N.J. Stat. tit. 2B, ch. 10

N.J. Stat. tit. 2B, ch. 10
in effect

N.J. Stat. § 2B:10-1 Short title

1. Sections 1 through 9 of this act shall be known and may be cited as the "State Judicial Unification Act." L.1993,c.275,s.1.

N.J. Stat. § 2B:10-2 Findings, declarations

2. The Legislature finds and declares that: a. The current method of financing the State's judicial system has created undue hardship for both the counties and the courts. b. The counties have had to balance the financial needs of the judicial system with the need to provide essential county services and have been denied any oversight over court operations. c. As a result of the differing funding bases among the counties, the courts have varying levels of resources available in order to fulfill their responsibilities. d. Those differing bases and varying levels of available resources have significantly hindered the development and implementation of a unified administrative system for the courts. e. If the State were to assume the administrative costs of the judicial system, resources would be provided on a more equitable basis and a central management system could be established by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. f. Furthermore, significant property tax relief would be afforded to the citizens of this State since the counties would no longer need to generate tax revenues currently required to finance the judicial system. g. It is, therefore, altogether fitting and proper for the State to assume the cost of the judicial system in order to unify the administrative system and to provide property tax relief. L.1993,c.275,s.2.

N.J. Stat. § 2B:10-3 Definitions

3. As used in this act: a. "Base year amount" means the total local fiscal year 1993 expenditures for judicial costs and probation costs excluding the amount paid and charged in full in 1993 for equipment for court or probation purposes; less the realized revenue for judicial fees and probation fees; b. "Director" means the Director of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs; c. "Judicial costs" means the costs incurred by the county for funding the judicial system, including but not limited to the following: salaries, health benefits and pension costs of all judicial employees, juror fees, library material costs, and centrally-budgeted items such as printing, supplies, and mail services, except that judicial costs shall not include costs incurred by employees of the surrogate's office or the sheriff's office; d. "Judicial employee" means any person employed by the county prior to January 1, 1995 to perform judicial functions, including but not limited to employees working for the courts and the law library, employees who act as court aides and employees of the county clerk judicial function and those involved in bail processing and any person employed by a county probation office, except that employees of the surrogate's office and employees of the sheriff's office shall not be construed to be judicial employees; e. "Judicial fees" means any fees or court costs collected by the judiciary including bail forfeitures and interest earned on bail deposits for bail deposited after January 1, 1995 but shall not include sheriff's or surrogate's fees or fines otherwise allocated by law to counties or municipalities for offenses within the jurisdiction of municipal courts; f. "Judicial functions" means any duties and responsibilities performed in providing any services and direct support necessary for the effective operation of the judicial system; g. "Probation costs" means any costs incurred by the county for the operation of the county probation department, including but not limited to centrally-budgeted items such as printing, supplies and mail services; h. "Probation fees" means any fees or fines collected in connection with the probation of any person. L.1993,c.275,s.3; amended 1994,c.162,s.13.

N.J. Stat. § 2B:10-4 State costs, employees, and fees after 1994

4. On and after January 1, 1995: a. The State is required to pay for judicial costs and probation costs; b. All judicial employees shall be employees of the State; and c. Any judicial fees or probation fees collected shall be paid to the State Treasury. L.1993,c.275,s.4.

N.J. Stat. § 2B:10-5 Certification of base year amount

5. a. On or before February 28, 1994, the chief financial officer of the county shall certify the actual base year amount to the designee of the Administrative Office of the Courts who may then accept the amount. If accepted, a copy of the certification and acceptance shall immediately be provided to the Administrative Office of the Courts, the county Board of Chosen Freeholders, and to the director. b. If the amount provided in subsection a. of this section has not been certified or accepted by June 1, 1994, the parties shall immediately notify the director that the matter is submitted to the director for the director to make the determination. c. Upon submission to the director, he may require the submission of any additional documentation necessary for determination of the amount. He may also determine that a hearing be conducted if necessary before either the director or his designee. Nothing herein shall prevent the parties from continuing to negotiate a settlement up until the time the director makes a final determination. d. If the hearing on the amount provided pursuant to subsection a. of this section extends beyond April 1, 1995, the director shall, by April 10, 1995, require such submissions as he deems necessary to set an interim base year amount to serve as the basis for the calculations described in section 6 of P.L.1993, c.275 (C.2B:10-6). The calculation for 1995 and subsequent years shall be adjusted to reflect the difference between the final determination and the interim base year amount. A decision of the director may be appealed pursuant to section 15 of P.L.1947, c.151 (C.52:27BB-15). L.1993,c.275,s.5.

N.J. Stat. § 2B:10-6 Schedule for payment of county share

6. a. Except as provided in subsection e., in local fiscal years 1995, 1996 and 1997, each county shall pay a share of its base year amount as determined by the director based on the following schedule: (1) 1995...... 87.5% of the base year amount; (2) 1996...... 62.5% of the base year amount; (3) 1997..... 50.0% of the base year amount. b. Except as provided in subsection e., each county shall pay the respective amounts established in subsection a. to the State Treasurer on the following schedule: (1) 1995....... On May 15, 50.0% of the base year amount, and on October 1, 37.5% of the base year amount; (2) 1996....... On May 15, 37.5% of the base year amount, and on October 1, 25.0% of the base year amount; (3) 1997....... On May 15, 25.0% of the base year amount, and on October 1, 25.0% of the base year amount. c. In local budget year 1998 and thereafter, no county shall be required to pay judicial costs or probation costs unless a county elects to proceed under subsection e. of this section in which case the county shall not be required to pay judicial costs or probation costs in local budget year 1999 and thereafter. d. No county shall be required to pay the employer pension contribution on behalf of any employee who becomes an employee of the State under this act after the date the person becomes an employee of the State. However, notwithstanding the provisions of subsections b. and c. above, it shall continue to be the responsibility of each county to pay any additional liability for any employee who would have become an employee of the State under this act but who retired and received a benefit under P.L.1993, c.138 as provided under that act, and the liability for late enrollment of an employee in the Public Employees' Retirement System, whose date of compulsory enrollment is prior to the date the person becomes an employee of the State under this act, as provided under section 48 of P.L.1971, c.213 (C.43:15A-7.1). e. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections a. and b. of this section, a county may elect in local fiscal year 1997 to pay its share of its base year amount in 1997 and 1998 as follows: in 1997 25.0% of its base year amount on May 15, 1997 and in 1998 25.0% of its base year amount on May 15, 1998. L.1993,c.275,s.6; amended 1997, c.58.

N.J. Stat. § 2B:10-7 Disposition of furnishings, office equipment; service agreements; provision of claim, insurance information

7. a. By September 1, 1994, a list shall be jointly developed by the Administrative Office of the Courts and the governing body of each county of the furnishings and office equipment currently used by the courts which shall become the property of the State on January 1, 1995. b. (1) The Administrative Office of the Courts and the individual county governments may enter into service agreements for: (a) Those services the Administrative Office of the Courts determines are necessary for the county to provide for the operations of the courts in each county; (b) The portion of the base year amount comprising debt service or lease payments for furnishings and office equipment; and (c) Any other services or costs jointly agreed upon by the parties as necessary to the smooth transition or continued operation of the court system. (2) If the services referred to in subparagraph (a) of paragraph (1) of subsection b. of this section had been previously provided by the county, it shall be in the sole discretion of the Administrative Office of the Courts that the services be continued, and that the county shall provide the services for a cost in approximate proportion to the cost determined in the base year amount, subject to annual cost increases negotiated by the parties. (3) Disputes as to continuance of service and charges by the county for such services may be determined by the director and made in a manner similar to that described in section 5 of P.L.1993, c.275 (C.2B:10-5). (4) Revenue received by the county for the service agreement shall be appropriated in accordance with the "Local Budget Law," N.J.S.40A:4-1 et seq. c. (1) By September 1, 1994 the counties shall provide to the Administrative Office of the Courts the following: (a) a listing of all Notices of Claims which were filed after January 1, 1994; (b) a loss history for all lines of insurance or self insurance for the past five years; (c) a listing of all worker's compensation, occupational, ongoing medical and dependency claims prior to January 1, 1995; (d) a listing of all outstanding claims with insurance carriers or against third parties; (e) a listing of all vehicles with accident damage that will be transferred pursuant to this section; (f) plans for all facilities and construction and age information on the facilities required by the companies currently insuring the contents. (2) Any workers' compensation claim filed by a judicial employee of a county, any tort claim, or any auto liability claim arising out of the maintenance, operation or use of any vehicle by a judicial employee of a county where the date of loss was prior to January 1, 1995 shall be the liability of the county. L.1993,c.275,s.7.

N.J. Stat. § 2B:10-8 Determination of county tax levy

8. For the purpose of determining the county tax levy upon which a county shall calculate its permissible tax levy, any amounts appropriated for the purposes described in section 6 of P.L.1993, c.275 (C.2B:10-6), shall be an exception pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1976, c.68 (C.40A:4-45.4). For the calculation of the local fiscal year 1995 permissible tax levy, the 1994 county tax levy prior to modification pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1976, c.68 (C.40A:4-45.4) shall be reduced by the base year amount calculated pursuant to section 5 of P.L.1993, c.275 (C.2B:10-5). The director is also authorized to make such adjustments to county budget cap calculations for matters unforeseen by this act, in a manner not inconsistent with the constitutional amendment authorizing this act, and section 4 of P.L.1976, c.68 (C.40A:4-45.1). L.1993,c.275,s.8.

N.J. Stat. § 2B:10-9 Certification of payroll record information

9. a. To facilitate the transfer of judicial employees from county payroll processing to the State's payroll processing system the chief financial officer of each county shall certify payroll record information on each judicial employee to the Administrative Office of the Courts according to a standard record format, procedure, and schedule collectively agreed to by representatives of the chief financial officers of the counties and the Administrative Director of the Courts and shall include the use of computer readable media in the transfer of payroll record information where applicable. b. On December 31, 1994 the county shall issue a final paycheck which is complete and full, up to and including December 31, 1994 and satisfies all salary obligations due by the county to the judicial employees, and all deductions related to calendar year 1994 obligations of the judicial employees. L.1993,c.275,s.9.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026