Senate committee substitute makes the following changes to the 1st edition.

Amends proposed Section 23 of Article IV as follows. Requires that nominations for appointees to fill vacancies in the office of Justice or Judge of the General Court of Justice be received from the people of the state by a nonpartisan commission established under this section (previously specified that the Nonpartisan Judicial Merit Commission was to receive nominations). Specifies that the General Assembly is to recommend to the Governor, for each vacancy, at least two of the nominees deemed qualified by the nonpartisan commission. Provides that the Governor is to appoint the nominee that the Governor deems best qualified to serve (previously did not specify who was to decide which nominee was best qualified) from the nominees recommended by the General Assembly. Requires, instead of allows, the General Assembly to provide for the establishment of local merit commissions for nominating judges to the Superior and District courts. Adds that appointments to local merit commissions must be allocated between the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Governor, and the General Assembly, with none of the three allocated a majority of the appointments to a local commission. Makes clarifying changes.

Makes additional technical and clarifying changes to the proposed changes to Section 19 of Article IV and to the ballot language.

Amends the act's long title.