COURT OF CLAIMS; CIRCUIT JUDGES                                                                                 H.B. 4222 (H-2) & 4223:

                                                                                                                                                          SUMMARY OF HOUSE-PASSED BILL

                                                                                                                                                                                                                IN COMMITTEE

House Bill 4222 (Substitute H-2 as passed by the House)

House Bill 4223 (as passed by the House)

Sponsor:   Representative Graham Filler (H.B. 4222)

                            Representative David LaGrand (H.B. 4223)

House Committee:   Judiciary

Senate Committee:   Judiciary and Public Safety

Date Completed:   10-13-21

CONTENT

House Bill 4222 (H-2) would amend the Revised Judicature Act (RJA) to do the following:

 --     Specify that four circuit court judges instead of four Court of Appeals judges, appointed by the Supreme Court would be assigned to the Court of Claims.

 --     Require the clerk of a circuit court instead of the clerk of the Court of Appeals, to act as the clerk of the Court of Claims for any Court of Claims matter assigned to that circuit court.

 --     Extend the term of a judge assigned to the Court of Claims from two years to six years.  

 --     Require the local funding unit and the clerk of the circuit court where a judge who was assigned to the Court of Claims presided to be notified on an assignment 60 days before the judge's term expired.

 --     Require the Court of Claims to provide electronic means of filing documents and maintain an electronic document in each case.

 --     Require the Court of Claims, whenever possible, to conduct hearing on a video conferencing platform that allowed for remote appearances by attorneys and parties, unless a party objected.

House Bill 4223 would amend the RJA do the following:

  --     Require the clerk of the Court of Appeals to serve as clerk of the Court of Claims for certain purposes.

  --     Require a plaintiff to file a cause of action in the Court of Claims in any Court of Appeals district, and require the clerk of the Court of Appeals to forward it to the clerk of the court of claims in which the matter would be heard.

  --     Require the State to reimburse the counties in which the Court of Claims sat for reasonable and actual costs incurred by those counties for implementing jurisdictional duties in the circuit court imposed on the counties.

  --     Require those counties to submit quarterly itemized costs to the State Court Administrative Office (SCAO).        

The bills are tie-barred. House Bill 4222 (H-2) would take effect 90 days after its enactment.

House Bill 4222 (H-2)

Section 6404 of the RJA specifies that the Court of Claims consists of four Court