Sec. 1. 4 MRSA §17, sub-§16, as amended by PL 1993, c. 675, Pt. C, §8, is further amended to read:

16. Report on out-of-state travel. Submit to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over appropriations and financial affairs a quarterly report on out- of-state travel activity of the Judicial Department. The report must be submitted within 15 days after the end of each quarter and must include, for each individual who has been authorized to travel, the destination, purpose and cost by funding source of each trip; and

Sec. 2. 4 MRSA §17, sub-§17, śC, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 675, Pt. C, §9, is amended to read:

C. The statement on proposed legislation prepared by the State Court Administrator must be considered in the preparation of the fiscal note included in a committee amendment or other amendment if the legislation or amendment has a fiscal impact on the judicial system, as determined by the State Court Administrator.; and

Sec. 3. 4 MRSA §17, sub-§18 is enacted to read:

18.__Electronic record conversion and availability.__Ensure that all records of the court involving criminal proceedings, including criminal records made pursuant to section 564, are available in electronic format within one week of the making of the record.__The administrator shall make these electronic records available to the public.

Sec. 4. Conversion of criminal court records. By July 1, 2006, the State Court Administrator shall ensure that all criminal records made pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 4, section 564 are transposed to electronic format and made available to the public pursuant to Title 4, section 17, subsection 18.

SUMMARY

This bill requires the State Court Administrator to provide for the transposition of all criminal records of Maine courts to electronic format by July 1, 2006. Thereafter, a criminal record made by a court must be transposed to electronic format within one week of the making of the record. The administrator is required to make these electronic court records available to the public.