§ 39 — Capital budget requests; county courthouses

[Subsection (a) effective until July 1, 2026; see also subsection (a) effective July 1, 2026 set out below.]
(a) On or before October 1 each year, any county requesting capital funds for its courthouse, or court operations, shall submit a request to the Court Administrator.
[Subsection (a) effective July 1, 2026; see also subsection (a) effective until July 1, 2026 set out above.]
(a) On or before October 1 each year, any county requesting capital funds for its courthouse, or court operations, shall submit a request to the Court Administrator. As used in this subsection, “court operations” does not include operating expenses.
[Subsection (b) effective until July 1, 2026; see also subsection (b) effective July 1, 2026 set out below.]
(b) The Court Administrator shall evaluate requests based on the following criteria:
(1) whether the funding request relates to an emergency that will affect the court operations and the administration of justice;
(2) whether there is a State-owned courthouse in the county that could absorb court activities in lieu of this capital investment;
(3) whether the county consistently has invested in major maintenance in the courthouse;
(4) whether the request relates to a State-mandated function;
(5) whether the request diverts resources of other current Judiciary capital priorities;
(6) whether the request is consistent with the long-term capital needs of the Judiciary, including providing court services adapted to modern needs and requirements; and
(7) any other criteria as deemed appropriate by the Court Administrator.
[Subsection (b) effective July 1, 2026; see also subsection (b) effective until July 1, 2026 set out above.]
(b) The Court Administrator shall evaluate requests based on the following criteria:
(1) whether the funding request is consistent with a capital program developed pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 133(e)(3);
(2) whether the project that is the subject of the request has been included in the list of capital projects in the county’s budget pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 133(e)(1), and, if so, the description of the project included in the budget;
(3) whether the county has established a capital reserve fund pursuant to 24 V.S.A. § 133(e)(3), and, if so, the amount of annual contributions the county has made to the fund;
(4) whether the funding request relates to an emergency that will affect the court operations and the administration of justice;
(5) whether there is a State-owned courthouse in the county that could absorb court activities in lieu of this capital investment;
(6) whether the county consistently has invested in major maintenance in the courthouse;
(7) whether the request relates to a State-mandated function;
(8) whether the request diverts resources of other current Judiciary capital priorities;
(9) whether the request is consistent with the long-term capital needs of the Judiciary, including providing court services adapted to modern needs and requirements; and
(10) any other criteria as deemed appropriate by the Court Administrator.
(c) Based on the criteria described in subsection (b) of this section, the Court Administrator shall make a recommendation to the Commissioner of Buildings and General Services regarding whether the county’s request should be included as part of the Judiciary’s request for capital funding in the Governor’s annual proposed capital budget request.
(d) On or before January 15 of each year, the Court Administrator shall advise the House Committee on Corrections and Institutions and the Senate Committee on Institutions of all county requests received and the Court Administrator’s recommendations for the proposed capital budget request. (Added 2015, No. 160 (Adj. Sess.), § 31; amended 2025, No. 64, § 29, eff. July 1, 2026.)