§ 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, 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 appellate court judges; or

(d) any combination of Subsections (2)(a) through (c).

(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.

Enacted by Chapter 175, 2010 General Session