modernized to allow electronic nominations, with a requirement for nominees to be registered voters.

Additionally, the bill outlines procedures for public hearings related to judicial vacancies, mandating that the first hearing occurs within sixty days of a vacancy's final determination. It requires commission members interested in a judgeship to resign before the public notice of the vacancy. The bill also allows the commission to seek additional candidates before and after public hearings, necessitating further hearings if new candidates are identified. A new provision clarifies that a change in residency affecting a member's eligibility will be enforced, and it removes previous language that classified independent voters as members of the same political party, along with repealing several existing sections related to judicial nominations.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 24-802, 24-803, 24-805, 24-806, 24-808, 24-809, 24-810, 24-810.01
Final Reading: 24-802, 24-803, 24-805, 24-806, 24-808, 24-809, 24-810, 24-810.01
Slip Law: 24-802, 24-803, 24-805, 24-806, 24-808, 24-809, 24-810, 24-810.01