Office of Civil Legal Aid

  Average Annual FTEs Near General Fund State Other Funds Total Funds
  (Dollars in Thousands)
Current Budget 8.5 92,711 2,223 94,934
2023-25 Maintenance Level 8.5 93,722 3,312 97,034
Difference from 2023-25 Original 0.0 1,011 1,089 2,100
% Change from 2023-25 Original 0.0% 1.1% 49.0% 2.2%

2023 Policy Other Changes

Adjust Civil Legal Aid Vendor Rate 0.0 4,401 0 4,401
Civil Relief Under State v. Blake 0.0 0 4,774 4,774
Children's Rep. Right to Counsel 0.0 4,387 0 4,387
Children's Rep. Contractor Increase 0.0 1,715 0 1,715
Pre-RTC Eviction Defense Services 0.0 4,987 0 4,987
Tenant Right to Counsel Program 0.0 5,629 0 5,629
Biennial Funding for State v. Blake 0.0 4,774 0 4,774
2023 Policy Other Changes Total 0.0 25,893 4,774 30,667

2023 Policy Comp Changes

State Employee Benefits 0.0 5 0 5
Non-Rep Recruitment/Retention 0.0 11 0 11
Non-Rep General Wage Increase 0.0 156 0 156
PERS & TRS Plan 1 Benefit Increase 0.0 2 0 2
Vaccine Booster Incentive 0.0 10 0 10
2023 Policy Comp Changes Total 0.0 184 0 184

2023 Policy Central Services Changes

Audit Services 0.0 2 0 2
Legal Services 0.0 3 0 3
CTS Central Services 0.0 73 0 73
DES Central Services 0.0 7 0 7
OFM Central Services 0.0 11 0 11
GOV Central Services 0.0 2 0 2
2023 Policy Central Services Changes Total 0.0 98 0 98
Total Policy Changes 0.0 26,175 4,774 30,949
2023-25 Policy Level 8.5 119,897 8,086 127,983
Difference from 2021-23 0.0 27,186 5,863 33,049
% Change from 2023-25 Original 0.0% 29.3% 263.7% 34.8%

Policy Changes

Adjust Civil Legal Aid Vendor Rate

A vendor rate adjustment is provided to protect existing client service delivery capacity at the Northwest Justice Project and to maintain the current levels of client service capacity of subcontracted volunteer attorney and specialty legal aid providers in light of projected cost increases. (General Fund - State)

Civil Relief Under State v. Blake

Funding is provided to continue legal assistance to individuals eligible for civil relief as a result of the Washington Supreme Court’s decision in State v. Blake. (Judicial Stabilization Trust Acct - State)

Children's Rep. Right to Counsel

This funding will ensure full and proper implementation of legislative mandates that certain children and youth receive the assistance of appointed counsel in dependency cases in accordance with the graduated expansion directives in RCW 13.34.212(3). (General Fund - State)

Children's Rep. Contractor Increase

This funding will adjust Children’s Representation Program contract attorney (vendor) rates to levels necessary to facilitate the recruitment and retention of qualified attorneys to provide standards-based representation for children and youth eligible for appointed counsel in dependency and termination cases as required by RCW 13.34.212. (General Fund - State)

Pre-RTC Eviction Defense Services

Funding is provided to (1) continue capacity to provide eviction defense services for indigent tenants threatened with eviction but who are not eligible for appointed counsel because a court action has not yet been commenced, and (2) support non-Right to Counsel (RTC) eviction defense information, advice, and referral service demand caused by mandatory notice in the 14-day notice required by RCW 59.18.057(3). (General Fund - State)

Tenant Right to Counsel Program

This item provides appropriate dedicated funding for core functions for the tenant right to counsel program not included in the initial implementation plan, addresses capacity shortfalls in locations where demand exceeds allocated eviction defense capacity, and provides vendor rate adjustments of 4% per year to ensure current capacity in the appointed counsel program for indigent tenants established in RCW 59.18.640. (General Fund - State)

Biennial Funding for State v. Blake

The Office of Civil Legal Aid will receive ongoing General Fund-State support to continue providing legal assistance to individuals eligible for civil relief as a result of the Washington Supreme Court’s decision in State v. Blake. To provide information, on-line forms, and direct civil legal assistance to individuals eligible for relief under this court decision over the course of an entire biennium, the judicial branch is requesting ongoing financial support from the General Fund to the Judicial Stabilization Trust Account. (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)

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)

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)