(a)
It is the intent of the Legislature that the change in the method of distributing funds to law libraries from fees collected by the superior courts under the Uniform Civil Fees and Standard Fee Schedule Act of 2005 will not result in undue financial hardship for any law library. On and after January 1, 2006, any law library that experiences undue financial hardship from the change in the method of distributing funding to law libraries may request a one-time advance from the Administrative Office of the Courts. The
Administrative Office of the Courts shall provide the advance within 15 days after the request is received, but no earlier than February 1, 2006, if all of the following conditions are met:
(1)
The law library board of trustees certifies that the law library is experiencing financial hardship caused by an increase in the time between collection of a fee by the court and the receipt of the money by the law library fund resulting from the implementation of the new distribution method for money received from superior court filing fees.
(2)
The law library board of trustees certifies that the law library is operating under this chapter.
(3)
The Administrative Office of the Courts receives the request on or before February 15, 2006.
(b)
The amount of the
advance shall be equal to one-twelfth of the law library’s total receipts from superior court fees for the 2003-04 fiscal year.
(c)
The funding for the advance shall be provided from amounts deposited into the bank account established by the Administrative Office of the Courts under subdivision (b) of Section 68085.1 of the Government Code. The advance shall be returned within 30 days if a law library ceases to operate or the responsibility for the law library is transferred from the law library board of trustees.