The Florida Senate

¹27.525  Indigent Criminal Defense Trust Fund.--The Indigent Criminal Defense Trust Fund is hereby created, to be administered by the Justice Administrative Commission. Funds shall be credited to the trust fund as provided in s. 27.52, to be used for the purposes set forth therein. The Justice Administrative Commission shall account for these funds on a circuit basis, and appropriations from the fund shall be proportional to each circuit's collections.

History.--s. 1, ch. 96-376.

¹Note.--Section 2, ch. 96-376, provides that:

"(1)  Pursuant to the provisions of Section 19(f)(2), Article III of the State Constitution, the Indigent Criminal Defense Trust Fund shall, unless terminated sooner, be terminated on July 1, 2000.

"(2)  Prior to the regular legislative session immediately preceding the date on which the trust fund is scheduled to be terminated, the Justice Administrative Commission and the Governor shall recommend to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives whether the trust fund should be allowed to terminate or should be re-created. These recommendations shall be based on a review of the purpose and use of the trust fund and a determination of whether the trust fund will continue to be necessary. A recommendation to re-create the trust fund may include suggested modifications to the purposes, sources of receipts, and allowable expenditures for the trust fund. The Justice Administrative Commission's recommendation shall be made as a part of its legislative budget request to the Legislature pursuant to section 216.023, Florida Statutes. The Governor's recommendation shall be made as a part of the recommended budget presented to the Legislature pursuant to section 216.162, Florida Statutes.

"(3)  If the trust fund is terminated, the Justice Administrative Commission shall pay any outstanding debts or obligations of the trust fund as soon as practicable and the Comptroller shall close out and remove the trust fund from the various state accounting systems, using generally accepted accounting practices concerning warrants outstanding, assets, and liabilities."