House Study Bill 772 SENATE/HOUSE FILE BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS BILL BY JOINT APPROPRIATIONS SUBCOMMITTEE ON JUSTICE SYSTEM) Passed Senate, Date Passed House, Date Vote: Ayes Nays Vote: Ayes Nays Approved A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to and making appropriations to the judicial 2 branch. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5006JB 82 5 jm/mg/8 PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. JUDICIAL BRANCH. 1 2 1. There is appropriated from the general fund of the 1 3 state to the judicial branch for the fiscal year beginning 1 4 July 1, 2008, and ending June 30, 2009, the following amount, 1 5 or so much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the 1 6 purposes designated: 1 7 For salaries of supreme court justices, appellate court 1 8 judges, district court judges, district associate judges, 1 9 judicial magistrates and staff, state court administrator, 1 10 clerk of the supreme court, district court administrators, 1 11 clerks of the district court, juvenile court officers, board 1 12 of law examiners and board of examiners of shorthand reporters 1 13 and judicial qualifications commission; receipt and 1 14 disbursement of child support payments; reimbursement of the 1 15 auditor of state for expenses incurred in completing audits of 1 16 the offices of the clerks of the district court during the 1 17 fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008; and maintenance, 1 18 equipment, and miscellaneous purposes: 1 19 .................................................. $144,745,322 1 20 2. The judicial branch, except for purposes of internal 1 21 processing, shall use the current state budget system, the 1 22 state payroll system, and the Iowa finance and accounting 1 23 system in administration of programs and payments for 1 24 services, and shall not duplicate the state payroll, 1 25 accounting, and budgeting systems. 1 26 3. The judicial branch shall submit monthly financial 1 27 statements to the legislative services agency and the 1 28 department of management containing all appropriated accounts 1 29 in the same manner as provided in the monthly financial status 1 30 reports and personal services usage reports of the department 1 31 of administrative services. The monthly financial statements 1 32 shall include a comparison of the dollars and percentage spent 1 33 of budgeted versus actual revenues and expenditures on a 1 34 cumulative basis for full=time equivalent positions and 1 35 dollars. 2 1 4. The judicial branch shall focus efforts upon the 2 2 collection of delinquent fines, penalties, court costs, fees, 2 3 surcharges, or similar amounts. 2 4 5. It is the intent of the general assembly that the 2 5 offices of the clerks of the district court operate in all 99 2 6 counties and be accessible to the public as much as is 2 7 reasonably possible in order to address the relative needs of 2 8 the citizens of each county. 2 9 6. The judicial branch shall continue studying the best 2 10 practices and efficiencies of each judicial district. In 2 11 identifying the most efficient judicial districts and the 2 12 districts using best practices, the judicial branch shall 2 13 consider the average cost to the judicial branch for 2 14 processing each classification of criminal offense or civil 2 15 action and the overall number of cases filed. In addition, 2 16 and as part of the best practices and efficiencies study, the 2 17 judicial branch shall study the number of judicial officers 2 18 needed throughout the state to manage current caseloads and 2 19 anticipated caseloads in the future, and shall make 2 20 recommendations, if any, as to changes in judgeship and 2 21 magistrate apportionment formulas in sections 602.6201, 2 22 602.6301, and 602.6401. The judicial branch shall file a 2 23 report regarding the study made, recommendations presented, 2 24 and actions taken pursuant to this subsection with the 2 25 co=chairpersons and ranking members of the joint 2 26 appropriations subcommittee on the justice system and to the 2 27 legislative services agency by January 1, 2009. 2 28 7. In addition to the requirements for transfers under 2 29 section 8.39, the judicial branch shall not change the 2 30 appropriations from the amounts appropriated to the judicial 2 31 branch in this Act, unless notice of the revisions is given 2 32 prior to their effective date to the legislative services 2 33 agency. The notice shall include information on the branch's 2 34 rationale for making the changes and details concerning the 2 35 workload and performance measures upon which the changes are 3 1 based. 3 2 8. The judicial branch shall submit a semiannual update to 3 3 the legislative services agency specifying the amounts of 3 4 fines, surcharges, and court costs collected using the Iowa 3 5 court information system since the last report. The judicial 3 6 branch shall continue to facilitate the sharing of vital 3 7 sentencing and other information with other state departments 3 8 and governmental agencies involved in the criminal justice 3 9 system through the Iowa court information system. 3 10 9. The judicial branch shall provide a report to the 3 11 general assembly by January 1, 2009, concerning the amounts 3 12 received and expended from the enhanced court collections fund 3 13 created in section 602.1304 and the court technology and 3 14 modernization fund created in section 602.8108, subsection 7, 3 15 during the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, and ending June 3 16 30, 2008, and the plans for expenditures from each fund during 3 17 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008, and ending June 30, 3 18 2009. A copy of the report shall be provided to the 3 19 legislative services agency. 3 20 10. The judicial branch is encouraged to purchase products 3 21 from Iowa state industries, as defined in section 904.802, 3 22 when purchases are required and the products are available 3 23 from Iowa state industries. The judicial branch shall obtain 3 24 bids from Iowa state industries for purchases of office 3 25 furniture during the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008, 3 26 exceeding $5,000. 3 27 Sec. 2. JUDICIAL RETIREMENT FUND. 3 28 1. There is appropriated from the general fund of the 3 29 state to the judicial retirement fund for the fiscal year 3 30 beginning July 1, 2008, and ending June 30, 2009, the 3 31 following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, to be 3 32 used for the purpose designated: 3 33 Notwithstanding section 602.9104, for the state's 3 34 contribution to the judicial retirement fund in the amount of 3 35 30.6 percent of the basic salaries of the judges covered under 4 1 chapter 602, article 9: 4 2 .................................................. $ 3,450,963 4 3 2. There is appropriated from the revolving fund created 4 4 in section 602.1302 to the judicial retirement fund for the 4 5 fiscal year beginning July 1, 2008, and ending June 30, 2009, 4 6 the following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, to 4 7 be used for the purposes designated: 4 8 As part of the state's contribution to the judicial 4 9 retirement fund in accordance with the conditions specified in 4 10 subsection 1: 4 11 .................................................. $ 1,174,663 4 12 3. There is appropriated from the court 4 13 technology and modernization fund established in 4 14 section 602.8108, subsection 7, for the fiscal year 4 15 beginning July 1, 2008, and ending June 30, 2009, the 4 16 following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, 4 17 to be used for the purposes designated: 4 18 As part of the state's contribution to the judicial 4 19 retirement fund in accordance with the conditions 4 20 specified in subsection 1: 4 21 .................................................. $ 3,000,000 4 22 Sec. 3. POSTING OF REPORTS IN ELECTRONIC FORMAT == 4 23 LEGISLATIVE SERVICES AGENCY. All reports or copies of reports 4 24 required to be provided by the judicial branch for fiscal year 4 25 2008=2009 to the legislative services agency shall be provided 4 26 in an electronic format. The legislative services agency 4 27 shall post the reports on its internet website and shall 4 28 notify by electronic means all the members of the joint 4 29 appropriations subcommittee on the justice system when a 4 30 report is posted. Upon request, copies of the reports may be 4 31 mailed to members of the joint appropriations subcommittee on 4 32 the justice system. 4 33 EXPLANATION 4 34 This bill makes appropriations for FY 2008=2009 to the 4 35 judicial branch. 5 1 The bill makes appropriations from the general fund of the 5 2 state, the jury and witness fees revolving fund, and the court 5 3 technology and modernization fund to the judicial retirement 5 4 fund. 5 5 Under the bill, the state's contribution to the judicial 5 6 retirement fund is set at 30.6 percent of the basic salaries 5 7 of judges. 5 8 The bill encourages the judicial branch to purchase 5 9 products produced by Iowa state industries. 5 10 LSB 5006JB 82 5 11 jm/mg/8