exempt

        (REPRINTED WITH ADOPTED AMENDMENTS)

               SECOND REPRINT     S.B. 139

 

Senate Bill No. 139–Committee on Finance

 

(On Behalf of Administrative Office of The Courts)

 

February 15, 2001

____________

 

Referred to Committee on Finance

 

SUMMARY—Makes various changes to financial administration of courts. (BDR 14‑515)

 

FISCAL NOTE:                     Effect on Local Government: No.

                             Effect on the State: No.

 

~

 

EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

Green numbers along left margin indicate location on the printed bill (e.g., 5-15 indicates page 5, line 15).

 

AN ACT relating to the administration of the courts; revising the manner in which administrative assessments are distributed to the office of the court administrator; requiring the reduction of appropriations made to the supreme court from the state general fund upon the receipt of certain money from those assessments; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

1-1    Section 1. NRS 176.059 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2    176.059  1.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, when a

1-3  defendant pleads guilty or guilty but mentally ill or is found guilty of a

1-4  misdemeanor, including the violation of any municipal ordinance, the

1-5  justice or judge shall include in the sentence the sum prescribed by the

1-6  following schedule as an administrative assessment and render a judgment

1-7  against the defendant for the assessment:

1-8       Fine  Assessment

1-9  $5 to $49... $15

1-10  50 to 59...... 30

1-11  60 to 69...... 35

1-12  70 to 79...... 40

1-13  80 to 89...... 45

1-14  90 to 99...... 50

1-15  100 to 199.... 60

1-16  200 to 299.... 70

1-17  300 to 399.... 80

1-18  400 to 499.... 90

1-19  500 to 1,000105


2-1    2.  The provisions of subsection 1 do not apply to:

2-2    (a) An ordinance regulating metered parking; or

2-3    (b) An ordinance which is specifically designated as imposing a civil

2-4  penalty or liability pursuant to NRS 244.3575 or 268.019.

2-5    3.  The money collected for an administrative assessment must not be

2-6  deducted from the fine imposed by the justice or judge but must be taxed

2-7  against the defendant in addition to the fine. The money collected for an

2-8  administrative assessment must be stated separately on the court’s docket

2-9  and must be included in the amount posted for bail. If the defendant is

2-10  found not guilty or the charges are dismissed, the money deposited with the

2-11  court must be returned to the defendant. If the justice or judge cancels a

2-12  fine because the fine has been determined to be uncollectible, any balance

2-13  of the fine and the administrative assessment remaining unpaid shall be

2-14  deemed to be uncollectible and the defendant is not required to pay it. If a

2-15  fine is determined to be uncollectible, the defendant is not entitled to a

2-16  refund of the fine or administrative assessment he has paid and the justice

2-17  or judge shall not recalculate the administrative assessment.

2-18    4.  If the justice or judge permits the fine and administrative assessment

2-19  to be paid in installments, the payments must be first applied to the unpaid

2-20  balance of the administrative assessment. The city treasurer shall distribute

2-21  partially collected administrative assessments in accordance with the

2-22  requirements of subsection 5. The county treasurer shall distribute partially

2-23  collected administrative assessments in accordance with the requirements

2-24  of subsection 6.

2-25    5.  The money collected for administrative assessments in municipal

2-26  court must be paid by the clerk of the court to the city treasurer on or

2-27  before the fifth day of each month for the preceding month. The city

2-28  treasurer shall distribute, on or before the 15th day of that month, the

2-29  money received in the following amounts for each assessment received:

2-30    (a) Two dollars to the county treasurer for credit to a special account in

2-31  the county general fund for the use of the county’s juvenile court or for

2-32  services to juvenile offenders. Any money remaining in the special account

2-33  after 2 fiscal years must be deposited in the county general fund if it has

2-34  not been committed for expenditure. The county treasurer shall provide,

2-35  upon request by a juvenile court, monthly reports of the revenue credited to

2-36  and expenditures made from the special account.

2-37    (b) Seven dollars for credit to a special revenue fund for the use of the

2-38  municipal courts. Any money remaining in the special revenue fund after 2

2-39  fiscal years must be deposited in the municipal general fund if it has not

2-40  been committed for expenditure. The city treasurer shall provide, upon

2-41  request by a municipal court, monthly reports of the revenue credited to

2-42  and expenditures made from the special revenue fund.

2-43    (c) The remainder of each assessment to the state treasurer for credit to

2-44  a special account in the state general fund.

2-45    6.  The money collected for administrative assessments in justices’

2-46  courts must be paid by the clerk of the court to the county treasurer on or

2-47  before the fifth day of each month for the preceding month. The county

2-48  treasurer shall distribute, on or before the 15th day of that month, the

2-49  money received in the following amounts for each assessment received:


3-1    (a) Two dollars for credit to a special account in the county general fund

3-2  for the use of the county’s juvenile court or for services to juvenile

3-3  offenders. Any money remaining in the special account after 2 fiscal years

3-4  must be deposited in the county general fund if it has not been committed

3-5  for expenditure. The county treasurer shall provide, upon request by a

3-6  juvenile court, monthly reports of the revenue credited to and expenditures

3-7  made from the special account.

3-8    (b) Seven dollars for credit to a special revenue fund for the use of the

3-9  justices’ courts. Any money remaining in the special revenue fund after 2

3-10  fiscal years must be deposited in the county general fund if it has not been

3-11  committed for expenditure. The county treasurer shall provide, upon

3-12  request by a justice’s court, monthly reports of the revenue credited to and

3-13  expenditures made from the special revenue fund.

3-14    (c) The remainder of each assessment to the state treasurer for credit to

3-15  a special account in the state general fund.

3-16    7.  The money apportioned to a juvenile court, a justice’s court or a

3-17  municipal court pursuant to this section must be used, in addition to

3-18  providing services to juvenile offenders in the juvenile court, to improve

3-19  the operations of the court, or to acquire appropriate advanced technology

3-20  or the use of such technology, or both. Money used to improve the

3-21  operations of the court may include expenditures for:

3-22    (a) Training and education of personnel;

3-23    (b) Acquisition of capital goods;

3-24    (c) Management and operational studies; or

3-25    (d) Audits.

3-26    8.  Of the total amount deposited in the state general fund pursuant to

3-27  subsections 5 and 6, the state controller shall distribute the money received

3-28  [, to the extent of legislative authorization,] to the following public

3-29  agencies in the following manner:

3-30    (a) Not less than 51 percent [must be distributed] to the office of the

3-31  court administrator for allocation as follows:

3-32      (1) Eighteen and one-half percent of the amount distributed to the

3-33  office of the court administrator for the administration of the courts.

3-34      (2) Nine percent of the amount distributed to the office of the court

3-35  administrator for the development of a uniform system for judicial records.

3-36      (3) Nine percent of the amount distributed to the office of the court

3-37  administrator for continuing judicial education.

3-38      (4) Sixty percent of the amount distributed to the office of the court

3-39  administrator for the supreme court.

3-40      (5) Three and one-half percent of the amount distributed to the office

3-41  of the court administrator for the payment for the services of retired

3-42  justices and retired district judges.

3-43    (b) Not more than 49 percent must be used to the extent of legislative

3-44  authorization for the support of:

3-45      (1) The central repository for Nevada records of criminal history;

3-46      (2) The peace officers’ standards and training commission;

3-47      (3) The operation by the Nevada highway patrol of a computerized

3-48  switching system for information related to law enforcement;

3-49      (4) The fund for the compensation of victims of crime; and


4-1       (5) The advisory council for prosecuting attorneys.

4-2    9.  As used in this section, “juvenile court” means:

4-3    (a) In any judicial district that includes a county whose population is

4-4  100,000 or more, the family division of the district court; or

4-5    (b) In any other judicial district, the juvenile division of the district

4-6  court.

4-7    Sec. 2.  Chapter 2 of NRS is hereby amended by adding thereto a new

4-8  section to read as follows:

4-9    1.  Any amount appropriated by the legislature from the state general

4-10  fund for the support or operation of the supreme court during a fiscal

4-11  year must be reduced to the extent that the amount of any administrative

4-12  assessments distributed to the office of the court administrator for

4-13  allocation to the supreme court pursuant to NRS 176.059 exceeds the

4-14  amount which is authorized by the legislature for expenditure from those

4-15  assessments for that fiscal year.

4-16  2.  The supreme court shall reserve for reversion each fiscal year the

4-17  amount by which an appropriation from the state general fund must be

4-18  reduced pursuant to subsection 1, and that amount reverts to the state

4-19  general fund upon the close of that fiscal year by the state controller.

4-20  Sec. 3.  1.  This section and section 2 of this act become effective on

4-21  July 1, 2001.

4-22  2.  Section 1 of this act becomes effective at 12:01 a.m. on July 1,

4-23  2001.

 

4-24  H