Bill Text: NJ A1272 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires State Auditor to prepare annual performance audit on certain court projects; appropriates from General Fund.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [A1272 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A1272-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ALEX SAUICKIE
District 12 (Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires State Auditor to prepare annual performance audit on certain court projects; appropriates from General Fund.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act requiring the State Auditor to prepare an annual performance audit on certain court projects, amending P.L.2014, c.31, and making an appropriation.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 17 of P.L.2014, c.31 (C.2B:1-11) is amended to read as follows:
17. a. Not later than the sixth month after the end of each State fiscal year, the Administrative Director of the Courts shall submit a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the General Assembly describing the Judiciary's use of funding pursuant to sections 12 through 15 of P.L.2014, c.31 (C.2B:1-7 through C.2B:1-10) and the Judiciary's progress toward the development, maintenance and administration of a Statewide digital e-court information system.
The State Auditor shall annually conduct a performance audit and submit it to the Governor and the Legislature pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1991, s.164 (C.52:14-19.1) describing the Judiciary's progress on the programs established in P.L.2014, c.31 (C.2A:162-15 et al). All information used or compiled by the director pursuant to the reporting requirements of this section shall be made available to the State Auditor.
b. Not later than the sixth month after the end of each State fiscal year, the Administrative Director of the Courts shall submit a report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the General Assembly, and the Pretrial Services Program Review Commission established by section 20 of P.L.2014, c.31 (C.2A:162-26) on the development and administration of the Statewide Pretrial Services Program.
(cf: P.L.2014, c.31, s.17)
2. There is appropriated from the General Fund to the State Auditor such funds as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act, as certified by the State Auditor and subject to the approval of the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of Treasury.
3. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires the State Auditor to conduct an annual performance audit and submit it to the Governor and the Legislature
describing the Judiciary's progress regarding the development, maintenance, and administration of the Statewide Pretrial Services Program and the Statewide digital e-court information system, and the provision to the poor of legal assistance in civil matters by Legal Services of New Jersey and its affiliates. All of the information used or compiled by the Administrative Director of the Courts in preparation for the director's annual report will be made available to the State Auditor.
In 2014, a law commonly referred to as "criminal justice reform" or "bail reform" was enacted to (1) establish statutory speedy trial deadlines for persons being detained in jail, both pre-and post-indictment; (2) reform the manner in which determinations for bail and other forms of criminal pretrial release are made; (3) provide courts with the authority to deny pretrial release and instead order pretrial detention; and (4) authorize the Judiciary to revise and supplement fees to help fund a pretrial risk assessment and monitoring program, and other court-related programs and services.
That law also requires the Administrative Director of the Courts to issue an annual report on the Judiciary's use of funding provided under the law, and the Judiciary's progress toward the development, maintenance, and administration of a Statewide digital e-court information system. It is the sponsor's intent to have an unbiased and reputable third-party review the same information that the director reviewed and conduct an independent performance audit that may or may not be entirely consistent with the director's report. The purpose is to ensure public confidence in the evaluation of the Judiciary's performance by providing for a third-party audit that the public will have no cause to believe may be subject to the possible inherent bias of a judicial official's evaluation of the Judiciary.
This bill appropriates monies from the General Fund to the State Auditor as determined to be necessary for the implementation of its provisions.
