It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 8-17-1 of the General Laws in Chapter 8-17 entitled "Retired Justice Trial Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:

{ADD 8-17-1. Retired justice program. -- ADD} There is hereby authorized and established a program of litigating civil trials, {ADD including domestic relations matters, ADD} {DEL where the jurisdictional amount exceeds five thousand dollars ($5,000.), DEL} whereby the litigants, by agreement, may retain the services of any retired justice of the supreme court or superior court {ADD or retired judge of the family court or district court ADD} to hear the merits of the issues before the court, all without a jury. Such trials shall be conducted in private, the cost of the proceedings shall be borne by the parties, and any judgments issued thereunder shall have the same effect as judgments of {DEL the superior court DEL} {ADD a court of competent jurisdiction ADD} and may be appealed to the supreme court.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.