An act relating to judicial retention and judicial nominations

This bill modifies Vermont's judicial retention process by requiring a single joint assembly vote for all judges seeking retention and mandating that the Judicial Retention Committee conduct courtroom observations of judges up for reappointment. It adds empathy and demonstrated understanding of equity and bias to the list of performance factors the committee evaluates, while also allowing the committee to solicit public and bar member comments on judicial performance. The legislation appropriates $50,000 to reimburse the Judicial Nominating Board for paralegal services used during judicial nominations. These changes directly affect state judges, the Judicial Retention Committee, and the Judicial Nominating Board by altering how judicial performance is assessed and retention votes are conducted.