22A:2-51. Increased fees under P.L.1996, c.52, use; fund

6. a. An amount equal to 95 percent of the increase in fees collected pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1996, c.52 (C.22A:2-51 et al.) shall be annually appropriated to the Department of Community Affairs for the provision to the poor of legal assistance in civil matters by Legal Services of New Jersey and to the Judiciary to fund 10 Superior Court judgeships, to supplement other funds appropriated from any other source in a fiscal year for these purposes. An appropriation pursuant to this section shall not be used to replace appropriations from other sources for these purposes.

b. An amount equal to 5% of the increase in fees collected pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1996, c.52 (C.22A:2-51 et al.) shall be annually appropriated to the Department of State, Higher Educational Services, to be allocated equally among Rutgers-Newark Law School, Rutgers-Camden Law School and Seton Hall Law School for clinical programs which provide free legal representation to the poor, to supplement other funds appropriated from any other source in a fiscal year for these purposes. An appropriation pursuant to this section shall not be used to replace appropriations from other sources for these purposes.

c. There is created in the Department of the Treasury a non-lapsing, revolving fund into which the Treasurer shall deposit annually an amount equal to the revenue derived from the increase in the fees collected pursuant to P.L.1996, c.52 (C.22A:2-51 et al.). Interest and other income earned on moneys deposited into this fund shall be credited to the fund. Moneys in the fund shall be appropriated and distributed annually exclusively for the purposes set forth in subsections a. and b. of this section. The State Treasurer shall have performed an audit of this fund biennially following the effective date of P.L.1996, c .52 (C.22A:2-51) and the results of the audit shall be included in the report required pursuant to subsection d. of this section.

d. The State Treasurer shall submit an annual report to the Legislature on the use of the fees collected pursuant to P.L.1996 , c.52 (C.22A:2-51 et al.) and deposited into the fund created pursuant to subsection c. of this section. The report shall be submitted to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the General Assembly, and the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee, Assembly Appropriations Committee, Senate Judiciary Committee and Assembly Judiciary Committee, or their successors.

L.1996,c.52,s.6.