Courts: fees.

The California Assembly Committee on Judiciary has proposed comprehensive reforms to court fee structures, focusing on videoconferencing services and other court-provided products. The legislation establishes strict limits on fees, requiring courts to charge no more than the actual per-user cost of providing these services.

Under the proposed changes, courts must calculate fees based on a "pro rata cost" formula, defined as the reasonable estimate of expenses not already funded by the Legislature. The bill mandates Judicial Council approval for any fee not explicitly authorized by statute or rule, with collected amounts distributed to the charging court. For videoconferencing specifically, fees must align with the direct costs of providing remote appearance capabilities.

The legislation creates new oversight mechanisms through mandatory reporting requirements. By March 2027, the Judicial Council must submit a detailed analysis to the Legislature documenting all superior court fees not explicitly authorized or prohibited by law. This report will catalog service descriptions, fee amounts, approval status, implementation costs, and usage statistics. Beginning in 2028, the Council must provide annual updates on any new fees introduced by superior courts, maintaining ongoing transparency about court fee practices.