Florida Senate - 2015                                    SB 2506
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Appropriations
       
       
       
       
       
       576-02877-15                                          20152506__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to the judiciary; creating s. 25.025,
    3         F.S.; establishing the headquarters of the Supreme
    4         Court; authorizing a Supreme Court Justice to
    5         designate a district court of appeal courthouse, a
    6         county courthouse, or any other facility in his or her
    7         county of residence as his or her official
    8         headquarters; providing that the official headquarters
    9         may serve as the justice’s private chambers only;
   10         providing for a justice to receive subsistence and
   11         transportation reimbursement relating to travel to the
   12         headquarters of the Supreme Court under certain
   13         circumstances; providing for implementation; providing
   14         that a county is not required to provide space in a
   15         county courthouse to a justice; authorizing a county
   16         to enter into a specified agreement with the Supreme
   17         Court; prohibiting the Supreme Court from using state
   18         funds to lease space in a district court of appeal
   19         courthouse, county courthouse, or other facility to
   20         allow a justice to establish an official headquarters;
   21         amending s. 35.05, F.S.; authorizing a district court
   22         of appeal judge to designate a county courthouse or
   23         other facility in his or her county of residence as
   24         his or her official headquarters; providing that the
   25         official headquarters may serve as the judge’s private
   26         chambers only; providing for a district court of
   27         appeal judge to receive reimbursement for
   28         transportation expenses relating to travel to the
   29         headquarters of the district court of appeal under
   30         certain circumstances; providing for implementation;
   31         providing that a county is not required to provide
   32         space in a county courthouse to a district court of
   33         appeal judge; authorizing a county to enter into a
   34         specified agreement with a district court of appeal;
   35         prohibiting a district court of appeal from using
   36         state funds to lease space in a county courthouse or
   37         other facility to allow a judge to establish an
   38         official headquarters; providing an effective date.
   39          
   40  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   41  
   42         Section 1. Section 25.025, Florida Statutes, is created to
   43  read:
   44         25.025 Headquarters.—
   45         (1) The headquarters of the Supreme Court shall be the
   46  Supreme Court Building in the Second Judicial Circuit,
   47  Tallahassee, Leon County.
   48         (2)(a) Any Supreme Court Justice who permanently resides
   49  outside the Second Judicial Circuit may, if he or she so
   50  requests, designate a district court of appeal courthouse, a
   51  county courthouse, or any other appropriate facility in his or
   52  her county of residence as his or her official headquarters
   53  pursuant to s. 112.061. This official headquarters may serve as
   54  the justice’s private chambers only.
   55         (b) A justice who designates an official headquarters in
   56  his or her county of residence under this subsection is eligible
   57  for subsistence at a rate to be established by the Chief Justice
   58  for each day or partial day that the justice is at the
   59  headquarters of the Supreme Court for the conduct of the
   60  business of the Court; however, such amount may not exceed the
   61  amount allowed under s. 112.061(6). In addition to the
   62  subsistence allowance, a justice is eligible for reimbursement
   63  for transportation expenses as provided in s. 112.061(7), for
   64  travel between the justice’s official headquarters and the
   65  headquarters of the Court for the conduct of the business of the
   66  Court.
   67         (c) Payment of subsistence and reimbursement for
   68  transportation expenses relating to travel between a justice’s
   69  official headquarters and the headquarters of the Court shall be
   70  made to the extent appropriated funds are available, as
   71  determined by the Chief Justice.
   72         (3) The Marshal of the Supreme Court and the Office of the
   73  State Courts Administrator shall coordinate with each affected
   74  justice and other state and local officials as necessary to
   75  implement paragraph (2)(a).
   76         (4)(a)This section does not require a county to provide
   77  space in a county courthouse for a justice. A county may enter
   78  into an agreement with the Supreme Court governing the use of
   79  space in a county courthouse.
   80         (b) The Supreme Court may not use state funds to lease
   81  space in a district court of appeal courthouse, county
   82  courthouse, or other facility to allow a justice to establish an
   83  official headquarters pursuant to subsection (2).
   84         Section 2. Subsections (3), (4), and (5) are added to
   85  section 35.05, Florida Statutes, to read:
   86         35.05 Headquarters.—
   87         (3)(a) A district court of appeal judge who permanently
   88  resides outside the judicial circuit in which the headquarters
   89  or a branch of the court is located and whose residence is
   90  located more than 50 miles from the nearest facility of the
   91  court may, if he or she so requests, designate a county
   92  courthouse or other appropriate facility in his or her county of
   93  residence as his or her official headquarters pursuant to s.
   94  112.061. This official headquarters may serve as the judge’s
   95  private chambers only.
   96         (b) A district court of appeal judge who designates an
   97  official headquarters in his or her county of residence under
   98  this subsection is eligible for reimbursement for transportation
   99  expenses as provided in s. 112.061(7) for travel between the
  100  judge’s official headquarters and the nearest headquarters of
  101  the court or a branch of the court for the conduct of the
  102  business of the court.
  103         (c) Reimbursement for transportation expenses relating to
  104  travel between a judge’s official headquarters and the
  105  headquarters of the court or a branch of the court shall be made
  106  to the extent appropriated funds are available, as determined by
  107  the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
  108         (4) The marshal of each district court of appeal and the
  109  Office of the State Courts Administrator shall coordinate with
  110  each affected district court of appeal judge and other state and
  111  local officials as necessary to implement paragraph (3)(a).
  112         (5)(a)This section does not require a county to provide
  113  space in a county courthouse for a district court of appeal
  114  judge. A county may enter into an agreement with a district
  115  court of appeal governing the use of space in a county
  116  courthouse.
  117         (b) A district court of appeal may not use state funds to
  118  lease space in a county courthouse or other facility to allow a
  119  judge to establish an official headquarters pursuant to
  120  subsection (3).
  121         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.