Subcommittee advances FY27 judiciary budget, restores funding for court visitors

The House Finance Judiciary Subcommittee on Friday approved its Budget Action Report and moved the Alaska Court System's FY2027 operating budget out of committee, restoring several court-system requests and adding funding for court visitors.

For the record, Rachel Gunn, staff to Chair Jimmy, told members the BA report accepts the governor's FY2027 proposal but restores three items that had been part of the court system's original request. "First, it adds $6,000 in UGF to the Commission on Judicial Conduct for increased travel expenses post COVID. Second, it adds $6,300 in UGF to the trial courts for operation and maintenance cost increases. Third, it adds $115,500 in GF to the therapeutic courts for competency calendaring staff in a 2 year temporary increment," Gunn said, summarizing the package. She said those adjustments produced a net increase of $721,800 in UGF for the court system.

The committee then considered two member-proposed conceptual amendments. Representative Mina moved Conceptual Amendment No. 1 to add $363,500 in unrestricted general funds to the court system appropriation to cover court visitors. Mina said court visitors are "mandated by statute when there is an initial petition for guardianship and or conservatorship," and described their duties: advising respondents of rights, conducting independent investigations and filing triennial reports for appointed conservators. Mina told the committee billable hours for the program have been roughly 33% higher since FY2024 than the current operating budget assumed, and said the amendment would restore an amount previously requested in the FY26 process.

Members questioned how the program had been funded when billable hours previously exceeded the budget. Noah Klein, associate counsel for the Alaska Court System, said court filing fees are deposited into the state's general fund and could not be earmarked automatically for court visitors. "Court filing fees all go directly into the general fund," Klein said. He added that court visitors are contracted and that the court system has used vacancy savings in prior years to cover higher contract hours, but cautioned that vacancy savings are not a reliable, recurring funding source.

After discussion the subcommittee held a roll-call vote on Amendment No. 1; the chair announced the tally as three ayes and one nay and said the amendment passed.

Representative Underwood next offered Conceptual Amendment No. 2 to change the fund source for a line item from the General Fund to the Mental Health Trust (referred to in the hearing as MTAR). Representative Mina objected for purposes of discussion, arguing the Mental Health Trust Authority already has related appropriations and that using trust funds against the authority's recommendations would undermine the trust's deliberative process. "It's a little bit worrying when the legislature starts to appropriate more funds from the mental health trust authorities' funds," Mina said.

The committee took a roll-call vote on the fund-source amendment; the chair announced the amendment failed by three nays to one yay.

With those actions complete, the subcommittee voted to move the Budget Action Report out of committee. Chair Jimmy thanked staff and agency representatives and gavels adjourned the session at 12:59 p.m. The BA report as amended will proceed in the legislative process for further consideration.