§ 211. Administrative functions of the chief judge of the court of appeals. 1. The chief judge, after consultation with the administrative board, shall establish standards and administrative policies for general application to the unified court system throughout the state, including but not limited to standards and administrative policies relating to:

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(a) The dispatch of judicial business, the designation of administrative judges, hours of court, assignment of terms and judges, transfer of judges and causes among the courts of the unified court system, the assignment and reassignment of administrative functions performed by judicial and nonjudicial personnel, the need for additional judicial or nonjudicial personnel, and the publication of judicial opinions.

(b) The adoption, amendment, recission and implementation of rules and orders regulating practice and procedure in the courts, subject to the reserved power of the legislature provided for in section thirty of article six of the constitution.

(c) The form and preparation of the itemized estimates of the annual financial needs of the unified court system.

(d) Personnel practices affecting nonjudicial personnel including: title structure, job definition, classification, qualifications, appointments, promotions, transfers, leaves of absence, resignations and reinstatements, performance ratings, removal, sick leaves, vacations and time allowances. Statewide standards and policies concerning personnel practices relating to nonjudicial personnel shall be consistent with the civil service law, and shall be promulgated after a public hearing at which affected nonjudicial employees or their representatives shall have the opportunity to submit criticisms, objections and suggestions relating to the proposed standards and policies.

(e) Administrative methods and systems of the unified court system.

(f) The form, content, maintenance and disposition of court records.

(g) Fiscal, accounting and auditing practices, the collection of fines and fees, and the custody and disposition of court funds.

(g-1) A system of internal control for the unified court system, pursuant to article seven-D of this chapter.

(h) The purchase, distribution and allocation of equipment and supplies.

(i) The maintenance and management of law libraries, provision of rooms and accommodations for the courts of the unified court system, the judges, justices and the clerical and administrative personnel thereof.

* (j) The continuing development and implementation of methods and techniques designed to reduce significantly the trauma to child witnesses likely to be caused by testifying in court proceedings.

* NB Effective until September 1, 2025

* (j) The examination of the operation of the courts and the state of their dockets and the investigation of criticisms and recommendations.

* NB Effective September 1, 2025

* (k) The appropriate education and training of judges and non-judicial courtroom personnel concerning the social and psychological stages of child development to ensure that they adopt or modify, where appropriate, courtroom procedures, including the questioning and treatment of a child witness by the parties, to protect the child from emotional or psychological harm.

* NB Repealed September 1, 2025

* (l) The examination of the operation of the courts and the state of their dockets and the investigation of criticisms and recommendations.

* NB Repealed September 1, 2025

2. The chief judge shall submit such standards and administrative policies to the court of appeals, together with the recommendations, if any, of the administrative board. Such standards and administrative policies shall be promulgated by the chief judge after approval by the court of appeals.

3. Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of chief judge or if the chief judge shall be unable to exercise the duties, functions or powers of his office, during the period of such vacancy or inability the court of appeals shall designate an associate judge of that court to act in his stead.

4. By September first, nineteen hundred eighty-eight, the chief judge, after consultation with the administrative board, shall approve a form of annual statement of financial disclosure which form shall apply to all judges, justices, officers and employees of the courts of record of the unified court system, who receive annual compensation at or above the filing rate defined by paragraph (l) of subdivision one of § 73-a of the public officers law or are determined to hold a policy-making position pursuant to the rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this subdivision. Such form of annual statement of financial disclosure shall be substantially similar to the form set forth in subdivision three of § 73-a of the public officers law. Within one year after approval of such form, the chief judge shall cause the chief administrator of the courts to promulgate rules or regulations which require every judge, justice, officer and employee of the courts of record of the unified court system, who receives annual compensation at or above the filing rate defined by paragraph (l) of subdivision one of § 73-a of the public officers law or is determined to hold a policy-making position, to report the information required by the approved form effective first with respect to a filing which shall be required in nineteen hundred ninety-one (generally applicable to information for the preceding calendar year) and thereafter, effective for future annual filings. Such rules and regulations shall also provide for the determination, by the appointing authority, of policy-makers who shall be required to file the annual statement of financial disclosure required by this subdivision. Any judge, justice, officer or employee of the courts of record of the unified court system who, pursuant to such rules or regulations, is required to file a completed annual statement of financial disclosure and who makes such filing in accordance with the requirements contained in such rules or regulations, shall be deemed to have satisfied the requirements of any other law mandating the filing of a completed annual statement of financial disclosure for the applicable calendar year which might otherwise apply to such judges, justices, officers or employees, and no duplicate filing shall be required on account of any other such law, notwithstanding the provisions of such other law.

5. Consistent with the provisions of section eight of this chapter, the chief judge may relocate a term of court if an emergency or other exigent circumstance or the imminent threat thereof prevents the safe and practicable holding of such term at the location designated by law therefor.