AI-generated summary, reviewed by Better Utah staff.

Contingent on Utah voters approving a related constitutional amendment, this bill significantly reshapes how the governor fills vacancies on Utah's courts. Under current law, the governor must choose from a list provided by a judicial nominating commission and must make that appointment within 30 days — and if the governor misses that deadline, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court steps in to fill the seat. This bill makes the nominating commission's list optional rather than required, removes the 30-day deadline for the governor to act, eliminates the Chief Justice's backup appointment authority, and allows the governor to appoint any qualified person regardless of whether that person was recommended by the commission. The practical effect is a major expansion of gubernatorial power over who becomes a judge in Utah, removing the independent screening process that has historically served as a check on purely political appointments to the bench.