Courts: civil trials: COVID-19.

Existing law authorizes a presiding judge of a superior court to request that the Chairperson of the Judicial Council order the court to take certain actions when war, an act of terrorism, public unrest or calamity, epidemic, natural disaster, or other substantial risk to the health and welfare of court personnel or the public, or the danger thereof, threatens the orderly operation of the courts or makes court facilities unsafe, including, but not limited to, holding court sessions anywhere within the county, transferring civil cases to another county, or extending the time periods for bringing an action to trial, as specified. Existing law further authorizes the Chairperson of the Judicial Council to issue an order of their own accord authorizing multiple courts to implement some or all of that relief if the chairperson determines that emergency conditions threaten the orderly operation of superior court locations in more than one county, or render presence in, or access to, affected facilities unsafe. Existing law, until January 31, 2022, authorizes the Judicial Council or its Chairperson to take action, via emergency order or statewide rule, necessary to maintain the safe and orderly operation of the courts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as specified. Existing law requires the Judicial Council to submit a report to the Legislature and the Governor by January 1, 2023, on the use of remote technology in civil actions by the trial courts. Existing law additionally requires the Judicial Council to convene a working group for the purpose of recommending a statewide framework for remote civil court proceedings that addresses equal and fair access to justice, as specified, and to submit a report with the working group's recommendations to the Legislature and the Governor by January 1, 2023. This bill would express the intent of the Legislature to help facilitate the successful operation of civil trials in the courts during the COVID-19 pandemic.