Fla. R. Gen. Prac. & Jud. Admin. 2.230

(a) Purpose. The purpose of this rule is to establish a Trial

Court Budget Commission that will have the responsibility for

developing and overseeing the administration of trial court budgets

in a manner which ensures equity and fairness in state funding

among the 20 judicial circuits.

(b) Responsibilities. The Trial Court Budget Commission is

charged with specific responsibility to:

(1) establish budgeting and funding policies and

procedures consistent with judicial branch plans and policies,

directions from the supreme court, and in consideration of input

from the Commission on Trial Court Performance and

Accountability and other supreme court committees and from the

Florida Conference of Circuit Court Judges and the Florida

Conference of County Court Judges;

(2) make recommendations to the supreme court on

the trial court component of the annual judicial branch budget

request;

(3) advocate for the trial court component of the annual

judicial branch budget request and associated statutory changes;

(4) make recommendations to the supreme court on

funding allocation formulas and budget implementation and criteria

as well as associated accountability mechanisms based on actual

legislative appropriations;

(5) monitor trial court expenditure trends and revenue

collections to identify unanticipated budget problems and to ensure

the efficient use of resources;

(6) recommend statutory and rule changes related to

trial court budgets;

(7) develop recommended responses to findings on

financial audits and reports from the Supreme Court Inspector

General, Auditor General, Office of Program Policy Analysis and

Government Accountability, and other governmental entities

charged with auditing responsibilities regarding trial court

budgeting when appropriate;

(8) recommend to the supreme court trial court budget

reductions required by the legislature;

(9) identify potential additional sources of revenue for

the trial courts;

(10) recommend to the supreme court legislative pay

plan issues for trial court personnel, except the commission shall

not make recommendations as to pay or benefits for judges; and

(11) request input from the Commission on Trial Court

Performance and Accountability on recommendations from that

commission that may impact the trial court budget or require

funding.

(c) Operational Procedures. The Trial Court Budget

Commission will establish operating procedures necessary to carry

out its responsibilities as outlined in subdivision (b), subject to final

approval by the supreme court. These procedures shall include:

(1) a method for ensuring input from interested

constituencies, including the chief judges and trial court

administrators of the trial courts, other members of the trial court

judiciary, the Judicial Management Council, the Commission on

Trial Court Performance and Accountability, and other judicial

branch committees and commissions; and

(2) a method for appeal of the decisions of the Trial

Court Budget Commission. Appeals may be made only by a chief

judge on behalf of a circuit. Appeals may be heard only by the Trial

Court Budget Commission unless the appeal is based on the failure

of the commission to adhere to its operating procedures, in which

case the appeal may be made to the supreme court.

(d) Action by Supreme Court or Chief Justice on

Recommendations of Trial Court Budget Commission. The

supreme court or chief justice, as appropriate, may take any or all

of the following actions on recommendations made by the Trial

Court Budget Commission:

(1) The adoption of the recommendations of the

commission made in accordance with the discharge of its

responsibilities listed in subdivision (b) in whole.

(2) The adoption of the recommendations in part and

referral of specific issues or questions back to the commission for

further study or alternative recommendations.

(e) Membership and Organization. The Trial Court Budget

Commission will be composed of 21 voting members appointed by

the chief justice who will be trial court judges and trial court

administrators and who will represent the interests of the trial

courts generally rather than the individual interests of a particular

circuit, level of court, or division. The respective presidents of the

Conference of Circuit Court Judges and the Conference of County

Court Judges and the chair of the Commission on Trial Court

Performance and Accountability shall serve as ex officio nonvoting

members of the commission. The chief justice will make

appointments to ensure that the broad interests of the trial courts

are represented by including members who are from different levels

of court (circuit or county), who have experience in different

divisions, who have expertise in court operations or administrative

matters, and who offer geographic, racial, ethnic, and gender

diversity.

(1) The membership must include a minimum of 12

trial court judges and a minimum of 5 trial court administrators.

(2) The chief justice will appoint 1 member to serve as

chair and 1 member to serve as vice chair, each for a 2-year term.

(3) A supreme court justice will be appointed by the

chief justice to serve as supreme court liaison.

(4) No circuit will have more than 2 members on the

commission.

(5) Voting members will each be appointed for a 6-year

term and may serve no more than two full terms. Notwithstanding

that limitation, the chief justice may appoint a member for

additional terms if the supreme court determines it is in the best

interests of the trial courts. In the event of a vacancy, the chief

justice will appoint a new member to serve for the remainder of the

departing member’s term, which service shall not count toward the

limitation on the number of terms.

(6) The commission may establish subcommittees as

necessary to satisfactorily carry out its responsibilities.

Subcommittees may make recommendations only to the

commission as a whole. The chair of the commission may appoint a

non-commission member to serve on a subcommittee.

(f) Staff Support and Funding. The Office of the State

Courts Administrator will provide primary staff support to the

commission. Adequate staffing and resources will be made available

to the Office of the State Courts Administrator to ensure the

commission is able to fulfill its responsibilities as outlined in the

rule. Sufficient resources will also be provided for the commission

and its subcommittees to meet and otherwise complete its work.