The bill amends Section 8-16.1-6 of the General Laws regarding the nomination and appointment of judges in Rhode Island. It establishes that individuals seeking a judicial nomination must reapply to the judicial nomination commission every five years. Those selected as finalists will be eligible only for the court in which they applied and were chosen during the five years following their selection. The five-year eligibility provision will sunset and expire on July 1, 2029, unless extended by the General Assembly.

The bill specifies that for the period of five years following July 1, 2026, any individual whose name was publicly submitted to the governor by the commission will also be eligible for subsequent nominations for any vacancy in the same court, except for vacancies in the positions of presiding justice, chief justice, or chief judge. Individuals must reapply for any subsequent vacancy in those positions.

The governor is required to fill any judicial vacancy by nominating one of the three to five highly qualified persons forwarded by the commission for the court where the vacancy occurs, or by nominating another individual who has previously applied for a vacancy within the same court and whose name had been publicly submitted to the governor within the previous five years.

Each nomination shall be forwarded to the secretary of the senate for presentation to the senate, and with the advice and consent of the senate, each nominee shall be confirmed. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
2128: 8-16.1-6