CHAPTER 77. JUDICIAL COMMITTEE ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
GOVERNMENT CODE
TITLE 2. JUDICIAL BRANCH
SUBTITLE F. COURT ADMINISTRATION
CHAPTER 77. JUDICIAL COMMITTEE ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
SUBCHAPTER A. GENERAL PROVISIONS
Sec. 77.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:
(1) "Committee" means the Judicial Committee on Information
Technology.
(2) "Court" means any tribunal forming a part of the judiciary.
(3) "Internet" means the largest nonproprietary nonprofit
cooperative public computer network, popularly known as the
Internet.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1327, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1,
1997.
SUBCHAPTER B. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS
Sec. 77.011. JUDICIAL COMMITTEE ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY. (a)
The committee operates under the direction and supervision of the
chief justice of the supreme court.
(b) The committee shall exercise the powers and perform the
duties or functions imposed on the committee by this chapter or
the supreme court.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1327, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1,
1997.
Sec. 77.012. MEMBERS. (a) The committee is composed of 15
members appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court.
(b) The chief justice of the supreme court, in making
appointments to the committee, shall attempt to select members
who are representative of, but not limited to, appellate court
judges, appellate court clerks, district court judges, county
court judges, statutory probate judges, justices of the peace,
municipal court judges, district attorneys, court reporters,
court administrators, district or county clerks, members of the
legislature, attorneys, and the general public. The members shall
be selected based on their experience, expertise, or special
interest in the use of technology in court. A representative from
the Office of Court Administration of the Texas Judicial System
shall serve as a nonvoting member of the committee.
(c) The chief justice of the supreme court shall designate the
presiding officer of the committee. The presiding officer may
form subcommittees as needed to accomplish the business of the
committee.
(d) A person may not serve on the committee if the person is
required to register as a lobbyist under Chapter 305 because of
the person's activities for compensation on behalf of a
profession related to the business of the committee.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1327, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1,
1997.
Sec. 77.013. COMPENSATION. A member of the committee is not
entitled to compensation but is entitled to reimbursement of
travel expenses incurred by the member while conducting the
business of the committee, as provided in the General
Appropriations Act.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1327, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1,
1997.
Sec. 77.014. STAFF. The Office of Court Administration of the
Texas Judicial System shall provide staff for the committee.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1327, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1,
1997.
SUBCHAPTER C. POWERS AND DUTIES; FUNDING
Sec. 77.031. GENERAL POWERS AND DUTIES. The committee shall:
(1) develop programs to implement the recommendations of the
Information Technology Task Force of the Texas Commission on
Judicial Efficiency;
(2) develop minimum standards for voice storage and retrieval
services, including voice messaging and electronic mail services,
local area networks, Internet access, electronic data
interchange, data dictionaries, and other technological needs of
the judicial system;
(3) develop a coordinated statewide computer and communication
network that is capable of linking all courts in this state;
(4) encourage efficiency and planning coordination by
researching the possible uses of existing computer and
communication networks developed by other state agencies;
(5) develop minimum standards for an electronically based
document system to provide for the flow of information within the
judicial system in electronic form and recommend rules relating
to the electronic filing of documents with courts;
(6) develop security guidelines for controlling access to and
protecting the integrity and confidentiality of information
available in electronic form;
(7) develop a state judicial system web page for use on the
Internet accessible to the public for a reasonable access fee set
by the supreme court after consultation with the committee;
(8) develop minimum standards for an internal computer and
communication network available only to court staff;
(9) recommend pilot programs relating to the testing and
demonstration of new technologies as applied to the judicial
system;
(10) recommend programs to provide training and technical
assistance to users of the coordinated statewide computer and
communication network;
(11) develop funding priorities regarding the various
technological needs of the judicial system; and
(12) recommend distributions to courts from the judicial
technology account in the judicial fund.
Added by Acts 1997, 75th Leg., ch. 1327, Sec. 4, eff. Sept. 1,
1997.