1. (a) The Indiana judicial center may establish a circuit and superior court motion clerk pilot program. If the Indiana judicial center establishes a circuit and superior court motion clerk pilot program, the program must comply with the requirements of this section.
2. (b) The Indiana judicial center shall administer the pilot program.
3. (c) The pilot program must make motion clerks available to circuit and superior court judges to assist with the preparation of orders granting or denying complex motions.

4. (d) The pilot program must be made available to at least:

   1. (1) one (1) county with a population of less than fifty thousand (50,000);
   2. (2) one (1) county with a population of at least fifty thousand (50,000) but less than two hundred thousand (200,000); and
   3. (3) one (1) county with a population of at least two hundred thousand (200,000).
5. (e) A party to an action filed in a county in which the pilot program is available may petition a court, when filing a complex motion, to have a motion clerk from the pilot program assist the court in preparing a judicial opinion that explains the reasons for granting or denying the complex motion.
6. (f) A judge of a court located in a county in which the pilot program is available may request research and drafting assistance from the pilot program to aid in the preparation of a judicial opinion that explains the reasons for granting or denying a complex motion.
7. (g) If the pilot program assists in resolving a complex motion, the opinion described in subsection (f) must contain analysis and legal citations.
8. (h) The Indiana judicial center may determine if pilot program assistance is available in a proceeding.

As added by P.L.62-2016, SEC.3.