It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

SECTION 1. Section 8-15-4 of the General Laws in Chapter 8-15 entitled "Court Administration" is hereby amended to read as follows:

B>{ADD 8-15-4. Appointment of court administrator and assistants. -- ADD} (a) The chief justice shall appoint a court administrator and such assistants as he deems necessary to aid in the administration of the judicial system. The administrator and his assistants shall serve at the pleasure of the chief justice.

(b) The court administrator shall, under the direction of the chief justice, prepare an annual budget for the judicial system and submit the same to the department of administration and perform all other necessary functions relating to the administration of the courts thereof.

{ADD (c) The court administrator shall, under the direction of the chief justice, assume control of and supervise the maintenance and repair of all buildings housing the supreme and several inferior courts of justice throughout the state of Rhode Island presently under the jurisdiction and authority of the department of administration. The general assembly shall appropriate sufficient amounts in the court budget to enable the court administrator to implement the provisions of this section. ADD}

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.