The uniform imposition and enforcement of court-ordered debts are recognized as an important element of California’s judicial system. Prompt, efficient, and effective imposition and collection of court-ordered fees, fines, forfeitures, penalties, restitution, and assessments ensure the appropriate respect for court orders. The California State Association of Counties and the Judicial Council are jointly committed to identifying, improving, and seeking to expand access to mechanisms and tools that will enhance efforts to collect court-ordered debt. To provide for this prompt, efficient, and effective collection:

(a) The Judicial Council shall adopt guidelines for a comprehensive program concerning the collection of moneys owed for fees, fines, forfeitures, penalties, and assessments imposed by court order. As part of its guidelines, the Judicial Council may establish standard agreements for entities to provide collection services. As part of its guidelines, the Judicial Council shall include provisions that promote competition by and between entities in providing collection services to courts and counties. The Judicial Council may delegate to the Administrative Director of the Courts the implementation of the aspects of this program to be carried out at the state level.

(b) The courts and counties shall maintain the collection program that was in place on January 1, 1996, unless otherwise agreed to in writing by the court and county. The program may wholly or partially be staffed and operated within the court itself, may be wholly or partially staffed and operated by the county, or may be wholly or partially contracted with a third party. In carrying out this collection program, each superior court and county shall develop a cooperative plan to implement the Judicial Council guidelines. In the event that a court and a county are unwilling or unable to enter into a cooperative plan pursuant to this section, prior to the arbitration procedures required by subdivision (e) of Section 1214.1, the court or the county may request the continuation of negotiations with mediation assistance as mutually agreed upon and provided by the Administrative Director of the Courts and the California State Association of Counties.

(c) The Judicial Council shall develop performance measures and benchmarks to review the effectiveness of the cooperative superior court and county collection programs operating pursuant to this section. Each superior court and county shall jointly report to the Judicial Council, as provided by the Judicial Council, information requested in a reporting template on or before September 1, 2009, and annually thereafter. The Judicial Council shall report annually, on or before December 31, to the Legislature, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, and the Department of Finance all of the information required to be collected and reported pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 68514 of the Government Code.

(d) The Judicial Council may, when the efficiency and effectiveness of the collection process may be improved, facilitate a joint collection program between superior courts, between counties, or between superior courts and counties.

(e) The Judicial Council may establish, by court rule, a program providing for the suspension and nonrenewal of a business and professional license if the holder of the license has unpaid fees, fines, forfeitures, penalties, and assessments imposed upon them under a court order. The Judicial Council may provide that some or all of the superior courts or counties participate in the program. Any program established by the Judicial Council shall ensure that the licensee receives adequate and appropriate notice of the proposed suspension or nonrenewal of the licensee’s license and has an opportunity to contest the suspension or nonrenewal. The opportunity to contest may not require a court hearing.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Judicial Council, after consultation with the Franchise Tax Board with respect to collections under Section 19280 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, may provide for an amnesty program involving the collection of outstanding fees, fines, forfeitures, penalties, and assessments, applicable either statewide or within one or more counties. The amnesty program shall provide that some or all of the interest or collections costs imposed on outstanding fees, fines, forfeitures, penalties, and assessments may be waived if the remaining amounts due are paid within the amnesty period.

(Amended by Stats. 2019, Ch. 637, Sec. 10. (AB 1818) Effective January 1, 2020.)