(1) An appropriation may be provided in the General Appropriations Act for the judicial branch to serve as a contingency fund to alleviate deficits in contracted due process services appropriation categories that may occur from time to time due to extraordinary events that lead to unexpected expenditures.
(2) In the event that a chief judge incurs such a deficit, the following steps shall be taken in order:

(a) The chief judge shall attempt to identify surplus funds from other appropriation categories within his or her circuit and submit a request to the Chief Justice for a budget amendment pursuant to chapter 216 to transfer funds from within the circuit budget.

Terms Used In Florida Statutes 29.016

  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
  • Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
  • Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
(b) In the event that the chief judge is unable to identify surplus funds from within his or her circuit, he or she shall certify this to the Office of the State Courts Administrator along with a complete explanation of the circumstances which led to the deficit and steps taken to reduce or alleviate the deficit. The Office of the State Courts Administrator shall inquire as to whether any other circuit has surplus funds in its contracted due process service appropriation categories which can be transferred to the circuit that is experiencing the deficit. If other circuits indicate that surplus funds are available, the Office of the State Courts Administrator shall notify the Trial Court Budget Commission established within the judicial branch by Rule of Judicial Administration. The Trial Court Budget Commission shall make recommendations to the Chief Justice to alleviate the deficit. The Chief Justice may authorize a transfer of funds among circuits to alleviate the deficit.
(3) If no other circuits indicate that surplus funds are available to alleviate the deficit, the Trial Court Budget Commission may request the Chief Justice to request a budget amendment to transfer funds from the contingency fund. Such transfers shall be requested subject to the notice and review requirements set forth in s. 216.177. The Office of the State Courts Administrator shall include in the budget amendment documentation provided by the chief judge explaining the circumstances that led to the deficit and the steps taken to identify surplus funds to alleviate the deficit.
(4) Notwithstanding any provisions in chapter 216 to the contrary, no circuit shall transfer funds from a contracted due process services appropriation category or from a contingency fund category authorized in this section except as specifically authorized in this section.
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