SB 846

ON APRIL 22, 2026, THE HOUSE ADOPTED AMENDMENT #1 AND PASSED HOUSE BILL 1268, AS AMENDED. AMENDMENT #1 rewrites the bill to, instead, enact the "Violent Criminal Court Act, which, beginning September 1, 2026, creates with in the 30 th judicial district two additional criminal courts to be designated as violent criminal courts. This amendment requires t he governor to appoint a person to serve as judge of each of the violent criminal courts, and each person must serve in that capacity until September 1, 2028, or until the person's successor is elected and qualified. At the August 2028 general election, the qualified voters of the 30 th judicial district must elect one person to serve as judge of each such violent criminal court . The person so elected at the August 2028 general election will hold office until September 1, 2030, or until the person's successor is elected and qualified. Then the judges of the violent criminal courts will be elected for a full eight-year term This amendment requires the presiding judge to address caseload backlogs in the criminal courts by transferring cases involving any of the following c riminal offenses to the violent criminal courts for disposition : Sexual Offenses  Rape  Aggravated sexual battery  Sexual battery  Aggravated statutory rape, when the victim is between 13 and 18 and the defendant is at least 10 years older  Statutory rape by an authority figure  Indecent exposure, when the offense is a felony  Public indecency where the offense involves masturbation or use of an inanimate object on school or childcare property  Incest  Female genital mutilation  Conspiracy, solicitation, or criminal attempt of any of the above Violence Against Minors  Continuous sexual abuse of a child  Sexual exploitation of a minor  Aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor  Especially aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor  Solicitation of a minor when the offense is a felony offense  Soliciting sexual exploitation of a minor  Using a minor to produce, import, prepare, distribute, process, or appear in obscene material with knowledge (or reasonable knowledge) of minority status  Unlawful photographing in violation of privacy when the victim is under 13  Observation without consent if the victim is under 13  Child abuse or child neglect or endangerment  Aggravated child abuse or aggravated child endangerment or neglect  Unlawful sale, distribution, or transportation with intent to sell or distribute a child ‑ like sex dol l  Conspiracy, solicitation, or criminal attempt of either of the above Prostitution and Commercial Sexual Activity  Trafficking for a commercial sex act  Advertising commercial sexual abuse of a minor  Patronizing prostitution from a person under 18, with an intellectual disability, or from a law enforcement officer posing as a minor  Promoting prostitution  Promot i ng travel for prostitutio n  Conspiracy, solicitation, or criminal attempt of any of the above Homicide Offenses  Attempted first degree murder  Second degree murder  Voluntary manslaughter  Reckle s s homicide  Criminally negligent homicide  Vehicular homicide  Aggravated vehicular homicide Kidnapping Offenses  Aggravated kidnapping  Especially aggravated kidnapping Robbery and Burglary Offenses  Aggravated robbery  Especially aggravated robbery  Aggravated burglary  Especially aggravated burglary  Carjacking Assault Offenses  Domestic assault, when the offense is a felony, and conspiracy, solicitation, or criminal attempt of domestic assault when the offense is a felony  Aggravated assault involving the use of a deadly weapon or strangulation, or if the offense resulted in serious bodily injury to or death  Aggravated assault against a law enforcement officer, first responder, or nurse if the offense involved the use of a deadly weapon, strangulation, or if the offense resulted in serious bodily injury or death . Other Violent or Harmful Offenses  Involuntary labor servitude  Trafficking persons for forced labor or services  Aggravated arson  Possessing or using a firearm or antique firearm during commission of or attempt to commit a dangerous felony  The manufacture, delivery, or sale of a controlled substance where the instant offense is classified as a Class A, B, or C felony and the person has two or more prior such convictions"