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Judiciary committee advances revised Judicial Branch budget, approves specialty-court funding and other recommendations
Summary
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Judicial Branch budget recommendations: restoring 3 specialty-court FTEs (FY26), removing $325,000 for a learning center (FY26), approving a $1,045,000 FY27 enhancement for specialty courts (including 3 FTEs), and advancing funding for Kansas Legal Services and a rural justice initiative; voice votes carried recommendations to the Ways and Means process.
The Senate Judiciary Committee completed its first budget hearing on the Judicial Branch and advanced a set of recommendations for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
Process and guidance: Molly Pratt, fiscal analyst with the Legislative Research Department (KLRD), explained that enhancement requests shown in the FY27 materials are not currently in Senate Bill 315 as introduced and that committee members must move motions to add or remove enhancement items. Pratt also noted one FY26 line is a $5,320 lapse of reappropriated funds currently included.
FY26: Senator Titus moved to restore three authorized FTEs for specialty courts in FY26, arguing the positions are already funded and should be codified; the committee took a voice vote and the recommendation advanced. Senator Bowser moved to remove $325,000 in FY26 funding for a proposed learning center, citing concerns that the agency should first pursue private fundraising; after discussion and a second, the voice vote carried and the funding was removed. The committee then adopted the FY26 Judicial Branch budget as amended by voice vote.
FY27: Senator Titus moved a $1,500,000 transfer request for specialty courts, which Molly Pratt clarified was the agency’s transfer request while the planned FY27 expenditure was $1,045,000 (with the remainder to be spent in FY28). Senator Shane offered and closed on a substitute motion to recommend a $1,045,000 enhancement for specialty-court funding (including the three FTEs); that substitute motion carried by voice vote. The committee also recommended continued funding for Kansas Legal Services (a combined $300,000 recommendation, described as $200,000 plus $100,000 for driver’s license clinics), with Amy Deckard (Judicial Branch CFO) confirming that the appropriation is made to the Judicial Branch and then transferred to Kansas Legal Services according to legislative intent.
Senator Reichman raised and the committee advanced an agency request for a rural justice initiative to support rural attorneys (requested $886,795 total on the agency worksheet, intended for loan repayment and program support), with senators noting coordination with pending legislation (SB214) and urging Ways and Means review.
The committee voted to pass out the FY27 Judicial Branch budget as amended by voice vote. KLRD will circulate the budget committee report by email; Pratt said if there are no objections by approximately 8 a.m. the next morning, the report will be considered accepted and forwarded to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.
All committee votes reported in the hearing were voice votes; no roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript. The committee’s recommendations advance to the budget-review process for final consideration.
