(a)
The presiding judge of each superior court with an exemplary delay reduction program shall assign a pro rata share of new cases, and an appropriate number of existing cases, to the program, and these cases shall thereafter be handled by the judges of the program for all purposes.
(b)
Juvenile, probate, and domestic relations cases shall not be assigned to an exemplary delay reduction program, and cases which have been assigned to a judge or judges for all purposes based on subject matter need not be assigned to the program.
(c)
No case shall be removed from an exemplary delay reduction program because of a challenge filed under Section 170.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
(d)
In order to enforce the requirements of an exemplary delay reduction program and orders issued in cases assigned to it, the judges of the program shall have all the powers to impose sanctions authorized by law, including the power to dismiss actions or strike pleadings, if it appears that less severe sanctions would not be effective after taking into account the effect of previous sanctions or previous lack of compliance in the case. Judges are encouraged to impose sanctions to achieve the purposes of this article.
(e)
This section shall cease to be operative on July 1, 1992.