(a) Notwithstanding any other law, the Judicial Council may regulate the budget and fiscal management of the trial courts. The Judicial Council, in consultation with the Controller, shall maintain appropriate regulations for recordkeeping and accounting by the courts. The Judicial Council shall seek to ensure, by these provisions, both of the following:

(1) That the fiscal affairs of the trial courts are managed efficiently, effectively, and responsibly.

(2) That all moneys collected by the courts, including filing fees, fines, forfeitures, and penalties, and all revenues and expenditures relating to court operations are known.

The Judicial Council may delegate its authority under this section, when appropriate, to the Administrative Director of the Courts.

(b) Regulations, rules, and reporting requirements adopted pursuant to this chapter shall be exempt from review and approval or other processing by the Office of Administrative Law as provided for in Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2.

(c) The Controller, at the request of the Legislature, may perform and publish financial and fiscal compliance audits of the reports of court revenues and expenditures. The Controller shall report the results of these audits to the Legislature and the Judicial Council.

(d) The Judicial Council shall provide for the transmission of summary information concerning court revenues and expenditures to the Controller.

(e) The Judicial Council shall adopt rules to provide for reasonable public access to budget allocation and expenditure information at the state and local levels.

(f) The Judicial Council shall adopt rules ensuring that, upon written request, the trial courts provide, in a timely manner, information relating to the administration of the courts, including financial information and other information that affects the wages, hours, and working conditions of trial court employees.

(g) (1) The Judicial Council or its representatives may do any of the following:

(A) Inspect, review, and perform comprehensive oversight and analysis of court financial records wherever they may be located.

(B) Investigate allegations of financial impropriety or mismanagement.

(2) The authority granted pursuant to this subdivision shall not substitute for, or conflict with, the audits conducted pursuant to subdivisions (h) and (i).

(h) (1) Commencing not earlier than July 1, 2011, and not later than December 15, 2012, the entity contracted with pursuant to subdivision (j) shall establish a pilot program to audit six trial courts. That entity shall select the trial courts using the following criteria:

(A) Two trial courts selected from counties with a population of 200,000 or less.

(B) Two trial courts selected from counties with a population greater than 200,000 and less than 750,000.

(C) Two trial courts selected from counties with a population of 750,000 or greater.

The audits shall be performed in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards and shall determine the trial court’s compliance with governing statutes, rules, and regulations relating to the revenues, expenditures, and fund balances of all material and significant funds, including state General Fund funds, funds generated from fees or fines, federal funds, grants, and any other funds within the trial court’s administration or control. The audits required by this section shall be in addition to any audit regularly conducted pursuant to any other provision of law.

(2) Based on the results of the pilot program audits described in paragraph (1), the entity contracted with pursuant to subdivision (j) shall, on or before December 15, 2013, commence an audit of the trial courts, provided that every trial court is audited in the manner prescribed by this section at least once every four years. The audits shall be performed in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards and shall determine the trial court’s compliance with governing statutes, rules, and regulations relating to the revenues, expenditures, and fund balances of all material and significant funds, including state General Fund funds, funds generated from fees or fines, federal funds, grants, or any other funds within the trial court’s administration or control. The audits required by this paragraph shall be in addition to any audit regularly conducted pursuant to any other provision of law.

(3) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5, the auditing entity shall compile the trial court audit findings and report the results of these audits to the Legislature, the Judicial Council, and the Department of Finance no later than April 1 of each year. An audit report shall not be considered final until the audited entity is provided a reasonable opportunity to respond and the response is included with, or incorporated into, the report.

(4) The reasonable and necessary contracted cost of the audit conducted pursuant to this subdivision shall be paid from funds of the local trial court being audited.

(i) (1) On or before December 15, 2013, and biennially thereafter, the entity contracted with pursuant to subdivision (j) shall perform an audit of the Administrative Office of the Courts in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards and shall determine the Administrative Office of the Court’s compliance with governing statutes, rules, regulations, and policies relating to the revenues, expenditures, and fund balances of all material and significant funds under the administration, jurisdiction, or control of the Administrative Office of the Courts.

(2) Notwithstanding Section 10231.5, the auditing entity shall provide a copy of the final audit report of the Administrative Office of the Courts to the Legislature, the Judicial Council, and the Department of Finance upon issuance. An audit report shall not be considered final until the audited entity is provided a reasonable opportunity to respond and the response is included with, or incorporated into, the report.

(3) Any reasonable and necessary contracted costs incurred by the auditing entity pursuant to this subdivision shall be reimbursed by the Administrative Office of the Courts.

(j) The Administrative Office of the Courts shall contract with the Controller to perform the audits described in subdivisions (h) and (i), unless either the Bureau of State Audits or the Department of Finance demonstrates that it can perform the audits pursuant to the same timeframes, scope, and methodology as the Controller for a cost that is less than that proposed by the Controller. In that case, the Administrative Office of the Courts may contract with the state entity named in this subdivision that is most cost effective. The Administrative Office of the Courts shall provide written notification to the chairs of the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, the Assembly Committee on Budget, and the Senate and Assembly Committees on Judiciary, if the Administrative Office of the Courts contracts with an entity other than the Controller. The contract period for any contract entered into pursuant to this section shall not exceed four years from the date of commencement.

(k) A report submitted pursuant to subdivision (h) or (i) shall be submitted in compliance with Section 9795.

(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 36, Sec. 17. (SB 92) Effective June 30, 2011. Conditionally inoperative as provided in Section 77400.)