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SB 1512 - Clerks of Court
by Appropriations Committee
This summary is provided for information only and does not represent the opinion of any Senator, Senate Officer, or Senate Office.
Prepared by: Appropriations Committee (AP)
The bill:
Removes the budgets for the Clerks of Courts from the traditional state budget process and restores the budgetary processes used for the clerks’ budgets that were used prior to 2009.
- Directs additional filing fee revenues to the clerks to sufficiently fund their operations and make their budgets financially stable.
- Sets up a process requiring the clerks to submit their annual budgets to the Legislative Budget Commission. The LBC has the authority to review, approve, disapprove, or amend the clerks’ budgets. The clerks must submit balanced budgets – anticipated expenditures cannot exceed anticipated revenues, as projected by EDR in its official estimate.
- Re-establishes a process to ensure that clerks with revenue deficits can obtain excess revenues available in the clerks’ trust fund.
During the conference process, the conference committee added language to the bill to ensure greater transparency and accountability in the budgeting process for the clerks, including the reporting of any proposed increases in pay and benefits, such as raises or bonuses. Consequently, the proposed budget process for the clerks should result in adequate accountability for their use of state revenues.
If approved by the Governor, these provisions take effect July 1, 2013.
Vote: Senate 40-0; House 115-0