Comments Requested on Rule Proposals

The Judicial Council just published invitations to comment on some major appellate rules changes.

SPR26-01: Appellate Procedure: Required Use of Appendixes in Civil Appeals -- The Appellate Advisory Committee proposes amending five California Rules of Court to require parties represented by counsel to use appendixes in unlimited and limited civil appeals. This proposal is designed to expedite the record-preparation process in civil appeals. This proposal originated from a recommendation of the former Chief Justice’s Appellate Caseflow Workgroup.

SPR26-02:  Appellate Procedure: Record Designation Rules and Forms -- The Appellate Advisory Committee proposes revising forms APP-001-INFO, APP-003, APP-010, APP-101-INFO, APP-103, and APP-110—and approving forms APP-003A, APP-003B, APP-003C, and APP-003D—to simplify and improve the clarity of the recorddesignation process.

 SPR26-03: Appellate Procedure: Record in Felony Appeals -- The Appellate Advisory Committee proposes amending California Rules of Court, rule 8.320, to clarify what must be included in the record in criminal felony appeals.

SPR26-04: Appellate Procedure: Clarify Rule Requiring Notice of Failure to Procure the Record -- The Appellate Advisory Committee proposes amending California Rules of Court, rule 8.140 to add an advisory committee comment providing examples of acts requiring the superior court to notify a litigant they have failed to timely do an act required to procure the record on appeal in a civil case. This proposal was prompted by a suggestion from the chair of a county bar association’s appellate law section

SPR25-05: AppellateProcedure: Extension-of-Time Order in Limited Civil, Misdemeanor, andInfraction Appeals -- The Appellate Advisory Committee proposes approving a new optional form for issuing an order on an application for an extension of time to file a brief in limited civil, misdemeanor, and infraction appeals. This proposal originated from a suggestion by the Committee on Appellate Courts of the California Lawyers Association’s Litigation Section.

SPR26-06: CEQA Actions: Implementation of Senate Bill 676 -- The Appellate Advisory Committee and the Civil and Small Claims Advisory Committee recommend amending seven California Rules of Court governing the expedited resolution of actions and proceedings brought under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) to implement Senate Bill 676 (Stats. 2025, ch. 550), which provides streamlined CEQA review for certain projects to “maintain, repair, restore, demolish, or replace property or facilities damaged or destroyed by wildfire.”

SPR26-14: CivilPractice and Procedure: Statement of Decision Rules and Forms to ImplementAssembly Bill 515 -- The Civil and Small Claims Advisory Committee and the Family and Juvenile Law Advisory Committee propose amending two rules of court and approving four Judicial Council forms relating to statements of decision.