Administrative Office of the Courts
| Average Annual FTEs | Near General Fund State | Other Funds | Total Funds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in Thousands) | ||||
| Current Budget | 545.3 | 242,071 | 194,765 | 436,836 |
| 2023-25 Maintenance Level | 545.3 | 242,868 | 194,765 | 437,633 |
| Difference from 2023-25 Original | 0.0 | 797 | 0 | 797 |
| % Change from 2023-25 Original | 0.0% | 0.33% | 0.0% | 0.18% |
2024 Policy Other Changes |
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| Fund Water Rights Adjudication | 0.30 | 1,479 | 0 | 1,479 |
| Clark County Superior Court Judge | 0.30 | 218 | 0 | 218 |
| Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge | 0.30 | 218 | 0 | 218 |
| Implement Protection Order Support | 0.50 | 440 | 0 | 440 |
| Implement Small IT Projects | 2.3 | 1,769 | 0 | 1,769 |
| Continue Blake Implementation | 5.0 | 1,812 | 0 | 1,812 |
| Align Juror Pay Pilot Funding | 0.50 | 169 | 0 | 169 |
| Extend Self-Help Centers | 0.50 | 1,249 | 0 | 1,249 |
| Increase MJC Staffing | 0.50 | 155 | 0 | 155 |
| 2024 Policy Other Changes Total | 10.2 | 7,509 | 0 | 7,509 |
2024 Policy Comp Changes |
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| State Employee Benefits | 0.0 | 35 | 0 | 35 |
| Pension Rate Month of Death Bill | 0.0 | 17 | 0 | 17 |
| 2024 Policy Comp Changes Total | 0.0 | 52 | 0 | 52 |
2024 Policy Central Services Changes |
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| Legal Services | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| CTS Central Services | 0.0 | 88 | 0 | 88 |
| DES Central Services | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| OFM Central Services | 0.0 | 660 | 0 | 660 |
| GOV Central Services | 0.0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 2024 Policy Central Services Changes Total | 0.0 | 758 | 0 | 758 |
| Total Policy Changes | 10.2 | 8,319 | 0 | 8,319 |
| 2024 Policy Level | 555.5 | 251,187 | 194,765 | 445,952 |
| Difference from 2023-25 Original | 10.2 | 9,116 | 0 | 9,116 |
| % Change from 2023-25 Original | 1.9% | 3.8% | 0.0% | 2.1% |
Policy Changes
DES Central Services
Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) for Capitol campus costs; real estate, risk management, and small agency services; the Perry Street and Capitol Campus child care centers; enterprise applications, and other items. (General Fund - State)
OFM Central Services
Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Office of Financial Management for existing statewide applications, the One Washington program, and other central services. See Chapter 11 of the 2023-25 OFM Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (General Fund - State)
Fund Water Rights Adjudication
Funding is provided to the Whatcom County Superior Court for adjudication of water rights issues filed by the Department of Ecology in the Nooksack Basin Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA). (General Fund - State)
Clark County Superior Court Judge
An additional superior court judge position is funded for Clark County. This position is supported by the 2019 and 2020 Judicial Needs Estimate, and legislation will be introduced in the 2024 legislative session to amend RCW 2.08.064, increasing the number of superior court judge positions to twelve. (General Fund - State)
Cowlitz County Superior Court Judge
An additional superior court judge position is funded for Cowlitz County. This position is supported by the 2019 and 2020 Judicial Needs Estimate, and legislation will be introduced in the 2024 legislative session to amend RCW 2.08.064, increasing the number of superior court judge positions to six. (General Fund - State)
Implement Protection Order Support
This funding will support courts in implementing more accessible, trauma-informed protection order processes by providing additional staff to train and offer resources to pro tem judges who preside over civil protection orders. Superior and district courts will be reimbursed for their costs associated with this training. (General Fund - State)
Implement Small IT Projects
Funding is provided to complete small information technology projects to continue modernization of the agency's technology and to support existing IT investments. Projects include cybersecurity, appellate case management and eFiling alternatives, and the Appellate Court Enterprise Content Management System. (General Fund - State)
Continue Blake Implementation
This item provides ongoing funding to continue implementation of the State v. Blake decision. The agency will continue working with local courts to identify cases impacted by this decision since 1971 and establish a centralized process for refunding legal financial obligations. (General Fund - State)
Align Juror Pay Pilot Funding
Funded in the enacted 2023-25 budget, the juror pay pilot project was implemented to increase the diversity of juries and access to justice for those on trial by raising juror pay. Delaying the pilot to fiscal year 2025 allows time to propose technical corrections and new proviso language that raises juror pay from $50 to $100 per day. (General Fund - State)
Extend Self-Help Centers
This funding will extend the existing self-help center pilot program for an additional year. Self-help centers assist the growing number of unrepresented civil litigants in navigating the challenges of using a trial court system designed for professional attorneys. Evaluation and performance management support will prepare for the expansion of the program in the 2025-27 biennium. (General Fund - State)
Increase MJC Staffing
Funding is provided for the Minority and Justice Commission (MJC) to meet existing needs and additional responsibilities. (General Fund - State)
State Employee Benefits
Funding is provided to increase the retiree health insurance subsidy, adjusting the cap from $183 to $193 per month and raising the base subsidy percentage from 50 percent to 60 percent. The insurance funding rates are set at $1,145 per month for fiscal year 2024 and $1,158 per month for fiscal year 2025. (General Fund - State)
Pension Rate Month of Death Bill
Funding is provided for contribution rate impacts associated with proposed legislation that ensures the continuation of benefit payments through the end of the month in which a retiree or beneficiary dies. (General Fund - State)
Legal Services
Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of legal services provided by the Attorney General's Office. Because legal services expenditures are based on consumption, funding provided in the central service model is not all inclusive. The methodology to estimate consumption is a two-year average and allows for analysis to incorporate unique agency circumstances. (General Fund - State)
CTS Central Services
Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from Consolidated Technology Services (CTS) for the Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of Cybersecurity, state network, enterprise and small agency IT services, enterprise architecture and data management, Microsoft 365 licenses, and other items. (General Fund - State)
GOV Central Services
Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Office of the Governor for the Office of Equity. (General Fund - State)
