HB2345 - 452R - House Bill Summary

House of Representatives

HB 2345

court fees and costs

Sponsors: Representative Voss

dpa	Committee on Judiciary
DPA	Committee on Appropriations
dpa	Caucus and COW
x	Third Read	This bill as introduced contains a *PROP 108 clause.*
	As Passed the House

HB 2345 establishes new court fees to be imposed on criminal, civil and traffic violations.

Current Status

As amended in the Judiciary Committee, HB 2345 authorizes a court to reduce the new ten-dollar fee proportionately to a waiver of the underlying fine.

HB 2345 was amended in the Appropriations Committee to increase probation fees and supervision costs for juveniles by $10, to increase integrated justice surcharge to $17, to allow the courts to waive all or part of an integrated justice surcharge and to repeal the Time Payment Fee on January 1, 2003.

HB 2345 was amended in Committee of the Whole with an amendment that increases adult probation fees and supervision costs for juveniles by $10, to increase the integrated justice surcharge to $17, to allow the courts to waive all or part of an integrated justice surcharge and to eliminate court filing fees for adoption and contested adoption proceedings.

History

In October 2001, the Judicial Department volunteered a budget reduction plan in line with the Governor’s call for four percent. The plan offered up $5.2 million to meet the state revenue shortfall, almost half of which (nearly $2 million) was money the courts have held in escrow for automation and justice integration projects. The budget plan enacted by the legislature ultimately pared 4.5 percent from the Judicial Department budget.

Provisions

· Eliminates all filing fees for adoption and contested adoption.

· Increases fees for adult probation and juvenile supervision by $10.

§ Establishes a $17 surcharge on criminal offenses, civil traffic violations, motor vehicle offenses and violations of Arizona’s Game and Fish laws.

· Exempts parking violations from the integrated justice surcharge.

· Provides for 20 percent of the surcharge to be kept by the court imposing the surcharge and the remaining 80 percent to go to the Judicial Collection Enhancement Fund.

· Authorizes a court to waive all or part of the integrated justice surcharge.

§ Removes specific fees that are no longer in use by the court.

HB 2345 was amended in the Judiciary Committee as follows:

§ Authorizes the court to reduce the new ten-dollar fee proportionately to a waiver of the underlying fine.

HB 2345 was amended in the Appropriations Committee as follows:

· Increased probation fees for adults and supervision costs for juveniles by $10.

· Increased the integrated justice surcharge to $17.

· States that the integrated justice surcharge does not apply to parking violations.

· Allows the court to waive all or part of an integrated justice surcharge.

· Sunsets the Time Payment Fee on January 1, 2003, rather than January 1, 2004. This will allow the bill to avoid a Prop 108 clause.

HB 2345 was amended in Committee of the Whole as follows: