Section 68526.

(a) The Judicial Council shall conduct an analysis of the cost incurred by trial courts related to the default prove up process and report on the different methods trial courts use in processing filings related to the default prove up process, as well as the revenue generated by these filings. The Judicial Council shall also compare the processes used by trial courts in filings related to the default prove up process to best practices used in other states, including, but not limited to, the use of electronic filing.

(b) The Legislative Analyst's Office shall review the Judicial Council report, consult with stakeholders, consider the best practices of other states, and make any recommendations to increase efficiency, streamline the processes and turnaround times for filing documents related to the default prove up process, and assess whether any changes should be made to the fee structure for filings related to the process. In conducting its analysis, the Legislative Analyst's Office shall consider, among other factors it deems relevant, whether electronic filing could be implemented as a tool to improve the efficiency and turnaround times of the default prove up process.

(c) The Judicial Council shall provide its report to the Assembly Committee on Budget, the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, and the Legislative Analyst's Office by September 30, 2013. The Legislative Analyst's Office shall provide the Assembly Committee on Budget and the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review its recommendations no later than June 30, 2014.

(d) For the purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) "Collections case" means an action for recovery of money owed in a sum stated to be certain that is not more than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), exclusive of interest and attorney's fees, arising from a transaction in which property, services, or money were acquired on credit. "Collections case" does not include an action seeking tort damages, punitive damages, recovery of real property or personal property, a prejudgment writ of attachment, or any action filed pursuant to the Family Code.

(2) "Default prove up process" means a request for entry of default filed pursuant to Section 585 of the Code of Civil Procedure in a collections case.

(e) This section shall become inoperative on July 1, 2015, and, as of January 1, 2016, is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, that becomes operative on or before January 1, 2016, deletes or extends the dates on which it becomes inoperative and is repealed.

(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 193, Sec. 1. Effective August 30, 2011. Inoperative July 1, 2015. Repealed as of January 1, 2016, by its own provisions.)