HCS HB 613 -- COURT PROCEDURES

SPONSOR:  Byrd

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass by consent" by the Committee on
Judiciary by a vote of 18 to 0.

This substitute changes various provisions relating to court
procedures.  In its main provisions, the substitute:

(1)  Amends the statute on time computation in civil cases to
exactly match the corresponding Supreme Court rule;

(2)  Amends the process for filling vacancies of any unexpired
term on the executive council of the judicial conference;

(3)  Allows for legislative continuances in court during special
and veto sessions and during interim committee assignments;

(4)  Eliminates, effective January 1, 2004, any requirement that
petitioners for protection orders provide their Social Security
numbers on petitions or case documents, although courts may
require petitioners to provide the number on confidential case
sheets;

(5)  Allows a party to a contested case with a state agency to
apply to a court for enforcement of a subpoena.  Current law
allows only the agency to seek court enforcement.  The substitute
also allows the agency or any party to intervene in an
enforcement action;

(6)  Removes the requirement that a transcript judgment be filed
with the circuit clerk before a judgment entered by an associate
division of the circuit court becomes a lien on real property;
and

(7)  Requires, beginning July 1, 2004, that the names on the
master jury list be chosen from certain source lists.  The names
of potential jurors on the list are public record.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Net Income to Statewide Court Automated
Fund of $3,708,333 in FY 2004, $4,450,000 in FY 2005, and $0 in
FY 2006.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill removes a lot of
redundancy and confusion from various court procedure provisions.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Byrd; Missouri
Coalition Against Domestic Violence; and Supreme Court of
Missouri.

OPPOSITION:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Julie Jinkens McNitt, Legislative Analyst

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated July 25, 2003 at 10:12 am