CS for CS for SB 1400 - State Judicial System Summary

• Renames the "Operating Trust Fund" to "Administrative Trust Fund" within the state courts system and redirects $50 from Supreme Court and District Court of Appeals filing fees from court improvement projects to the State Courts Revenue Trust Fund

• Eliminates requirement for chief judges to recommend due process service provider compensation rates; establishes Justice Administrative Commission approval of standardized billing forms and procedures for due process services

• Creates new requirements for private court-appointed counsel to maintain detailed hourly records subject to Justice Administrative Commission review, with penalties (15-75% reduction) for late billing submissions and waiver of compensation above flat fees for non-compliance

• Modifies indigency determinations to include presumption that applicants earning over $5,000 (noncapital) or $25,000 (capital) in private legal fees are not indigent for costs, and requires state repayment liens for defendants found guilty after receiving state-funded due process services

• Increases filing fees deposited to General Revenue Fund, establishes electronic fund transfer requirement for state compensation recipients, and requires court authorization for out-of-state expert witnesses; also reclassifies several motor vehicle and traffic violations from misdemeanors to noncriminal infractions