Effective June 29, 2026, Senate Bill 174 (Stats. 2026, ch. 29) makes several amendments to Code of Civil Procedure section 367.75, which governs remote appearances in civil proceedings. Those amendments include extending the statute’s sunset date and requiring courts that order an in-person appearance to provide a reason for doing so. To implement SB 174, the Civil and Small Claims Advisory Committee proposes amending six rules and revising one form.

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Assembly Bill 515 (Stats. 2025, ch. 559) amends the statute governing statements of decision. In a separate proposal, the Civil and Small Claims Advisory Committee and the Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee are recommending amendments to California Rules of Court, rule 3.1590 to implement AB 515, including deletion of the requirement to announce a tentative decision. The committee proposes amending rule 2.900 to implement AB 515 and conform with the recommended amendments to rule 3.1590 by replacing references to tentative decisions with references to statements of decision.

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Because the law governing conservatorships has changed substantially since the publication of the Handbook for Conservators: 2016 Revised Edition, the Probate and Mental Health Advisory Committee proposes updating the handbook, posting the updated edition on the California courts website, and authorizing production and distribution of the updated edition in print form by courts and such other entities as the Administrative Director may authorize. The proposed updates would also reorganize the handbook, reformat it to make it easier to use online, simplify the language, and reduce unnecessary repetition.

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