(a) Notwithstanding any other law, for the purpose of assisting the City and County of San Francisco in the acquisition, rehabilitation, construction, and financing of courtrooms or of a courtroom building or buildings containing facilities necessary or incidental to the operation of the justice system, the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco may require the amounts collected pursuant to subdivision (d) to be deposited in the Courthouse Construction Fund established pursuant to Section 76100. In the City and County of San Francisco, the moneys of the Courthouse Construction Fund together with any interest earned thereon shall be payable only for the foregoing purposes and at the time necessary therefor, and for the purposes set forth in subdivision (b) and at the time necessary therefor.
(b) In conjunction with the acquisition, rehabilitation, construction, or financing of courtrooms or of a courtroom building or buildings referred to in subdivision (a), the City and County of San Francisco may use the moneys of the Courthouse Construction Fund (1) to rehabilitate existing courtrooms or an existing courtroom building or buildings for other uses if new courtrooms or a courtroom building or buildings are acquired, constructed, or financed or (2) to acquire, rehabilitate, construct, or finance excess courtrooms or an excess courtroom building or buildings if that excess is anticipated to be needed at a later time.
(c) Any excess courtrooms or excess courtroom building or buildings that are acquired, rehabilitated, constructed, or financed pursuant to subdivision (b) may be leased or rented for uses other than the operation of the justice system until such time as the excess courtrooms or excess courtroom building or buildings are needed for the operation of the justice system. Any amounts received as lease or rental payments pursuant to this subdivision shall be deposited in the Courthouse Construction Fund.
(d) In the City and County of San Francisco, a surcharge for the purpose and for the time set forth in this section may be added to the filing fees under Sections 70611, 70612, 70613, 70614, 70650, 70651, 70652, 70653, 70655, and 70670 in any civil, family, or probate action in the superior court. The surcharge shall be in an amount, not to exceed fifty dollars ($50), as set forth in a resolution adopted by the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco. If a surcharge under this section is imposed on a filing fee, the distribution that would otherwise be made to the State Court Facilities Construction Fund under subdivision (c) of Section 68085.3 or subdivision (c) of Section 68085.4 shall be reduced as provided in Section 70603. The county shall notify in writing the superior court and the Administrative Office of the Courts of any change in a surcharge under this section. When the amortized costs that are to be repaid from this fund have been repaid, the county shall notify in writing the superior court and the Administrative Office of Courts, and the surcharge under this section shall terminate, as provided in subdivision (b) of Section 70375.
(Amended by Stats. 2010, Ch. 709, Sec. 6. (SB 1062) Effective January 1, 2011.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018