HB1407

House Bill 1407 aims to amend the administration of the State Administration of Justice Fund in Arkansas. The bill reflects a legislative shift following the consolidation of district courts into a unified state system, transitioning from numerous local part-time judges to 70 full-time state district court judges. It removes the statutory requirement for the state to provide funding to the Arkansas District Judges Council, Inc., for the salary or support of its Executive Director. The bill modifies the distribution list of the State Administration of Justice Fund by striking the entry for the Arkansas District Judges Council, Inc. Additionally, it updates the priority list for fund allocations to remove the executive director's position from the list of entities that must be fully funded first if the fund balance is inadequate. The stated intent is to ensure the efficient use of the fund, as the General Assembly no longer views this specific state support as necessary.