JUDICIAL TECHNOLOGY FUND

Senate Bill 1368 as passed by the Senate

Sponsor:  Sen. Michael Prusi

Senate Committee:  Appropriations

House Committee:  Appropriations

First Analysis November 10, 2004

SUMMARY:  

Under the Revised Judicature Act, the unencumbered balance of the Judicial Technology Improvement Fund (JTIF) remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year remains in the fund and does not revert to the General Fund.  The bill would amend the act to specify that $1.5 million of the available balance in the JTIF at the end of FY 2004-05 be transferred to the General Fund. 

FISCAL IMPACT:

The bill would implement a portion of the FY 2004-05 target agreement, which assumes that $1.5 million from the JTIF will be available to balance the state's budget for the fiscal year.  A necessary complementary piece of legislation has already been enacted:  2004 PA 309 (enrolled Senate Bill 267) repealed previously-existing FY 2003-04 boilerplate language that appropriated $6.0 million of the child support penalty refund to the JTIF, and replaced it with analogous boilerplate that instead put that appropriation at $4.5 million, thereby freeing $1.5 million for transfer to the General Fund. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

THE JUDICIAL TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENT FUND

The Judicial Technology Improvement Fund (JTIF) supports development of an integrated statewide judicial information system and development and implementation of judicial technology innovations.  Revenues for the JTIF are derived from civil filing fees and disbursed through the civil filing fee fund. 

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Marilyn Peterson

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.