Title
Title
Allocations and Reimbursements to Trial Courts | Senate Bill 170: Funding for Increased Transcript Rates (Action Required)
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Summary
Summary
On September 23, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 170 into law, which amended the 2021 Budget Act and included $7 million ongoing General Fund for the Judicial Council to establish a methodology to allocate the funding to all trial courts to cover the costs associated with increased transcript rates under Assembly Bill 177 (Committee on Budget; Stats. 2021, ch. 257). The Trial Court Budget Advisory Committee recommends approving a proportional allocation methodology of the ongoing $7 million to all trial courts to cover the costs associated with increased transcript rates effective in fiscal year 2021-22.
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Recommendation
Recommendation
The Trial Court Budget Advisory Committee recommends that the Judicial Council, effective January 21, 2022:
1. Approve an allocation methodology that allocates the $7 million appropriation to each trial court proportionally, based on an average of the prior three-year transcript expenditures;
2. Establish fiscal year 2020-21 actual expenditures-adjusted to reflect the September 23, 2021, effective date of the increased transcript rate outlined in Attachment A-as a baseline to determine cost increases, and identify unspent funds for General Fund reversion each fiscal year, as necessary; and
3. Direct staff to update the three-year average for the allocation methodology each year based on the most recent data available for actual expenditures on transcripts.
This recommendation was presented to the Judicial Branch Budget Committee on December 7, 2021 and approved for consideration by the Judicial Council.
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Speakers
Speakers
Hon. Jonathan B. Conklin, Chair, Trial Court Budget Advisory Committee
Ms. Rebecca J. Fleming, Vice-chair, Trial Court Budget Advisory Committee