2025 bills / S.B. 117
S.B. 117 Uniform Family Law Arbitration Act (2025)
- Introduced
- Senate committee
- Senate vote
- House committee
- House vote
- Signed into law
What this bill does
AI summary from the official description
This bill adopts a uniform state law setting rules for arbitrating family law disputes, such as divorce, custody, and support matters, when the parties agree to arbitration. It covers how arbitration agreements must be made, how arbitrators are chosen and must disclose conflicts, how awards are confirmed, corrected, vacated, and entered as court judgments, and when appeals may be taken.
About this summary
Quotes come from the official recordings' automatic captions, and plain-English summaries are written by AI from the official record. A person reviews them, but always check the recording before quoting anyone; every quote links to its moment in the video.
Check the official text below.
Official description
- defines terms
- provides the scope of the Uniform Family Law Arbitration Act (act)
- addresses the law that is applicable to arbitration in a family law dispute
- provides the requirements for an arbitration agreement for a family law dispute
- allows a party to initiate arbitration by giving notice to the other party in accordance with the arbitration agreement or the laws governing contractual arbitration
- provides the framework for motions for judicial relief involving a family law arbitration
- provides the qualification and selection requirements for an arbitrator
- requires certain disclosures by an arbitrator, the parties, and the attorneys representing the parties
- addresses the disqualification of an arbitrator
- addresses the participation of, and a communication by, an attorney or other individual in family law arbitration
- allows a court or arbitrator to make a temporary order when there is an arbitration of a family law dispute
- addresses protection orders in family law arbitration
- provides the powers and duties of an arbitrator
- addresses the recording of an arbitration hearing
- provides the requirements for an award by an arbitrator in a family law arbitration
- addresses the confirmation or correction of an award in a family law arbitration
- addresses the vacation or amendment of an award in a family law arbitration by a court
- addresses the requirements for a party seeking to clarify a confirmed award
- requires a court to enter a judgment for a family law arbitration award
- allows a court to seal or redact a document that was part of the family law arbitration
- addresses the modification and enforcement of a confirmed award or judgment from a family law arbitration
- addresses when an appeal from a family law arbitration may be taken
- addresses immunity of an arbitrator in a family law arbitration
- addresses the uniformity of application and construction of the act
- addresses the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act
- provides a transitional provision
Your legislators on this bill
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What members get
- An alert the day S.B. 117 is put on a committee agenda, with time and room, so you can be there to speak
- When S.B. 117 is rewritten, exactly which words changed
- Its hearings in your own calendar
- Your own scorecard: pick the side you favor and see how every legislator voted
Every vote
- 5 yes, 0 no, 1 absentSenate Economic Development and Workforce Services Committee: vote to approve it · Jan 24, 2025Who voted how
- 26 yes, 0 no, 3 absentFirst of two Senate votes · Feb 4, 2025Who voted how
- 28 yes, 0 no, 1 absentFinal Senate vote · Feb 5, 2025Who voted how
- 9 yes, 0 no, 2 absentHouse Judiciary Committee: vote to approve it · Feb 18, 2025Who voted how
- 9 yes, 0 no, 2 absentHouse Judiciary Committee: Consent Calendar Recommendation · Feb 18, 2025Who voted how
- 67 yes, 0 no, 8 absentFinal House vote · Feb 21, 2025Who voted how