Supreme Court

  Average Annual FTEs Near General Fund State Other Funds Total Funds
  (Dollars in Thousands)
Current Budget 61.4 20,778 0 20,778
2023-25 Maintenance Level 61.9 23,188 0 23,188
Difference from 2023-25 Original 0.50 2,410 0 2,410
% Change from 2023-25 Original 0.81% 11.6% 0.0% 11.6%

2023 Policy Other Changes

Create Supreme Court Administrator 1.0 612 0 612
Merge Law Library into Court 13.8 4,422 0 4,422
2023 Policy Other Changes Total 14.8 5,034 0 5,034

2023 Policy Comp Changes

State Employee Benefits 0.0 26 0 26
Non-Rep Recruitment/Retention 0.0 63 0 63
Non-Rep General Wage Increase 0.0 695 0 695
PERS & TRS Plan 1 Benefit Increase 0.0 16 0 16
Offer Externship Stipends 0.0 720 0 720
Vaccine Booster Incentive 0.0 47 0 47
2023 Policy Comp Changes Total 0.0 1,567 0 1,567

2023 Policy Central Services Changes

State Data Center 0.0 2 0 2
Archives/Records Management 0.0 1 0 1
Audit Services 0.0 2 0 2
Legal Services 0.0 6 0 6
CTS Central Services 0.0 5 0 5
DES Central Services 0.0 347 0 347
OFM Central Services 0.0 101 0 101
GOV Central Services 0.0 24 0 24
2023 Policy Central Services Changes Total 0.0 488 0 488
Total Policy Changes 14.8 7,089 0 7,089
2023-25 Policy Level 76.7 30,277 0 30,277
Difference from 2021-23 15.3 9,499 0 9,499
% Change from 2023-25 Original 24.9% 45.7% 0.0% 45.7%

Policy Changes

Create Supreme Court Administrator

The Supreme Court is the only court in the state that does not have a court administrator. Like other courts in Washington, the Supreme Court receives administrative support from the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) in areas such as IT support, HR functions, staffing for committees, and accounting. However, the Supreme Court has many specific administrative needs that fall outside the scope of the support AOC can provide. This funding will enable the Court to hire an administrator. (General Fund - State)

Merge Law Library into Court

The merger of the Washington State Law Library into the Washington State Supreme Court began in 1959. This funding will complete the merger intended by the 1959 Legislature by transferring the remaining expenditure authority on an ongoing basis from the library to the Court. (General Fund - State)

State Employee Benefits

Health insurance funding is provided for state employees who are not represented by a union, who are covered by a bargaining agreement that is not subject to financial feasibility determination, or who are not part of the coalition of unions for health benefits. The insurance funding rate is $1,160 per employee per month for fiscal year 2024 and $1,233 per employee per month for fiscal year 2025. (General Fund - State)

Non-Rep Recruitment/Retention

Funding is provided for recognition and retention lump sum payments for employees employed on or before July 1, 2022 and continuously employed through July 1, 2023. (General Fund - State)

Non-Rep General Wage Increase

Funding is provided for wage increases for state employees who are not represented by a union or who are covered by a bargaining agreement that is not subject to financial feasibility determination. It is sufficient for a general wage increase of 4 percent, effective July 1, 2023 and a general wage increase of 3 percent, effective July 1, 2024. This item includes both general government and higher education workers. (General Fund - State)

PERS & TRS Plan 1 Benefit Increase

For eligible Public Employees' and Teachers' Retirement Systems Plan 1 members, this item provides an increase of 3%, up to a maximum of $110 per month. (General Fund - State)

Offer Externship Stipends

Stipends are provided for externships which are mutually beneficial to the extern and employer. Externs at the Supreme Court help ease the administrative burden of court staff and increase court efficiency. Courts cannot currently afford to compensate their externs, which severely limits the size, diversity, and quality of the applicant pool. Both the executive and legislative branches have funding to compensate their externs, leaving the judicial branch as the only outlier. (General Fund - State)

Vaccine Booster Incentive

Funding is provided for a $1,000 lump sum COVID-19 booster incentive for non-represented employees. This funding does not cover institutions of higher education. (General Fund - State)

State Data Center

Adjustments are made for each agency's share of costs related to the State Data Center. (General Fund - State)

Archives/Records Management

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated share of charges for archives and records management services provided by the Secretary of State's Office. (General Fund - State)

Audit Services

Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of audits performed by the State Auditor's Office. (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 has been updated from a three-year average to 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 services, small agency IT services, security gateways, and geospatial imaging services. This amount now includes the total amount for agencies that use the Microsoft 365 shared tenant. See Chapter 11 of the 2023-25 OFM Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (General Fund - State)

DES Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Department of Enterprise Services (DES) for campus rent, parking, contracts, and security; capital project surcharges; financing cost recovery; public and historic facilities; real estate services; risk management services; personnel service rates; the Perry Street and Capitol Campus child care centers; small agency services; and the department's enterprise applications. See Chapter 11 of the 2023-25 OFM Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (General Fund - State)

OFM Central Services

Adjustments are made to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges for existing statewide applications, the One Washington program, and other central services provided by the Office of Financial Management. See Chapter 11 of the 2023-25 OFM Budget Instructions for allocation methodologies. (General Fund - State)

GOV Central Services

A new central service is created to reflect each agency's anticipated share of charges from the Office of the Governor for statewide policy staff and the Office of Equity. (General Fund - State)