Title
Title
Juvenile Law | 2025-26 Allocations for Dependency Counsel Collections Program and Expected Unspent Program Funding (Action Required) (Moved from Consent Agenda to Discussion Agenda)
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Summary
Summary
The Trial Court Budget Advisory Committee recommends two redistributions for court-appointed juvenile dependency counsel funds for fiscal year 2025-26. These allocations ensure that statutorily restricted funds collected under the Juvenile Dependency Counsel Collections Program are allocated according to the Judicial Council methodology and that unspent court-appointed juvenile dependency counsel funds are reallocated to eligible courts able to utilize the funding. This action promotes equitable distribution of resources and supports effective representation for children and families in dependency proceedings.
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Recommendation
Recommendation
The Trial Court Budget Advisory Committee recommends that the Judicial Council, effective April 24, 2026:
1. Allocate Juvenile Dependency Counsel Collections Program funds of $125,145 remitted in fiscal year (FY) 2024-25; and
2. Allocate FY 2025-26 estimated unspent dependency counsel funding of $980,773 from courts that have identified funds in excess of expected expenditures to courts funded below the average statewide funding level pursuant to Judicial Council action in April 2015.
These recommendations were presented to the Judicial Branch Budget Committee at its meeting on February 19, 2026, and approved for consideration by the Judicial Council.
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Speakers
Speakers
Hon. Ann C. Moorman, Chair, Judicial Branch Budget Committee