Session Laws

Whereas, The deferred operation of this act would tend to defeat its purpose, which is to immediately provide for authorization to expend capital funds, therefore it is hereby declared to be an emergency law, necessary for the immediate preservation of the public convenience.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1. To provide for the design, acquisition upgrading, development and implementation of a comprehensive integrated information system for the trial court of the commonwealth, the sums set forth in section two of this act for the several purposes and subject to the conditions specified herein, are hereby made available from the General Capital Projects Fund, subject to the provisions of law regulating the disbursement of public funds.

SECTION 2. `tm;keep=no `tcol=6,B4;c1=1,9,tu,T;c2=1,78,tuc;c3=1,78,tuc;c4=12,53,tfh1;c5=16,49,tu;c6=66,13,tur `tc3 JUDICIARY. `tc2 Trial Court. `tc1 0330-0951 `tc4 For the acquisition, upgrading, development and implementation of a comprehensive integrated information system within and between the departments of the trial court of the commonwealth, as specified herein, including the purchase and installation of certain computer and data processing equipment, and for costs associated with planning, software development and related implementation costs, including the salaries and other personnel costs of staff assigned to said project; provided, however, that the chief justice for administration and management of the trial court, in consultation with the office of management information systems shall implement a statewide comprehensive integrated court information system within and between the departments of the trial court which is intended, among other purposes, to allow for the exchange of information within and between the departments of the trial court and between the trial court department and law enforcement agencies, public safety agencies, prosecutorial agencies, other state agencies, attorneys and the public that interact with the trial court departments; provided, further, that procurements of hardware, software and services shall be consistent with the Massachusetts strategic plan for information technology, so-called; provided, further, that all procurements shall satisfy the governor's advisory council on information technology standards, or the GACIT standards, so-called; provided, further, that no funds shall be expended from this item until such time as the chief justice for administration and management of the trial court submits a plan detailing the expenditure of funds authorized herein to the house and senate committees on ways and means, the house and senate committees on science and technology, the joint committee on state administration and the secretary of administration and finance; provided, further, that not more than five percent of the funds authorized herein may be expended for the administration and implementation of said capital projects funded herein; and provided, further, that said chief justice shall submit a report detailing said administrative expenditures to said committees `tc6 $75,000,000 `tcol;end

SECTION 3. To meet the expenditures necessary in carrying out the provisions of section two of this act, the state treasurer shall, upon the request of the governor, issue and sell bonds of the commonwealth in an amount to be specified by the governor, from time to time, but not exceeding in the aggregate, the sum of seventy-five million dollars. All bonds issued by the commonwealth, as aforesaid, shall be designated on their face, Judiciary Information Technology Loan, Act of 1995, and shall be issued for such maximum term of years, not exceeding seven years, as the governor may recommend to the general court pursuant to Section 3 of Article LXII of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth; provided, however, that all such bonds shall be payable not later than June thirtieth, two thousand and eight.

Bonds and the interest thereon issued under the authority of this section shall be general obligations of the commonwealth.

SECTION 4. The state treasurer may borrow from time to time on the credit of the commonwealth such sums of money as may be necessary for the purposes of meeting payments authorized by section two of this act and may issue and renew from time to time notes of the commonwealth thereof, bearing interest payable at such times and at such rates as shall be fixed by the state treasurer. Such notes shall be issued and may be renewed one or more times for such terms, not exceeding one year, as the governor may recommend to the general court in accordance with Section 3 of Article LXII of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth, but the final maturities of such notes, whether original or renewal, shall not be later than June thirtieth, two thousand and eight.

Notes and interest thereon issued under the authority of this section shall be general obligations of the commonwealth. All interest and payments on account of principal of such obligations shall be payable from the General Fund.

SECTION 5. Expenditures of funds for the purpose of section two of this act shall be based upon schedules prepared by the office of the chief justice for administration and management of the trial court and submitted to the secretary of administration and finance, the house and senate committees on ways and means, the house and senate committees on science and technology and the joint committee on state administration thirty days prior to the obligation of said funds. Said office is hereby further authorized and directed to file annually with said committees, commencing not later than September first, nineteen hundred and ninety-six, an accounting of expenditures for said project contained in said section two for the prior fiscal year, including, but not limited to, an accounting of the amount expended for hardware, software and personnel, an assessment of whether such project is within budget and on schedule for completion, and an explanation of any deviations in completion timetables and funding needs that were originally established for such project. Said office shall simultaneously file with said committees and said secretary a spending plan identifying projected expenditures on such project in the current fiscal year, including but not limited to, expenditures by type, and projected milestones and completion schedules.