Judicial Branch 预算 for FY 2024-2025
On June 12, 2024, Governor Ron DeSantis approved the FY 2024-2025 state budget of approximately $116.50亿年. The approved budget for the judicial branch either partially or fully funded the items requested in the branch’s legislative budget request, except for funding to initiate the development of a courthouse for the recently created Sixth District Court of Appeal and a request for trial court case management technology.
The funds appropriated to the judicial branch for the next fiscal year amounted to $741.3 million, which makes up less than 0.65% of the total state budget. 资金 for the judicial branch budget consists of $625.500万年 in general revenue and $115.8 million in trust fund dollars. In total, the judicial branch budget increased by $30.6 million over current fiscal year funding ($710.7 million), and staffing increased by an additional 101 full-time positions.
State Courts Administrator Eric Maclure said, "The State Courts System always strives to be a good steward of state resources, while also identifying outstanding budget needs. We are grateful for the Legislature’s and the Governor's ongoing support and the provision of increased critical funding and staffing.”
Part of the judicial branch’s legislative budget request sought increased funding and staff positions for court interpretation, 法院报告, 转录, and expert witness services in the trial courts. The Trial Court 预算 Commission has identified quickly growing needs for these important court services, which are essential to providing court users with due process in their cases. The final approved state budget partially funded the judicial branch’s request and will be instrumental to meeting the needs for these critical services.
The state budget also included a 3% salary increase and retirement enhancements for all state employees, which includes judicial officers and judicial branch employees.
Some additional budget items related to the administration of justice include:
• More than $442 million in funding to support behavioral health services. The funds will improve access to mobile response services, increase rates for providers, provide direct services, help expand the behavioral health workforce, and support collaboration between primary care and behavioral health providers.
• $93.2 million in additional funds to support those served or in danger of entering the child welfare system. The funds support foster parents and caregivers and expand access to post-adoption supports for young adults adopted from the dependency system.
• An increase of $7.2 million, for a total of $12.500万年, to support prevention efforts and to provide additional services to victims of human trafficking. The funds will provide housing for survivors to support their recovery and increased staffing to enhance prevention services.
•超过800美元,000 and 9 FTE to address the decline in victim advocate positions funded by grants that were established by the Victims of Crime Act in the Guardian Ad Litem Office.
Spending authority for FY 2024-2025 begins on July 1, 2024.