THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

INTRODUCED BY D. O'BRIEN, BROWN, COHEN, CREIGHTON, DALLY, DeLUCA, FRANKEL, GINGRICH, KAUFFMAN, KORTZ, MANDERINO, MARSICO, MELIO, MURT, O'NEILL, SIPTROTH, VULAKOVICH, WALKO AND YOUNGBLOOD, FEBRUARY 19, 2009

REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY, FEBRUARY 19, 2009  

AN ACT

Providing for the creation and operation of the Domestic

Relations Court Judges Commission in the Office of General

Counsel; and prescribing its powers and duties.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1.  Short title.

This act shall be known and may be cited as the Domestic

Relations Court Judges Commission Act.

Section 2.  Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this act shall

have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Commission."  The Domestic Relations Court Judges Commission

established in section 3.

Section 3.  Domestic Relations Court Judges Commission.

(a)  Creation.--The Domestic Relations Court Judges

Commission is created in the Office of General Counsel as an

administrative agency.

(b)  Chief administrative officer.--The General Counsel shall

serve as chief administrative officer of the commission.

(c)  Appointment.--The commission shall consist of nine

judges who shall be appointed by the Governor from a list of

judges, serving in domestic relations courts, submitted by the

Chief Justice of Pennsylvania.

(d)  Term.--Three of the first nine judges appointed shall

serve for three years, three for two years and three for one

year. Thereafter, the term for all members shall be for three

years.

(e)  Chairman.--The commission shall annually select one

member to be chairman and one member to be secretary.

(f)  Quorum.--Five members of the commission shall constitute

a quorum.

(g)  Meetings.--The commission shall meet at least quarterly

and as the chairman deems necessary. Each commissioner attending

a meeting shall be paid only his necessary expenses incurred for

attendance.

Section 4.  Employees.

The chairman, with the approval of the majority of the

commission, may appoint and fix the compensation of employees as

are necessary to enable the commission to perform the powers and

duties vested in it. The compensation of the employees shall be

fixed within limitations set by the commission and employees

shall be eligible to apply for membership in the State

Employees' Retirement System. No assistant shall engage,

directly or indirectly, in the practice of law in any domestic

relations court of the Commonwealth during the assistant's term

of employment.

Section 5.  Powers and duties.

The commission shall have the power and its duty shall be to:

(1)  Advise the domestic relations court judges of the

Commonwealth in all matters pertaining to the proper care and

maintenance of adoption, custody, divorce, domestic

relations, domestic violence and support.

(2)  Examine the administrative methods and judicial

procedure used in domestic relations courts throughout the

State, establish standards and make recommendations on the

methods and procedures to the courts.

(3)  Collect, compile and publish statistical and other

data as may be needed to accomplish reasonable and efficient

administration of the domestic relations courts.

Section 40.  Effective date.

This act shall take effect immediately.