Senate committee approves judiciary biennium budget with added legal services funding

The Senate Committee on Judiciary on March 20 voted to pass HB 400, the judiciary’s biennium budget bill, with amendments adding dedicated funding for civil legal services and immigration-related legal assistance.

Brandon Kimura, director of the Judiciary’s Policy and Planning Department, told the committee the judiciary requested operating funds of $6,170,000 for fiscal 2026 and about $6.25 million for fiscal 2027, 17 permanent positions and one temporary position, an operating increase of less than 3% compared with FY 2025, and $11.9 million for capital improvements. "We respectfully request the judiciary's budget remain intact, as a base," Kimura said, adding the requests are meant to "maintain and enhance our critical services" and to restore functionality lost when positions were previously defunded.

The c…