(a) The Judicial Council may establish bank accounts for the superior courts and require the courts to deposit moneys for trial court operations, and any other moneys under the control of the courts, into those accounts. Deposits to these accounts shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

(1) Moneys appropriated in the Budget Act and allocated or reallocated to the superior court by the Judicial Council.

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(2) Moneys held in trust.

(3) Other moneys as deemed necessary or appropriate.

(b) Subdivision (a) shall not apply to payments from a party or a defendant received by the superior court for any criminal fees, fines, or forfeitures. However, the court and county may enter into a contract for the court to provide depository services in an account established by the Judicial Council for criminal fees, fines, and forfeitures, with the approval of the Administrative Director of the Courts. The contract shall identify the scope of service, method of service delivery, term of agreement, anticipated service outcomes, and the cost of the service. The amount of any indirect or overhead costs shall be individually stated with the method of calculation of the indirect or overhead costs.

(c) Moneys deposited into a bank account established pursuant to subdivision (a) for the Trial Court Operations Fund that are appropriated in the Budget Act and allocated or reallocated to the superior court by the Judicial Council shall be payable only for the purposes set forth in Sections 77003 and 77006.5, and for services purchased by the court pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 77212.

(d) (1) All moneys received by a superior court from any source for court operating and program purposes shall be deposited into a bank account established pursuant to subdivision (a) and accounted for in the Trial Court Operations Fund. Moneys that are received to fulfill the requirements of Article 4 (commencing with Section 4250) of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 9 and Division 14 (commencing with Section 10000) of the Family Code shall be identified and maintained in a separate account established in the fund for this purpose.

(2) All other moneys deposited into a bank account established pursuant to subdivision (a) and accounted for in the Trial Court Operations Fund that are received for purposes other than court operations, as defined in Section 77003 and Rule 10.810 of the California Rules of Court, shall be identified and maintained in separate accounts in the fund.

(3) This subdivision shall not apply to either of the following:

(A) Moneys received by the courts pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of this section and Section 68084, if those moneys are not for court operating or program purposes.

(B) Payments from a party or a defendant received by the county for any fees, fines, or forfeitures; moneys collected by the superior court under Chapter 5.8 (commencing with Section 70600); or fees and fines to which Section 68085.1 applies.

(e) The presiding judge of the superior court, or his or her designee, shall authorize and direct all expenditures by the court for operating and program purposes from any account established under subdivision (b) or (c).

(f) The Judicial Council, in consultation with the Controller‘s office, shall establish procedures to implement this section and to provide for payment of trial court operations expenses, as described in Sections 77003 and 77006.5, incurred on July 1, 1997, and thereafter.

(g) (1) If the Judicial Council has not established bank accounts pursuant to subdivision (a), the court shall contract with the county for fiscal services. Each board of supervisors shall maintain in the county treasury a Trial Court Operations Fund, which will operate as an agency fund. All moneys appropriated in the Budget Act and allocated and reallocated to the superior court in the county by the Judicial Council shall be deposited into the fund.

(2) Moneys deposited into the fund that are appropriated for the Trial Court Operations Fund in the Budget Act and allocated or reallocated to the superior court by the Judicial Council shall be payable only for the purposes set forth in Sections 77003 and 77006.5, and for services purchased by the court pursuant to subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 77212. The presiding judge of the superior court, or his or her designee, shall authorize and direct expenditures from the fund and the county auditor-controller shall make payments from the funds as directed. Approval of the board of supervisors is not required for expenditure from this fund.

(3) All moneys received by a superior court from any source for court operating and program purposes shall be deposited in the fund, except as provided in this subdivision. Moneys that are received to fulfill the requirements of Article 4 (commencing with Section 4250) of Chapter 2 of Part 2 of Division 9 and Division 14 (commencing with Section 10000) of the Family Code shall be identified and maintained in a separate account established in the fund for this purpose. All other moneys that are received for purposes other than court operations, as defined in Section 77003 and Rule 10.810 of the California Rules of Court, shall be identified and maintained in one or more separate accounts established in the fund pursuant to procedures adopted by the Judicial Council. This subdivision shall only apply to moneys received by the courts for operating and program purposes. This subdivision shall not apply to either of the following:

(A) Moneys received by the courts pursuant to Section 68084, if those funds are not for court operating or program purposes.

(B) Payments from a party or a defendant received by the county for any fees, fines, or forfeitures; moneys collected by the superior court under Chapter 5.8 (commencing with Section 70600); or fees and fines to which Section 68085.1 applies.

(4) Interest received by a county that is attributable to investment of moneys, which interest is required by this subdivision to be deposited in the superior court’s fund, shall be deposited in the fund and shall be used for trial court operations purposes.

(5) In no event shall interest be charged to the superior court’s fund, except as provided in Section 77009.1.

(6) Reasonable administrative expenses incurred by the county associated with the operation of this fund shall be charged to the superior court.

(7) A county, or city and county, may bill the superior court within its jurisdiction for costs for services provided by the county, or city and county, as described in Sections 77003 and 77212, including indirect costs as described in paragraph (7) of subdivision (a) of Section 77003 and Section 77212. The costs billed by the county, or the city and the county, pursuant to this subdivision shall not exceed the costs incurred by the county, or the city and the county, of providing similar services to county departments or special districts.

(8) Pursuant to Section 77206, the Controller, at the request of the Legislature, may perform financial and fiscal compliance audits of this fund. The Judicial Council or its representatives may perform audits, reviews, and investigations of this fund wherever the records may be located.

(h) The Judicial Council or its representatives may perform audits, reviews, and investigations of superior court operations and records wherever they may be located.

(Amended by Stats. 2007, Ch. 130, Sec. 141. Effective January 1, 2008. Conditionally inoperative as provided in Section 77400.)