The Judicial Council may appoint and employ during its pleasure such officers, assistants, and other employees as it deems necessary for the performance of the duties and exercise of the powers conferred by law upon it and its members. It may determine the duties and fix and provide for the compensation of all such officers, assistants, and other employees.

The Judicial Council may prescribe the methods, means, and standards for electronic collection of data related to court administration, practice, and procedure.

Any reference to the Administrative Office of the Courts in state law means the Judicial Council.

The annual salary of the Administrative Director of the Courts shall be set by the chairperson of the Judicial Council and shall be no less than the salary of a judge of the court of appeal, and shall be paid out of appropriations for the support of the Judicial Council.

The salary of a judge of a court of appeal means the salary of a judge first appointed to the court of appeal after January 1, 1982.

The chairman of the Judicial Council may appoint committees composed of official court reporters, judges, retired judges, attorneys and experts in specialized fields, or any combination thereof, to advise with the Judicial Council in studying the condition of business in the several courts and the means for simplifying and improving the administration of justice and in the performance of any other duties of the council authorized or imposed by law.

The committees may assemble information and make recommendations to the Judicial Council, but shall not exercise any of the powers vested in the council.

in the subsequent fiscal year of court operations as defined in Section 77003 for each trial court. This estimation shall serve as a basis for recommended court budgets, which shall be developed for comparison purposes and to delineate funding responsibilities.

funding for the minimum operating and staffing standards before funding operating and staffing requests above the minimum standards, and shall include incentives and rewards for any trial court’s implementation of efficiencies and cost saving measures.

time, a review of the level of fees charged by the courts for various services and prepare recommended adjustments for forwarding to the Legislature.

budget expenditure data at the program component level for each court.

amount of reserves in excess of the amount authorized to be carried over pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 77203. In January of each fiscal year, after review of available trial court reserves as of June 30 of the prior fiscal year, the Judicial Council shall finalize allocations to trial courts and each court’s finalized allocation shall be offset by the amount of reserves in excess of the amount authorized to be carried over pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 77203.

Judicial Council

shall not authorize a loan pursuant to this section to provide cash resources to any court that has not first provided a balanced budget approved by the Judicial Council.

expenditure authority to the Trial Court Trust Fund.

Judicial Council shall, no later than August 30 of each year, report the following information to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the Department of Finance:

Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to require the state in any fiscal year to provide money for trial court costs from any state fund that is in excess of the total amount available for disbursement from that fund during the fiscal year. The Judicial Council may reallocate moneys pursuant to Section 68502.5 if at any time during the fiscal year it determines that the amount available for disbursement from any state fund will be less than or greater than the amount already allocated from that fund for that fiscal year.

Members of committees appointed pursuant to Section 68501 shall receive no compensation from the state for their services. When called into session by the Chairperson of the Judicial Council, members shall receive their actual and necessary expenses for travel, board, and lodging, which shall be paid from the funds appropriated to the use of the council. These expenses shall be approved in the manner that the council directs, and shall be audited by the Controller in accordance with the rules of the Department of General Services.

Whenever provision is made by law for appointment or designation, by the Judicial Council or the chairman thereof, of judges to serve on nonsalaried advisory committees, boards or commissions the provision shall be deemed to authorize appointment or designation of retired judges to serve on such committees, boards or commissions.

Upon receiving information of the death, removal, or resignation of any justice of the Supreme Court or of the courts of appeal, or a judge of the superior court, the Secretary of the Judicial Council shall immediately give the Controller, the Judges’ Retirement System, and the Judges’ Retirement System II written notice of such death, removal, or resignation.

The county clerks and clerks of all courts of record shall cooperate with the Judicial Council. They shall keep such records and make such reports to the council, in such manner and at such times, as the Chair of the Judicial Council requires, respecting the condition and manner of disposal of judicial business in their respective courts.

All salaries and expenses incurred by the council pursuant to this article, including the necessary expenses for travel, board, and lodging of the members of the council and its officers, assistants, and other employees incurred in the performance of the duties and business of the council, shall be paid from the funds appropriated for the use of the council. The salaries and expenses shall be approved in the manner that the council directs, and shall be audited by the Controller in accordance with the rules of the Department of General Services.

The Judicial Council shall, after receiving comment from the courts, court employee organizations, and other interested groups, adopt fiscally responsible travel reimbursement policies, procedures, and rates for the judicial branch that provide for appropriate accountability.

The Secretary of the Judicial Council shall purchase and provide for the installation of the flag of the United States and the Bear Flag of California in all the courtrooms of the Supreme Court and the courts of appeal.

No act of the Judicial Council shall be valid unless concurred in by a majority of its members.

The Judicial Council shall meet at the call of its chairman or as otherwise provided by it.

No member of the Judicial Council shall receive any compensation for his services as such, but he shall be allowed his necessary expenses for travel, board and lodging incurred in the performance of his duties as such.

The Judicial Council may prescribe by rule the form and content of forms used in the courts of this state. When any such form has been so prescribed by the Judicial Council, no court may use a different form which has as its aim the same function as that for which the Judicial Council’s prescribed form is designed. The Judicial Council shall report periodically to the Legislature any statutory changes needed to achieve uniformity in the forms used in the courts of this state.