(a) General rule.--The Administrative Office shall annually obtain and prepare information for the preparation of a budget for the Judicial Department within such time as to comply with the requirements of section 610 of the act of April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as "The Administrative Code of 1929." The Administrative Office shall distribute to each budget respondent the proper blanks necessary for the preparation of the budget estimates, with a request that such blanks be returned with the information desired, not later than a date specified by the Administrative Office. Such blanks shall be in such form as shall be prescribed by the Administrative Office to procure, as to functions to be funded in whole or in part through appropriations through the budget of the Judicial Department, any or all information pertaining to the purposes of all programs to be funded in the budget, the revenues, expenditures, program activities and accomplishments for the preceding fiscal year, for the current fiscal year and for the budget year and for four succeeding years, the appropriations made for the preceding fiscal year, the expenditures therefrom, encumbrances thereon, the amount unencumbered and unexpended, an itemized estimate of the revenues and expenditures of the current fiscal year, for the budget year and succeeding years, and an estimate of the revenues and amounts needed and program activity and accomplishment levels for such functions. Such blanks shall also request the budget respondent to accompany them with a statement in writing, giving the facts, and an explanation of the methods and reasons for arriving at the estimates of receipts and expenditures for the budget year and for four succeeding years.

(b) Duty to respond.--It shall be the duty of each budget respondent to comply, not later than the date specified by the Administrative Office, with any and all requests made by the Administrative Office in connection with the budget.

(c) Additional information.--The Administrative Office may, under the direction of the governing authority, make further inquiries and investigations as to the financial needs, expenditures, estimates, or revenues, of any recipient of funds appropriated to the unified judicial system or through the budget of the Judicial Department to a political subdivision, including such information relating to judicial and related functions as the Administrative Office may specify.

(Apr. 28, 1978, P.L.202, No.53, eff. 60 days; Oct. 5, 1980, P.L.693, No.142, eff. 60 days)

1980 Amendment. Act 142 amended subsec. (a).

Cross References. Section 3521 is referred to in sections 3522, 3523 of this title.