Opinion ID: 2532893
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: FCTC Responsibilities and Authority

Text: New rule 2.236 charges the FCTC with broad responsibility for overseeing, managing, and directing the development and use of technology within the judicial branch under the direction of the Court. [7] Subdivision (b) sets forth these responsibilities. The rule ensures that the FCTC will develop all technology policies and standards for the trial and appellate courts and will review all applications for new court technology systems and modifications to existing systems to ensure compliance with standards adopted by the Court. The rule also gives the Commission authority to enforce the technology policies, standards, and requirements adopted by the Court, by requiring the termination or modification of, or by imposing conditions on, a program or system application that is not in compliance. Under subdivision (b)(4), the Commission will direct and establish priorities for the work of all judicial branch technology committees. We have modified the subdivision to make clear that the Commission must review and approve recommendations made by any court committee that concerns judicial branch technology matters or otherwise implicates court technology policy. We also have added a new subdivision (g) to the rule to formally establish the Appellate Court Technology Committee (ACTC or Committee) as a standing committee of the FCTC [8] and to formally recognize the responsibilities of that vital committee. The new subdivision clarifies that ACTC recommendations that implicate court technology policy must be reviewed and approved by the Commission, and the Commission will report those recommendations and the action it takes on them to the Court. Significantly, the subdivision provides a vehicle for the Committee to support or oppose FCTC action on its recommendations.