BUDGETING AND FUNDING

Iowa Code tit. XV, ch. 602, art. 1, pt. 3

in effect

Iowa Code § 602.1301 Budget and fiscal procedures.

602.1301. Budget and fiscal procedures. 1. The supreme court shall prepare an annual operating budget for the judicial branch, and shall submit a budget request to the general assembly for the fiscal period for which the general assembly is appropriating funds. 2. a. As early as possible, but not later than December 1, the supreme court shall submit to the legislative services agency the annual budget request and detailed supporting information for the judicial branch. The submission shall be designed to assist the legislative services agency in its preparation for legislative consideration of the budget request. The information submitted shall contain and be arranged in a format substantially similar to the format specified by the director of the department of management and used by all departments and establishments in transmitting to the director estimates of their expenditure requirements pursuant to section 8.23. The supreme court shall also make use of the department of management’s automated budget system when submitting information to the director of the department of management to assist the director in the transmittal of information as required under section 8.35A. The supreme court shall budget and track expenditures by the following separate organization codes: (1) Iowa court information system. (2) Appellate courts. (3) Central administration. (4) District court administration. (5) Judges and magistrates. (6) Court reporters. (7) Juvenile court officers. (8) District court clerks. (9) Jury and witness fees. b. Before December 1, the supreme court shall submit to the director of the department of management an estimate of the total expenditure requirements of the judicial branch. The director of the department of management shall submit this estimate received from the supreme court to the governor. The estimate shall also be submitted to the chairpersons of the committees on appropriations. 3. The state court administrator shall prescribe the procedures to be used by the operating components of the judicial branch with respect to the following: a. The preparation, submission, review, and revision of budget requests. b. The allocation and disbursement of funds appropriated to the judicial branch. c. The purchase of forms, supplies, equipment, and other property. d. Other matters relating to fiscal administration. 4. The state court administrator shall prescribe practices and procedures for the accounting and internal auditing of funds of the judicial branch, including uniform practices and procedures to be used by judicial officers and court employees with respect to all funds, regardless of source. 83 Acts, ch 186, §1301, 10201; 85 Acts, ch 262, §7; 86 Acts, ch 1245, §121; 88 Acts, ch 1271, §10; 89 Acts, ch 316, §19; 90 Acts, ch 1268, §10; 91 Acts, ch 267, §414; 98 Acts, ch 1047, §45; 2003 Acts, ch 35, §45, 49; 2015 Acts, ch 29, §114; 2019 Acts, ch 89, §34; 2022 Acts, ch 1145, §9

Iowa Code § 602.1302 State funding.

602.1302. State funding. 1. Except as otherwise provided by sections 602.1303 and 602.8108 or other applicable law, the expenses of operating and maintaining the judicial branch shall be paid out of the general fund of the state from funds appropriated by the general assembly for the judicial branch. State funding shall be phased in as provided in section 602.11101. 2. The supreme court may accept federal funds to be used in the operation of the judicial branch, but shall not expend any of these funds except pursuant to appropriation of the funds by the general assembly. 3. A revolving fund is created in the state treasury for the payment of jury and witness fees, mileage, costs related to summoning jurors by the judicial branch, costs and fees related to the management and payment of interpreters and translators in judicial branch legal proceedings and court-ordered programs, and attorney fees paid by the state public defender for counsel appointed pursuant to section 600A.6A. The judicial branch shall deposit any reimbursements to the state for the payment of jury and witness fees, mileage fees, and interpreter or translator fees in the revolving fund. In each calendar quarter the judicial branch shall reimburse the state public defender for attorney fees paid pursuant to section 600A.6B. Notwithstanding section 8.33, unencumbered and unobligated receipts in the revolving fund at the end of a fiscal year do not revert to the general fund of the state. The judicial branch shall on or before February 1 file a financial accounting of the moneys in the revolving fund with the legislative services agency. The accounting shall include an estimate of disbursements from the revolving fund for the remainder of the fiscal year and for the next fiscal year. 4. The judicial branch shall reimburse counties for the costs of witness and mileage fees and for attorney fees paid pursuant to section 232.141, subsection 1. 83 Acts, ch 186, §1302, 10201; 85 Acts, ch 197, §11; 87 Acts, ch 152, §2; 95 Acts, ch 207, §23; 98 Acts, ch 1047, §46; 2002 Acts, ch 1175, §43; 2003 Acts, ch 35, §45, 49; 2005 Acts, ch 107, §6, 14; 2005 Acts, ch 165, §2; 2014 Acts, ch 1141, §15; 2020 Acts, ch 1074, §23, 93; 2025 Acts, ch 158, §8 Local court property devoted for use of judicial branch; §602.11107 Subsection 3 amended

Iowa Code § 602.1303 Local funding.

602.1303. Local funding. 1. A county or city shall provide the district court for the county with physical facilities, including heat, water, electricity, maintenance, and custodial services, as follows: a. A county shall provide courtrooms, offices, and other physical facilities which in the judgment of the board of supervisors are suitable for the district court, and for judicial officers of the district court, the clerk of the district court, juvenile court officers, and other court employees. b. The counties within the judicial districts shall provide suitable offices and other physical facilities for the district court administrator and staff at locations within the judicial districts determined by the chief judge of the respective judicial districts. The county auditor of the host county shall apportion the costs of providing the offices and other physical facilities among the counties within the judicial district in the proportion that the population of each county in the judicial district is to the total population of all counties in the district. c. If court is held in a city other than the county seat, the city shall provide courtrooms and other physical facilities which in the judgment of the city council are suitable. d. A county shall provide furnishings for the use of judicial officers, referees, and their staff. 2. A county shall pay the expenses of the members of the county magistrate appointing commission as provided in section 602.6501. 3. A county shall provide the district court with bailiff and other law enforcement services upon the request of a judicial officer of the district court. 4. A county shall pay the costs incurred in connection with the administration of juvenile justice under section 232.141. 5. A county shall pay the costs and expenses incurred in connection with grand juries. 6. A county or city shall pay the costs of its depositions and transcripts in criminal actions prosecuted by that county or city and shall pay the court fees and costs provided by law in criminal actions prosecuted by that county or city under county or city ordinance. A county or city shall pay witness fees and mileage in trials of criminal actions prosecuted by the county or city under county or city ordinance. 7. A county shall pay the fees and expenses allowed under sections 815.2 and 815.3. 8. If a county board of supervisors, with the approval of the supreme court, elects not to maintain space for the district court, the county may enter into an agreement with a contiguous county in the same judicial district to share the costs under subsections 1 through 7. For the purposes of this subsection, two counties are contiguous if they share a common boundary, including a corner. 83 Acts, ch 186, §1303, 10201; 84 Acts, ch 1301, §14; 85 Acts, ch 197, §12; 86 Acts, ch 1108, §6; 87 Acts, ch 192, §1; 92 Acts, ch 1164, §2; 2017 Acts, ch 133, §5; 2025 Acts, ch 167, §16 Certain bailiffs employed as court attendants; §602.11113 Subsection 1, NEW paragraph d

Iowa Code § 602.1304 Revenues — enhanced court collections fund.

602.1304. Revenues — enhanced court collections fund. Except as provided in article 8, all fees and other revenues collected by judicial officers and court employees shall be paid into the general fund of the state. 83 Acts, ch 186, §1304, 10201; 95 Acts, ch 207, §24; 96 Acts, ch 1034, §55; 96 Acts, ch 1216, §29; 97 Acts, ch 205, §23; 98 Acts, ch 1047, §47; 2003 Acts, ch 145, §286; 2005 Acts, ch 165, §3; 2005 Acts, ch 179, §137; 2006 Acts, ch 1030, §74; 2006 Acts, ch 1166, §4; 2007 Acts, ch 215, §64; 2020 Acts, ch 1074, §24, 25, 93

Iowa Code § 602.1305 Distribution of revenues of the district court.

602.1305. Distribution of revenues of the district court. All fees, costs, forfeited bail, and other court revenues collected by the district court shall be distributed as provided in article 8. 83 Acts, ch 186, §1305, 10201

Source: Iowa Legislature (legis.iowa.gov)URL: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/law/iowaCode/sections?codeChapter=602&year=2026Fetched: 10/20/2026