This bill amends RSA 490:32 to enhance the judicial performance evaluation process by broadening the definition of "judicial officer" to include all full-time and part-time judges, whether active or senior, as well as judicial referees. The bill establishes a Judicial Performance Evaluation (JPE) program, which aims to improve the performance of individual judicial officers and the judiciary as a whole. Key changes include the introduction of comprehensive evaluation methods such as questionnaires, self-evaluations, and in-court observations, which will be conducted at least once every three years. The results of these evaluations will be compiled into performance reports, which will be made public, although individual comments from questionnaires will remain confidential.

Additionally, the bill outlines the responsibilities of the chief justice and the supreme court in designing the evaluation standards and interventions for judicial officers who do not meet satisfactory performance levels. It also specifies that if a judicial officer fails to achieve satisfactory evaluations in two consecutive assessments, disciplinary actions may be initiated. The bill does not allocate funding for these changes, which are expected to increase state expenditures by over $160,000 annually starting in FY 2027, primarily due to the costs associated with hiring retired judges for evaluations and the need for additional administrative staff to manage the expanded process.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 490:32
As Amended by the House: 490:32
As Amended by the House (2nd): 490:32
HB1130 text: 490:32