§ 33-24-6-4 — Office of guardian ad litem and court appointed special advocate services; funding

Indiana § 33-24-6-4

• Jurisdiction: Indiana
• Art. 24: SUPREME COURT
• Ch. 6: Office of Judicial Administration

Text

(a) The office of judicial administration shall
establish and administer an office of guardian ad litem and court
appointed special advocate services. The office of judicial
administration shall use money it receives from the state general fund
to administer the office. If funds for guardian ad litem and court
appointed special advocate programs are appropriated by the general
assembly, the office of judicial administration shall provide matching
funds to counties that implement and administer, in courts with
juvenile jurisdiction, a guardian ad litem or court appointed special
advocate program for children who are alleged to be victims of child
abuse or neglect under IC 31-33. Matching funds must be distributed
in accordance with the provisions of section 5 of this chapter. A county
may use these matching funds to supplement amounts that are collected
as fees under IC 31-40-3-1 and used for the operation of guardian ad
litem and court appointed special advocate programs. The office of
judicial administration may use its administrative fund to provide
training services and communication services for local officials and
local guardian ad litem and court appointed special advocate programs.
The county fiscal body shall appropriate adequate funds for the county
to be eligible for matching funds under this section.
(b) Matching funds provided to a county under this section shall be
used for guardian ad litem and court appointed special advocate
programs and may be deposited in the county's guardian ad litem or
court appointed special advocate fund described in IC 31-40-3.
(c) Any matching funds appropriated to the office of judicial
administration that are not used before July 1 of each fiscal year do not
revert but shall be redistributed under this section on July 1. The office
of judicial administration shall redistribute the funds among counties
providing guardian ad litem and court appointed special advocate
programs that are entitled to receive matching funds.
(d) Money appropriated to the office of judicial administration does
not revert at the end of a state fiscal year to the state general fund.
(e) Only guardian ad litem or court appointed special advocate
programs certified by the supreme court are eligible for funding under
this section.
[Pre-2004 Recodification Citation: 33-2.1-7-3.1.]

Legislative History

As added by P.L.98-2004, SEC.3. Amended by P.L.129-2005, SEC.11; P.L.161-2018, SEC.61.