78A-2-113. Judicial hiring freeze authorized.
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Effective 3/13/2026
78A-2-113. Judicial hiring freeze authorized.
(1)As used in this section, "General Fund budget deficit" means a situation where General Fund appropriations made by the Legislature for a fiscal year exceed the estimated revenues adopted by the Executive Appropriations Committee of the Legislature for the General Fund in that fiscal year.
(2)During a General Fund budget deficit, the governor, president of the Senate, speaker of the House of Representatives, and chief justice of the Supreme Court, may, by unanimous vote, implement a judicial hiring freeze for judicial vacancies for:
(a)a juvenile court district with three or more juvenile court judges;
(b)a district court district with three or more district court judges;
(c)all Business and Chancery Court judges;
(d)all Constitutional Court judges if Chapter 5b, Constitutional Court, takes effect as described in Section 78A-5b-102 ;
(e)all appellate court judges; or
(f)any combination of Subsections (2)(a) through (e).
(3)In implementing a judicial hiring freeze, the governor, president of the Senate, speaker of the House, and chief justice of the Supreme Court shall:
(a)establish the length of that hiring freeze; and
(b)ensure that the hiring freeze lasts at least 90 days, but not longer than the last day of the annual general session of the Legislature.
Amended by Chapter 38 , 2026 General Session