HB 7051 Summary

• Removes Legislative Budget Commission duties to approve clerk of court budgets and transfers budget approval authority to the Florida Clerks of Court Operations Corporation, which must ensure total combined clerk budgets do not exceed revenues estimated by the Revenue Estimating Conference

• Transfers responsibility for paying jurors from county clerks to the state, with the Justice Administrative Commission apportioning state funds to counties for jury-related expenses including juror compensation and meals/lodging

• Requires the Criminal Justice Estimating Conference to evaluate the fiscal impact of court rule or administrative order changes that increase clerk expenditures, projecting costs for 3 years and establishing procedures for state courts to transfer funds to the Clerks of the Court Trust Fund

• Modifies court-related functions that clerks may fund from filing fees and court costs, removing "payment of jurors and witnesses" and "payment of expenses for meals or lodging provided to jurors" from the allowable functions list

• Requires clerks to submit quarterly estimates of jury-related costs to the Justice Administrative Commission and authorizes clerks to request additional funds if apportioned amounts prove insufficient