Office of Attorney General
| Average Annual FTEs | Near General Fund State | Other Funds | Total Funds | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dollars in Thousands) | ||||
| Current Budget | 1,398.0 | 49,935 | 394,711 | 444,646 |
| 2023-25 Maintenance Level | 1,445.1 | 53,048 | 418,892 | 471,940 |
| Difference from 2023-25 Original | 47.1 | 3,113 | 24,181 | 27,294 |
| % Change from 2023-25 Original | 3.4% | 6.2% | 6.1% | 6.1% |
2023 Policy Other Changes |
||||
| Climate Change Planning | 0.10 | 0 | 50 | 50 |
| SVP Unit Resources | 7.5 | 2,193 | 0 | 2,193 |
| Organized Retail Crime Task Force | 7.9 | 2,265 | 0 | 2,265 |
| Criminal Litigation Resources | 5.5 | 1,874 | 0 | 1,874 |
| MMIWP Extension | 0.50 | 378 | 0 | 378 |
| Community Mental Health | 1.8 | 0 | 512 | 512 |
| DCYF Legal Rep Transition | 8.3 | 0 | 2,192 | 2,192 |
| Military & Veteran Legal Assistance | 1.0 | 218 | 0 | 218 |
| PLIA Additional Legal Services | 1.1 | 0 | 338 | 338 |
| Statewide Defense Litigation | 0.0 | 500 | 0 | 500 |
| OIC Legal Services | 1.8 | 0 | 512 | 512 |
| State Treasurer Legal Services | 0.50 | 0 | 162 | 162 |
| Sustainable Harvest Litigation | 0.0 | 0 | 300 | 300 |
| 2023 Policy Other Changes Total | 36.0 | 7,428 | 4,066 | 11,494 |
2023 Policy Comp Changes |
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| WFSE Assistant AGs | 0.0 | 2,732 | 17,363 | 20,095 |
| State Employee Benefits | 0.0 | 12 | 90 | 102 |
| WFSE General Government | 0.0 | 2,079 | 12,301 | 14,380 |
| Rep Employee Health Benefits | 0.0 | 90 | 501 | 591 |
| Non-Rep Recruitment/Retention | 0.0 | 29 | 220 | 249 |
| Non-Rep General Wage Increase | 0.0 | 387 | 2,968 | 3,355 |
| PERS & TRS Plan 1 Benefit Increase | 0.0 | 53 | 296 | 349 |
| Vaccine Booster Incentive | 0.0 | 25 | 189 | 214 |
| 2023 Policy Comp Changes Total | 0.0 | 5,407 | 33,928 | 39,335 |
2023 Policy Central Services Changes |
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| State Data Center | 0.0 | (4) | (41) | (45) |
| Archives/Records Management | 0.0 | 4 | 34 | 38 |
| Audit Services | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Administrative Hearings | 0.0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| CTS Central Services | 0.0 | (69) | (645) | (714) |
| DES Central Services | 0.0 | 88 | 844 | 932 |
| OFM Central Services | 0.0 | 233 | 2,218 | 2,451 |
| GOV Central Services | 0.0 | 55 | 508 | 563 |
| 2023 Policy Central Services Changes Total | 0.0 | 307 | 2,926 | 3,233 |
| Total Policy Changes | 36.0 | 13,142 | 40,920 | 54,062 |
| 2023-25 Policy Level | 1,481.1 | 66,190 | 459,812 | 526,002 |
| Difference from 2021-23 | 83.1 | 16,255 | 65,101 | 81,356 |
| % Change from 2023-25 Original | 5.9% | 32.6% | 16.5% | 18.3% |
Policy Changes
Climate Change Planning
Funding is provided to implement legislation addressing climate change through the state's growth management framework. (Legal Services Revolving Account - State)
SVP Unit Resources
Funds are provided to support the increased workload of the Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) unit, including a trial backlog created by the pandemic and a substantial increase in SVP cases referred from the 38 Washington counties represented by the unit. (General Fund - State)
Organized Retail Crime Task Force
The agency will create a centralized statewide Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF) to deter and prevent crimes that harm Washington's vulnerable retail workers and consumers and cause economic harm. The task force will include representatives from state, local, and federal law enforcement, small and large businesses, and retail workers. At least nine state legislatures, including California, have made similar investments in organized retail crime task forces to investigate these sophisticated multi-jurisdictional crimes. (General Fund - State)
Criminal Litigation Resources
Funding is provided for the increased prosecution workload of the Criminal Litigation Unit (CLU) due to the increased complexity of criminal cases such as murder, rape, aggravated assault, public corruption and fraud. In addition to its prosecutorial duties, since 2013 the CLU is tasked with representing the state when claims for compensation for wrongful conviction are brought pursuant to the Wrongfully Convicted Persons Act (WCPA). The WCPA increased CLU’s workload with complex civil trial work akin to tort defense. (General Fund - State)
MMIWP Extension
Funds are provided to continue the established Washington Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and People (MMIWP) Task Force created in 2021. The task force is already making progress towards addressing the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women, girls, and other individuals. The 23-member task force published its first report on August 1, 2022, which received significant media attention. The report included ten unanimous recommendations, including one to extend the task force through June 30, 2025. (General Fund - State)
Community Mental Health
Funding is provided for legal services for the Department of Social and Health Services and Health Care Authority for additional advice and petition hearings related to the development and opening of six new community-based residential treatment facilities that will house civilly committed patients. (Legal Services Revolving Account - State)
DCYF Legal Rep Transition
Funds are provided for representation in Pacific, Wahkiakum, and Kittitas counties for new child welfare caseloads as requested by the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF). Representation is currently provided by private attorneys through contracts with the AGO. In all but these three counties, DCYF is represented in child dependency and permanency cases by the AGO in local offices. DCYF seeks to complete the transition of representation to support consistency in practice and performance reporting. (Legal Services Revolving Account - State)
Military & Veteran Legal Assistance
The agency will use this funding for staff support of the Office of Military and Veterans Legal Assistance to coordinate with registered volunteer attorneys to meet the needs of military veterans and families seeking low-cost legal services. (General Fund - State)
PLIA Additional Legal Services
Funding is provided to support the Pollution Liability Insurance Agency (PLIA) in creating and operating a state financial assurance program and dismantling the existing pollution liability insurance program. PLIA anticipates needing legal services for rulemaking; legal advice; the drafting of contracts and agreements for petroleum underground storage tank owners, operators, contractors, and consultants; coordination with the Environmental Protection Agency on approval of the program; and possible litigation. (Legal Services Revolving Account - State)
Statewide Defense Litigation
Funds are provided for legal costs to defend Washington state in matters that are not directly billable to a specific state agency. The frequency of these cases, which often involve constitutional challenges, is increasing. (General Fund - State)
OIC Legal Services
Funding is provided to increase legal services provided to the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) because the current allocation is insufficient to meet its existing legal needs. OIC also anticipates a need for additional services in the 2023-25 biennium. Over the past several years, OIC has seen a marked increase in litigation, including actions challenging OIC’s authority, enforcement matters brought by the agency, and Administrative Procedure Act petitions that require judicial review. (Legal Services Revolving Account - State)
State Treasurer Legal Services
This funding will support the Office of the State Treasurer (OST) with a significant increase in legal services on matters such as capital project finance structures, complex financial questions, cash management requirements, debt limits, and general state revenue questions in an evolving and challenging financial world. This will allow OST to continue receiving timely legal advice that is critical to maintaining the state’s excellent credit rating. (Legal Services Revolving Account - State)
Sustainable Harvest Litigation
Funding is provided for the defense of the Department of Natural Resources related to the Marbled Murrelet Strategy and the sustainable harvest calculation. (Legal Services Revolving Account - State)
WFSE Assistant AGs
Funding is provided for a general wage increase of 4%, effective July 1, 2023; a general wage increase of 3%, effective July 1, 2024; targeted job classification base range increases; recognition and retention lump sum payments for employees employed on or before July 1, 2022 and continuously employed through July 1, 2023; and a shift premium increase for eligible shifts from $1 to $2.50 per eligible hour, as well as retention premium for AAGs at 5 and 10 years of service with the agency, with the retention premium of 5% starting at year 5 effective for the 2023-25 biennium. The agreement also includes a new step on the salary schedule, effective July 1, 2024. (Legal Services Revolving Account - State, General Fund - Federal, General Fund - State, other funds)
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, Legal Services Revolving Account - State, General Fund - Federal, other funds)
WFSE General Government
Funding is provided for a general wage increase of 4%, effective July 1, 2023; a general wage increase of 3%, effective July 1, 2024; targeted job classification base range increases; recognition and retention lump sum payments for employees employed on or before July 1, 2022 and continuously employed through July 1, 2023; shift premium increase for eligible shifts from $1 to $2.50 per eligible hour; a COVID-19 booster incentive of $1,000; supplemental shift premium increases for nurse classifications; 5% premium pay for employees who are assigned to a facility that provides direct care to residents, patients and/or clients and whose duties are required to be performed on location; and an increase of $250 to the annual lump sum payment for Labor and Industries risk classes 7200/7201. (General Fund - State, General Fund - Federal, Legal Services Revolving Account - State, other funds)
Rep Employee Health Benefits
This provides health insurance funding as part of the master agreements for employees who bargain for health benefits as part of a coalition of unions. 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, General Fund - Federal, Legal Services Revolving Account - State, other funds)
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. (Legal Services Revolving Account - State, General Fund - State, General Fund - Federal, other funds)
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 - Federal, Legal Services Revolving Account - State, General Fund - State, other funds)
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 - Federal, Legal Services Revolving Account - State, General Fund - State, other funds)
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. (Legal Services Revolving Account - State, General Fund - State, General Fund - Federal, other funds)
State Data Center
Adjustments are made for each agency's share of costs related to the State Data Center. (Public Service Revolving Account - State, General Fund - State, Legal Services Revolving Account - 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, Legal Services Revolving Account - State)
Audit Services
Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of audits performed by the State Auditor's Office. (Legal Services Revolving Account - State)
Administrative Hearings
Adjustments are made for each agency's anticipated cost of hearings performed by the Office of Administrative Hearings. (Man/Mobile Home Dispute Resolution - Non-Appropriated, Legal Services Revolving Account - 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. (Tobacco Prevention/Control Account - State, Man/Mobile Home Dispute Resolution - Non-Appropriated, Foreclosure Fairness Account - Non-Appropriated, other funds)
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. (Public Service Revolving Account - State, Legal Services Revolving Account - State, General Fund - State, other funds)
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. (Legal Services Revolving Account - State, General Fund - State, Public Service Revolving Account - State, other funds)
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. (Legal Services Revolving Account - State, Public Service Revolving Account - State, General Fund - State, other funds)
