Supreme Court

  Average Annual FTEs Near General Fund State Other Funds Total Funds
  (Dollars in Thousands)
Current Budget 76.7 30,079 0 30,079
2023-25 Maintenance Level 76.7 30,077 0 30,077
Difference from 2023-25 Original 0.0 (2) 0 (2)
% Change from 2023-25 Original 0.0% (0.0%) 0.0% (0.0%)

2024 Policy Other Changes

Enhance Security for Supreme Court 0.0 1,922 0 1,922
Reduce Barriers to Appellate Access 0.30 109 0 109
Compensate Lived Experience 0.0 50 0 50
Ensure Access to Justice 0.0 250 0 250
2024 Policy Other Changes Total 0.30 2,331 0 2,331

2024 Policy Comp Changes

State Employee Benefits 0.0 5 0 5
Pension Rate Month of Death Bill 0.0 3 0 3
2024 Policy Comp Changes Total 0.0 8 0 8

2024 Policy Central Services Changes

CTS Central Services 0.0 2 0 2
DES Central Services 0.0 9 0 9
OFM Central Services 0.0 97 0 97
GOV Central Services 0.0 1 0 1
2024 Policy Central Services Changes Total 0.0 109 0 109
Total Policy Changes 0.30 2,448 0 2,448
2024 Policy Level 77.0 32,525 0 32,525
Difference from 2023-25 Original 0.30 2,446 0 2,446
% Change from 2023-25 Original 0.39% 8.1% 0.0% 8.1%

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)

Enhance Security for Supreme Court

This item funds additional security for the Supreme Court by the Washington State Patrol and private firms. Increased security at the Temple of Justice is critical for the safety of both court employees and Justices, especially given the rising number and severity of threats. This funding will also include equipment and technology upgrades to make security more effective, such as high-resolution video cameras and badging systems that communicate with main campus security systems. (General Fund - State)

Reduce Barriers to Appellate Access

A study is funded to identify barriers to the appellate justice system for unrepresented individuals. There are substantial expenses associated with filing an appeal, and no mechanism exists for waiving those expenses for low-income individuals. These barriers are compounded for appellants with limited English proficiency and individuals with disabilities requiring accommodation to participate in appellate proceedings. The study will examine the full extent of the problems and systemic obstacles to access and will recommend solutions to address them in order to improve access to justice in our appellate courts. (General Fund - State)

Compensate Lived Experience

This item funds compensation for valued community members who bring their lived experience perspectives to the court's boards and commissions. (General Fund - State)

Ensure Access to Justice

Funding is provided to begin the process of making the Temple of Justice accessible for individuals with disabilities. The building is generally inaccessible to anyone who has difficulty using stairs, which violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and principles enshrined in both our federal and state constitutions to ensure equal access to justice. (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)

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)

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)

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)