Courts.

Establishes seven new Hamilton superior courts (No. 1 through No. 7) effective July 1, 2025

Eliminated all provisions related to court abolition procedures, asset transfers, and transitional arrangements for abolished courts

Creates two additional Hamilton superior courts (No. 8 and No. 9) that begin operation on January 1, 2027, with judges elected in November 2026

Increases the number of magistrates the Hamilton circuit and superior courts can jointly appoint from four to six

Specifies that judges of the two new Hamilton superior courts (No. 8 and No. 9) will serve six-year terms

Added formal printing code instructions explaining how statutory amendments will be displayed in the Indiana Code.

Changed document title from 'A BILL FOR AN ACT' to 'AN ACT' and updated header from 'ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL' to 'HOUSE ENROLLED ACT', indicating final passage.

Reformatted page headers and footers to match enrolled bill standards, including page numbering changes.

Added language to the bill title and act description to explicitly state that the bill makes an appropriation, indicating new funding provisions were included.

Updated the affected code citations from IC 33-33-29 to IC 31-31 and IC 33-33 to reflect the broader scope of changes involving juvenile courts and court officers.

Added a new chapter (Chapter 0.5) establishing transitional procedures for courts that are abolished, defining terms like 'abolished court,' 'abolition date,' and 'remaining court' to manage staff, assets, and pending cases during court closures.

Added specific requirements for how employment, agreements, liabilities, records, property, and pending proceedings are handled when a court is abolished under the bill.