(1) The general assembly hereby finds that:
Providing access to state court facilities and ensuring the safety of employees andother users of state court facilities are fundamental components of ensuring access to justice for the people of the state of Colorado;
Recent years have seen numerous occasions in which courthouse repair, renovation,improvement, and expansion needs have become important priorities for judicial districts and the counties they serve;
In some cases these needs result from anticipated causes, such as expanding caseloads, the allocations of new judges to the district, or the aging of existing courtroom facilities and the attendant need to bring them up to current operational and safety standards;
In other cases the needs are driven by unexpected events, such as natural disasters,accidents, or the discovery of previously unknown threats to health and safety; and
While the responsibility for providing adequate courtrooms and other court facilitieslies with county governments, the geographically, demographically, and economically diverse nature of our state affects the level of funding and services that each county can provide.
(2) The general assembly, therefore, determines and declares that:
The creation of the underfunded courthouse facility cash fund commission and theunderfunded courthouse facility cash fund is beneficial to and in the best interests of the people of the state of Colorado; and
The purpose of the commission and the fund is to provide supplemental funding forcourthouse facility projects in the counties with the most limited financial resources.
Source: L. 2014: Entire part added, (HB 14-1096), ch. 186, p. 691, § 1, effective May 14.