The bill amends Section 8-16.1-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 8-16.1, titled "Judicial Selection," to establish a standardized merit-based selection process for judicial nominees. It requires the judicial nominating commission to implement an initial blind review of applications prior to any interviews or public hearings, ensuring that identifying information, including the applicant's name and any other information likely to disclose their identity, is redacted during preliminary evaluations.

The commission's rules must mandate that applicants be evaluated according to uniform, job-related criteria that are adopted in advance and published on the commission's website. Additionally, the rules will require the use of structured evaluation instruments or scoring rubrics to demonstrate that recommendations are based on the published merit criteria.

The act will take effect upon passage.

Statutes affected:
2947: 8-16.1-4