Florida Judicial Administration Rule 2.230
RULE 2.230. TRIAL COURT BUDGET COMMISSION
(a) Purpose. The purpose of this rule is to establish a Trial
Court Budget Commission that will have the responsibility for
developing and overseeing the administration of trial court budgets
in a manner which ensures equity and fairness in state funding
among the 20 judicial circuits.
(b) Responsibilities. The Trial Court Budget Commission is
charged with specific responsibility to:
(1) establish budgeting and funding policies and
procedures consistent with judicial branch plans and policies,
directions from the supreme court, and in consideration of input
from the Commission on Trial Court Performance and
Accountability and other supreme court committees and from the
Florida Conference of Circuit Court Judges and the Florida
Conference of County Court Judges;
(2) make recommendations to the supreme court on
the trial court component of the annual judicial branch budget
request;
(3) advocate for the trial court component of the annual
judicial branch budget request and associated statutory changes;
(4) make recommendations to the supreme court on
funding allocation formulas and budget implementation and criteria
as well as associated accountability mechanisms based on actual
legislative appropriations;
(5) monitor trial court expenditure trends and revenue
collections to identify unanticipated budget problems and to ensure
the efficient use of resources;
(6) recommend statutory and rule changes related to
trial court budgets;
(7) develop recommended responses to findings on
financial audits and reports from the Supreme Court Inspector
General, Auditor General, Office of Program Policy Analysis and
Government Accountability, and other governmental entities
charged with auditing responsibilities regarding trial court
budgeting when appropriate;
(8) recommend to the supreme court trial court budget
reductions required by the legislature;
(9) identify potential additional sources of revenue for
the trial courts;
(10) recommend to the supreme court legislative pay
plan issues for trial court personnel, except the commission shall
not make recommendations as to pay or benefits for judges; and
(11) request input from the Commission on Trial Court
Performance and Accountability on recommendations from that
commission that may impact the trial court budget or require
funding.
(c) Operational Procedures. The Trial Court Budget
Commission will establish operating procedures necessary to carry
out its responsibilities as outlined in subdivision (b), subject to final
approval by the supreme court. These procedures shall include:
(1) a method for ensuring input from interested
constituencies, including the chief judges and trial court
administrators of the trial courts, other members of the trial court
judiciary, the Judicial Management Council, the Commission on
Trial Court Performance and Accountability, and other judicial
branch committees and commissions; and
(2) a method for appeal of the decisions of the Trial
Court Budget Commission. Appeals may be made only by a chief
judge on behalf of a circuit. Appeals may be heard only by the Trial
Court Budget Commission unless the appeal is based on the failure
of the commission to adhere to its operating procedures, in which
case the appeal may be made to the supreme court.
(d) Action by Supreme Court or Chief Justice on
Recommendations of Trial Court Budget Commission. The
supreme court or chief justice, as appropriate, may take any or all
of the following actions on recommendations made by the Trial
Court Budget Commission:
(1) The adoption of the recommendations of the
commission made in accordance with the discharge of its
responsibilities listed in subdivision (b) in whole.
(2) The adoption of the recommendations in part and
referral of specific issues or questions back to the commission for
further study or alternative recommendations.
(e) Membership and Organization. The Trial Court Budget
Commission will be composed of 21 voting members appointed by
the chief justice who will be trial court judges and trial court
administrators and who will represent the interests of the trial
courts generally rather than the individual interests of a particular
circuit, level of court, or division. The respective presidents of the
Conference of Circuit Court Judges and the Conference of County
Court Judges and the chair of the Commission on Trial Court
Performance and Accountability shall serve as ex officio nonvoting
members of the commission. The chief justice will make
appointments to ensure that the broad interests of the trial courts
are represented by including members who are from different levels
of court (circuit or county), who have experience in different
divisions, who have expertise in court operations or administrative
matters, and who offer geographic, racial, ethnic, and gender
diversity.
(1) The membership must include a minimum of 12
trial court judges and a minimum of 5 trial court administrators.
(2) The chief justice will appoint 1 member to serve as
chair and 1 member to serve as vice chair, each for a 2-year term.
(3) A supreme court justice will be appointed by the
chief justice to serve as supreme court liaison.
(4) No circuit will have more than 2 members on the
commission.
(5) Voting members will each be appointed for a 6-year
term and may serve no more than two full terms. Notwithstanding
that limitation, the chief justice may appoint a member for
additional terms if the supreme court determines it is in the best
interests of the trial courts. In the event of a vacancy, the chief
justice will appoint a new member to serve for the remainder of the
departing member’s term, which service shall not count toward the
limitation on the number of terms.
(6) The commission may establish subcommittees as
necessary to satisfactorily carry out its responsibilities.
Subcommittees may make recommendations only to the
commission as a whole. The chair of the commission may appoint a
non-commission member to serve on a subcommittee.
(f) Staff Support and Funding. The Office of the State
Courts Administrator will provide primary staff support to the
commission. Adequate staffing and resources will be made available
to the Office of the State Courts Administrator to ensure the
commission is able to fulfill its responsibilities as outlined in the
rule. Sufficient resources will also be provided for the commission
and its subcommittees to meet and otherwise complete its work.
(a) Purpose. The purpose of this rule is to establish a Trial
Court Budget Commission that will have the responsibility for
developing and overseeing the administration of trial court budgets
in a manner which ensures equity and fairness in state funding
among the 20 judicial circuits.
(b) Responsibilities. The Trial Court Budget Commission is
charged with specific responsibility to:
(1) establish budgeting and funding policies and
procedures consistent with judicial branch plans and policies,
directions from the supreme court, and in consideration of input
from the Commission on Trial Court Performance and
Accountability and other supreme court committees and from the
Florida Conference of Circuit Court Judges and the Florida
Conference of County Court Judges;
(2) make recommendations to the supreme court on
the trial court component of the annual judicial branch budget
request;
(3) advocate for the trial court component of the annual
judicial branch budget request and associated statutory changes;
(4) make recommendations to the supreme court on
funding allocation formulas and budget implementation and criteria
as well as associated accountability mechanisms based on actual
legislative appropriations;
(5) monitor trial court expenditure trends and revenue
collections to identify unanticipated budget problems and to ensure
the efficient use of resources;
(6) recommend statutory and rule changes related to
trial court budgets;
(7) develop recommended responses to findings on
financial audits and reports from the Supreme Court Inspector
General, Auditor General, Office of Program Policy Analysis and
Government Accountability, and other governmental entities
charged with auditing responsibilities regarding trial court
budgeting when appropriate;
(8) recommend to the supreme court trial court budget
reductions required by the legislature;
(9) identify potential additional sources of revenue for
the trial courts;
(10) recommend to the supreme court legislative pay
plan issues for trial court personnel, except the commission shall
not make recommendations as to pay or benefits for judges; and
(11) request input from the Commission on Trial Court
Performance and Accountability on recommendations from that
commission that may impact the trial court budget or require
funding.
(c) Operational Procedures. The Trial Court Budget
Commission will establish operating procedures necessary to carry
out its responsibilities as outlined in subdivision (b), subject to final
approval by the supreme court. These procedures shall include:
(1) a method for ensuring input from interested
constituencies, including the chief judges and trial court
administrators of the trial courts, other members of the trial court
judiciary, the Judicial Management Council, the Commission on
Trial Court Performance and Accountability, and other judicial
branch committees and commissions; and
(2) a method for appeal of the decisions of the Trial
Court Budget Commission. Appeals may be made only by a chief
judge on behalf of a circuit. Appeals may be heard only by the Trial
Court Budget Commission unless the appeal is based on the failure
of the commission to adhere to its operating procedures, in which
case the appeal may be made to the supreme court.
(d) Action by Supreme Court or Chief Justice on
Recommendations of Trial Court Budget Commission. The
supreme court or chief justice, as appropriate, may take any or all
of the following actions on recommendations made by the Trial
Court Budget Commission:
(1) The adoption of the recommendations of the
commission made in accordance with the discharge of its
responsibilities listed in subdivision (b) in whole.
(2) The adoption of the recommendations in part and
referral of specific issues or questions back to the commission for
further study or alternative recommendations.
(e) Membership and Organization. The Trial Court Budget
Commission will be composed of 21 voting members appointed by
the chief justice who will be trial court judges and trial court
administrators and who will represent the interests of the trial
courts generally rather than the individual interests of a particular
circuit, level of court, or division. The respective presidents of the
Conference of Circuit Court Judges and the Conference of County
Court Judges and the chair of the Commission on Trial Court
Performance and Accountability shall serve as ex officio nonvoting
members of the commission. The chief justice will make
appointments to ensure that the broad interests of the trial courts
are represented by including members who are from different levels
of court (circuit or county), who have experience in different
divisions, who have expertise in court operations or administrative
matters, and who offer geographic, racial, ethnic, and gender
diversity.
(1) The membership must include a minimum of 12
trial court judges and a minimum of 5 trial court administrators.
(2) The chief justice will appoint 1 member to serve as
chair and 1 member to serve as vice chair, each for a 2-year term.
(3) A supreme court justice will be appointed by the
chief justice to serve as supreme court liaison.
(4) No circuit will have more than 2 members on the
commission.
(5) Voting members will each be appointed for a 6-year
term and may serve no more than two full terms. Notwithstanding
that limitation, the chief justice may appoint a member for
additional terms if the supreme court determines it is in the best
interests of the trial courts. In the event of a vacancy, the chief
justice will appoint a new member to serve for the remainder of the
departing member’s term, which service shall not count toward the
limitation on the number of terms.
(6) The commission may establish subcommittees as
necessary to satisfactorily carry out its responsibilities.
Subcommittees may make recommendations only to the
commission as a whole. The chair of the commission may appoint a
non-commission member to serve on a subcommittee.
(f) Staff Support and Funding. The Office of the State
Courts Administrator will provide primary staff support to the
commission. Adequate staffing and resources will be made available
to the Office of the State Courts Administrator to ensure the
commission is able to fulfill its responsibilities as outlined in the
rule. Sufficient resources will also be provided for the commission
and its subcommittees to meet and otherwise complete its work.