Posted: May 1, 2025
Code of Judicial Administration – Comment Period Closed June 15, 2025
CJA04-202.03. Records access (AMEND)
House Bill 129 amends adopted individuals’ right to access adoption records. Given the scope of the bill, the proposed amendments to rule 4-202.03 refer individuals to the statute to determine access to adoption records maintained by the court.
CJA Appendix A. Justice Court Nominating Commissions Procedure Manual (AMEND)
The proposed amendments to Appendix A of the Code of Judicial Administration update justice court nominating commission procedures. Among other things, the amendments require applicants to use an online portal to be considered for a judgeship in justice courts and remove the credit check requirement.
My comments relate to CJA04-202.03. The draft rule contains an effective date of May 1, 2025. Line 17 references “Utah Code title 81, chapter 13” but the renumbering for the adoption act does not go into effect until September 1, 2025 (S.B. 119). Further, the changes made in H.B. 129 do not go into effect until November 1, 2025. If this draft rule goes into effect prior to September 1 2025 it seems like it still should reference Utah Code title 78B, chapter 6, part 1.
In some other recently approved rules (see CJA 1-205, line 74 – “rule 3-403”), “rule” is not capitalized; but in this draft all the references are capitalized (see line 67 “Rule 4-202.05”).
Line 159 – I believe that the department is now referred to as the “Department of Health and Human Services”.
Lines 157 and 193 – I think the division is now known as “Juvenile Justice and Youth Services”.
Thank you for considering my comments.