488.018.  Disbursement of court costs. — 1.  Beginning July 1, 2000, or an earlier date which may be designated by order of the supreme court, upon written notice to all circuit clerks of this state, the clerk of each court of this state shall disburse court costs collected by, or under the authority of, the clerk, in the manner provided by supreme court rule.  Such rule may provide that all or portions of such court costs be deposited into a special fund or funds to be established by the state courts administrator.  Such funds shall not be considered to be state funds, except those funds disbursed to the department of revenue pursuant to subdivisions (4) and (5) of subsection 2 of this section; but shall be held in trust by the state courts administrator for benefit of those persons or entities entitled to receive such funds pursuant to subsection 2 of this section.  All amounts deposited into such fund or funds shall be maintained by the state courts administrator, invested in the manner required of the state treasurer for state funds by sections 30.240, 30.250, 30.260 and 30.270, and disbursed as provided by this section.

  2.  The state courts administrator shall disburse the amounts contained in the special fund or funds within thirty days of receipt of such amounts as follows:

  (1)  Refunds for overpayments or erroneous payments of court costs;

  (2)  Reimbursement in the amounts allowed by law to individuals or entities other than the court for services provided by such individuals or entities;

  (3)  Payment to persons or entities of additional charges allowed for specific purposes, as provided by law;

  (4)  Eighty percent of the remainder of such amounts, less any interest earned on such fund or funds, shall be paid to the director of the department of revenue for deposit into the general revenue fund, and the remaining twenty percent of such amounts, less interest, to each county treasury, or in the case of the city of St. Louis, the city treasury, in order to defray the costs incurred by the state, and each county and the city of St. Louis, related to the administration of the judicial system.  The proportion of such total amount paid to each county and the city of St. Louis pursuant to this section shall be paid in the proportions as the court's deposits to the fund or funds bear to the total deposits to the fund, on an annual basis;

  (5)  Any interest earned on such fund shall be payable to the director of the department of revenue for deposit into a revolving fund to be established pursuant to this subdivision.  The state treasurer shall be the custodian of the fund, and shall make disbursements, as allowed by lawful appropriations, only as follows:

  (a)  Sixty percent of the interest earned on such fund or funds less any costs incurred in the administration of such fund or funds maintained by the state courts administrator shall be paid to each court of this state, in the proportions as the court's deposits to the fund or funds bear to the total deposits to the fund, on an annual basis;

  (b)  Forty percent of the interest earned on such fund or funds maintained by the state courts administrator shall be paid to the supreme court.  

­­

­

All of such interest earned and appropriated to courts pursuant to this subdivision shall be expended by the courts for goods and services related to the administration of the judicial system.

  3.  The supreme court may establish and provide for by rule such accounting guidelines, procedures, forms, controls and reviews relating to the collection, deposit, payment and disbursement of all court costs collected pursuant to sections 488.010 to 488.020^*.  The supreme court may provide by rule for proper disbursement of moneys in event of a discrepancy in moneys collected and subject to disbursement.