HF 655 (LSB 2384YH (2) 91)

HOUSE FILE 655

BY  BODEN

A BILL FOR

An Act establishing an electronic payment system for court payments by county attorneys, making appropriations, and including effective date provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  602.1615  Electronic payment system.
   1.  The judicial branch shall establish an electronic payment system for the transfer of payments between the electronic document management system of the judicial branch and the case management systems used by county attorneys. The judicial branch shall use moneys appropriated annually by the general assembly for the operation of the judicial branch to implement this section.
   2.  The judicial branch shall have a fully functional electronic payment system within nine months of the effective date of this Act. The judicial branch shall provide to county attorneys any information necessary for the county attorneys to update their case management systems to connect to the electronic payment system.
   3.  The judicial branch shall submit a progress report to the general assembly on the implementation of the electronic payment system within six months of the completion of the system.
   4.  This section is repealed July 1, 2028.
    Sec. 2.  APPROPRIATION —— COUNTY ATTORNEY REIMBURSEMENT.  There is appropriated from the general fund of the state to the judicial branch for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026, the following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, to be used for the purposes designated:
   For reimbursement to county attorneys for costs incurred by a county attorney associated with conforming the county attorney’s case management system to the electronic payment system:
   ...................................................................... $     50,000

   Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated in this section that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the close of the fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain available for expenditure for the purposes designated until the close of the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2028.
    Sec. 3.  EFFECTIVE DATE.  This Act, being deemed of immediate importance, takes effect upon enactment.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill requires the judicial branch to create an electronic payment system for the transfer of payments between the electronic document management system of the judicial branch and the electronic case management systems used by county attorneys. The judicial branch is required to create the system within nine months of the effective date of the bill. The bill directs the judicial branch to submit a progress report to the general assembly within six months of completing the system.
   The bill appropriates moneys from the general fund to the judicial branch for FY 2025-2026 for reimbursement to county attorneys for costs incurred for updating a case management system to be compatible with the electronic payment system.
   The bill takes effect upon enactment.