Imposition and collection of the equal justice fee

(1) Beginning January 1, 2025, the authority shall impose, and the court shall collect on behalf of the authority, an equal justice fee in the amount specified in sections 13-4-112 (3), 13-32-101 (9), and 13-32-102 (7) on the court filings specified in sections 13-4-112 (1)(a) and (1)(b); 13-32-101 (1), except filings in small claims court; and 13-32-102 (1)(a), (1)(b), and (1)(f). For the purpose of minimizing compliance costs for court users and administrative costs for the authority, the court shall collect the equal justice fee on behalf of the authority in the same manner in which it collects court filing fees imposed by sections 13-4-112, 13-32-101, and 13-32-102; except that the court shall not transmit the collected equal justice fees to the state treasurer for deposit to any state fund but shall instead remit the fees collected to the authority in accordance with the process developed pursuant to subsection (2) of this section. (2) The authority shall maintain an account in a financial institution to which all money collected for the equal justice fee is deposited. The authority shall work with the judicial department to develop a process that ensures that each court is able to promptly and efficiently deposit all equal justice fees collected directly into the account or otherwise promptly and efficiently remit such fees to the authority. (3) Equal justice fees collected and remitted to the authority pursuant to this section are not state revenue.