FY 2024-25: JUDICIARY
Summary: As Passed by the House
House Bill 5515 (H-2)
Analyst: Robin R. Risko
Difference: House
FY 2023-24 From FY 2023-24
Enacted FY 2024-25 FY 2024-25 FY 2024-25 FY 2024-25 Enacted
as of 2/7/24 REV Executive House Senate Conference Amount %
IDG/IDT $1,902,300 $1,902,300 $1,902,300 $0 0.0
Federal 6,751,300 7,132,600 7,132,600 381,300 5.6
Local 0 0 0 0 --
Private 1,903,900 1,905,300 1,905,300 1,400 0.1
Restricted 95,152,600 95,887,300 95,887,300 734,700 0.8
GF/GP 250,218,100 265,213,900 263,388,900 13,170,800 5.3
Gross $355,928,200 $372,041,400 $370,216,400 $14,288,200 4.0
FTEs 598.0 655.5 635.5 37.5 6.3
Note: Appropriation figures for FY 2024-25 include all proposed appropriation amounts, including amounts designated as "one-
time."
Overview
Article VI of the State Constitution of 1963 forms the basis for Michigan's judicial branch of government. The Judiciary
budget provides operational funding for the Michigan Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the State Appellate Defender
Office, and other judicial agencies. The budget funds the salaries of justices of the Supreme Court and judges of the
appeals, circuit, probate, and district courts according to constitutional and statutory requirements. Funding assistance
for local trial court operations is provided through a variety of grant programs. The largest of these, the Court Equity Fund
Reimbursement program, reimburses counties for trial court operations based on a statutory formula that recognizes
circuit and probate caseloads and the number of judgeships.
FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25
Enacted House
Budget Changes from FY 2023-24 Enacted Appropriations (as of 2/7/24) Change
1. Statewide Case Management System FTE NA 0.0
Executive includes $4.6 million GF/GP and authorization for 19.0 new Gross NA $0
FTE positions for continued support of the statewide judicial case GF/GP NA $0
management system as additional trial courts transition to the system
from locally managed systems. Of the total, $3.6 million would be used
to support staff, operating, and maintenance costs and $1.0 million
would be used to purchase hardware and software for the additional FTE
positions and to fund increasing cloud hosting capacity, maintenance
and security services, and various licenses. House does not include
funding or authorization for FTE positions.
2. Appellate Indigent Defense Workload Standards FTE 0.0 23.0
Executive includes $3.3 million GF/GP to support costs of 23.0 new Gross $0 $3,259,000
attorney and support staff positions for the State Appellate Defender's GF/GP $0 $3,259,000
Office (SADO) for a three-year, phased implementation of workload
standards, based on a workload assessment from the National Center
for State Courts. Standards are developed in parallel with separate
workload standards for trial-level public defenders through the Michigan
Indigent Defense Commission. House concurs.
House Fiscal Agency 1 5/9/2024
 FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25
Enacted House
Budget Changes from FY 2023-24 Enacted Appropriations (as of 2/7/24) Change
3. SADO Collective Bargaining Agreement Gross $0 $856,100
Executive includes $856,100 GF/GP to cover costs of negotiated pay GF/GP $0 $856,100
increases for UAW-represented employees of SADO under the first-ever
collective bargaining agreement between SADO and the union.
Represented positions include assistant defenders, reentry specialists,
mitigation specialists, investigators, administrative positions (finance
and IT), and program positions (Criminal Defense Resource Center and
MAACS). House concurs.
4. SADO Non-Exclusively Represented Employees Gross $0 $205,600
Executive includes $205,600 to cover costs of a 5% base increase for GF/GP $0 $205,600
non-represented employees to bring them in line with similar civil service
positions and to keep pace with adjustments provided to union-
represented employees. House concurs.
5. MAACS Youth Defense Manager FTE 0.0 1.0
Executive includes $157,000 GF/GP and authorization for 1.0 FTE Gross $0 $157,000
position to shift the SADO-MAACS youth defense roster manager GF/GP $0 $157,000
position from a federally funded position to a state funded position.
Currently, the position is funded with a one-time three-year federal grant
through the DOJ, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention,
but the grant expires at the end of FY 2024. House concurs.
6. Conversion of Contracted Positions to State Positions FTE NA 9.5
Executive includes $934,700 GF/GP to cover costs of converting 9.5 Gross NA $934,700
positions from contracted positions to state employees, as GF/GP NA $934,700
recommended by the IRS in a recent payroll audit on the use of
independent contractors. Following is detail for affected budget areas:
• SADO - $390,000 and 3.5 FTE positions
• Supreme Court - $296,600 and 3.0 FTE positions
• Court of Appeals - $142,900 and 2.0 FTE positions
• Michigan Judicial Institute - $105,200 and 1.0 FTE position.
House concurs.
7. Judgeship Changes Gross NA $305,500
Executive includes $305,500 Gross ($171,700 GF/GP) to cover partial Restricted NA 133,800
year costs of two new judgeships – one probate court judgeship in GF/GP NA $171,700
Macomb County and one district court judgeship in Kent County. House
concurs.
8. SOCC Recommendations for Supreme Court Justices Gross $0 $100
Executive includes $166,600 GF/GP to support recommendations made GF/GP $0 $100
by SOCC in May 2023 to provide 7% salary increases for Supreme Court
justices in 2025 and 2026, and $10,000 expense allowances for each
Supreme Court Justice. For SOCC recommendations to take effect for
2025, recommendations need legislative approval via a concurrent
resolution prior to the November 2024 general election. House includes
a $100 placeholder pending passage of the concurrent resolution.
9. Commission Staffing FTE 0.0 1.0
Executive includes $170,000 GF/GP and authorization for 1.0 FTE Gross $0 $170,000
position to support the Justice for All Commission and the newly created GF/GP $0 $170,000
Commission on Well-Being in the Law. The Justice for All Commission
was established to simplify the court system, court rules, processes, and
forms to increase court and community engagement and access to
justice. The Commission on Well-Being in the Law was created by the
Supreme Court and the State Bar to address the high rates of
depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder among professionals
in the legal community. House concurs.
House Fiscal Agency 2 5/9/2024
 FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25
Enacted House
Budget Changes from FY 2023-24 Enacted Appropriations (as of 2/7/24) Change
10. Behavioral Health Administrator FTE 0.0 1.0
Executive includes $170,000 GF/GP to establish 1.0 behavioral health Gross $0 $170,000
administrator position within SCAO. The administrator would help GF/GP $0 $170,000
analyze, develop, and implement improved court responses and
services and best practices for addressing mental health issues and
substance use disorder. The position was recommended by the
Michigan Judicial Council and the National Justice Task Force to
Examine State Courts' Response to Mental Illness. House concurs.
11. Judicial Security FTE 0.0 0.0
Executive includes $475,000 GF/GP and authorization for 1.0 FTE Gross $0 $0
position for judicial security. Funding would be used by SCAO to enter a GF/GP $0 $0
contract with a vendor that would assist all interested judges with
removing their personal information from the internet (e.g., home
addresses, phone numbers, children's school addresses). House does
not include funding or authorization for FTE position.
12. Increased Costs for Facility Security Gross NA $50,400
Executive includes $50,400 GF/GP to cover increased costs of security GF/GP NA $50,400
staff provided through a contract with DK Security. Hourly minimum
wage for security staff was increased. House concurs.
13. Legal Assistant Position for the Supreme Court FTE 0.0 1.0
Executive includes $110,000 GF/GP to support 1.0 legal assistant Gross $0 $110,000
position that would be shared by the Office of General Counsel and the GF/GP $0 $110,000
Office of Administrative Counsel within the Supreme Court. The position
is requested due to an increased administrative workload that is currently
being managed by the legal staff. House concurs.
14. Federal Funds Adjustment for Drug Treatment Courts Gross NA $305,000
Executive includes authorization to receive an additional $305,000 in Federal NA 305,000
federal grant funding from the Office of Highway Safety Planning. GF/GP NA $0
Funding would be used to support drug treatment courts. House
concurs.
15. Removal of FY 2023-24 One-Time Appropriations Gross $5,500,000 ($5,500,000)
Executive removes $5.5 million of one-time GF/GP funding that was GF/GP $5,500,000 ($5,500,000)
included in the FY 2023-24 budget to support the following:
• Statewide Court Data Transparency Project ($4.5 million GF/GP)
• Expungement Initiative ($700,000 GF/GP)
• Judicial Institute ($300,000 GF/GP).
House concurs.
16. Economic Adjustments Gross NA $9,623,300
Executive reflects a net increase in costs of $9.6 million Gross ($8.9 Federal NA 76,300
million GF/GP) for negotiated salary and wage increases (5.0% on Private NA 1,400
October 1, 2024), insurances, actuarially required retirement Restricted NA 600,900
contributions, worker's compensation, building occupancy charges, and GF/GP NA $8,944,700
rent. House concurs.
17. Operation Drive Gross $0 $2,000,000
House includes $2.0 million of one-time GF/GP to support the Operation GF/GP $0 $2,000,000
Drive program. Of the total, $1.0 million would be allocated to 52nd
District Court in Oakland County and $1.0 million would be allocated to
district courts statewide that want to establish a program. The program
would assist individuals with regaining driving privileges by providing
guidance on how to address underlying issues that led to driver license
suspension, guidance on how to maintain responsibility, and guidance
on how to address traffic tickets, warrants, court appearances, and
payment of fees and fines.
House Fiscal Agency 3 5/9/2024
 FY 2023-24 FY 2024-25
Enacted House
Budget Changes from FY 2023-24 Enacted Appropriations (as of 2/7/24) Change
18. Prescription Compliance through Oral Fluid Testing Gross $0 $990,900
House includes $990,900 GF/GP ($490,900 ongoing; $500,000 one- GF/GP $0 $990,900
time) for SCAO to continue the prescription compliance through oral fluid
testing program in veterans and mental health treatment courts and to
expand the program to other veterans and mental health treatment
courts and to drug treatment courts that want to participate.
19. Eviction Diversion Pilot Program Gross $0 $500,000
House includes $500,000 in one-time GF/GP to support an eviction GF/GP $0 $500,000
diversion pilot program in 14A District Court in Washtenaw County.
Funds would be used to assist tenants experiencing financial hardship
through a collaborative program designed to settle landlord-tenant
disputes and prevent eviction and homelessness.
20. MAACS Financial Oversight and Support Attorney FTE 0.0 1.0
House includes $150,500 and authorization for 1.0 FTE position to Gross $0 $150,500
support a financial oversight and support attorney for MAACS. The GF/GP $0 $150,500
attorney would be responsible for developing and implementing a review
and audit procedure for attorney fee vouchers.
21. Additional Retirement Contribution for Judges Gross $0 $100
House includes a $100 placeholder for potential costs associated with GF/GP $0 $100
House Bill 5328. The bill would require an additional state-funded 2%
retirement contribution for judges.
Major Boilerplate Changes from FY 2023-24
Note: Boilerplate throughout the bill was revised to include non-substantive technical changes agreed to by the
House, the Senate, and the Legislative Service Bureau. Boilerplate section numbers listed in this document are
section numbers as they appear in current law. Section numbers may be different in the House bill.
Sec. 209. Transparency Website – RETAINED
Requires the judicial branch to maintain a searchable website that is accessible by the public at no cost and includes all
expenditures made by the judicial branch within the fiscal year and purposes for which the expenditures were made.
Executive deletes. House retains.
Sec. 210. Report on State Restricted Funds – RETAINED
Requires the judicial branch to work with the state budget office to report annually on estimated state restricted fund
balances, state restricted fund projected revenues, and state restricted fund expenditures. Executive deletes. House
retains.
Sec. 210. Appropriation of Additional Revenue – NOT INCLUDED
Appropriates an additional $2.5 million in federal revenue, $2.5 million in state restricted revenue, and $500,000 in private
revenue should the revenue become available. Executive incudes new language. House does not include new language.
Sec. 211. Website for Information – DELETED
Requires judiciary to maintain, on a publicly accessible website, information that identifies, tracks, and regularly updates
key metrics used to monitor and improve judiciary's performance. Executive deletes. House deletes.
Sec. 212. Disciplinary Action Against State Employees – RETAINED
Prohibits the judicial branch from taking disciplinary action against employees for communicating with legislators or their
staff unless the communication is prohibited by law and the judicial branch is exercising its authority. (Governor deemed
this section unenforceable in FY 2023-24.) Executive deletes. House retains.
Sec. 213. Receipt and Retention of Required Reports – RETAINED
Requires the judicial branch to receive and retain copies of all required reports; requires federal and state guidelines to
be followed for short- and long-term retention of records; authorizes the judicial branch to electronically retain copies of
reports unless otherwise required by federal and state guidelines. Executive deletes. House retains.
House Fiscal Agency 4