DOJ tells senators it needs staff and funding to handle surge in federal litigation, firearms workload and illegal online gambling enforcement
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Summary
Department of Justice officials told the subcommittee that increased federal litigation and enforcement mandates have strained staff and requested new funding for federal accountability work, firearms IT modernization, implementation of SB 704 and enforcement against illegal online/app-based gambling; LAO and Finance debated fee vs. general fund approaches for firearms workloads.
The California Department of Justice told the Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 5 on March 6 that a recent surge in federal litigation and other new responsibilities have created acute workload pressure and that the department needs additional resources to sustain defenses and affirmative actions on behalf of the state.
Chief deputy (self-identified in testimony) summarized DOJachievements and said DOJ has filed roughly 60 federal lawsuits since the current federal administration took office, pursuing injunctions and litigation to protect federal funding, civil rights and state programs. Danielle O'Bannon, chief of the Public Rights Division, described litigation involving birthright citizenship, funding freezes and data-sharing demands; Christina Bullard (chief counsel for special litigation) noted the office secured injunctions in several cases and continues to litigate resource-intensive matters.
Budget items discussed included a governorproposal of $10 million general fund for federal accountability work. DOJ said the caseload is resource intensive and staff are working long hours to file and defend suits; the department reported hiring 44 additional people with prior supplemental funding.
On firearms, DOJ presented three adjustments: (1) a limited-term $8 million shift from the Dealer Record of Sale special account to the general fund for FY 2026-27 through 2028-29, (2) $11.2 million in 2026-27 to continue firearms IT modernization, and (3) $1.2 million in 2026-27 and $259,000 ongoing plus a position to implement SB 704. The Legislative AnalystOffice recommended covering initial startup costs with a loan from the Firearm Safety and Enforcement Special Fund and directed DOJ to propose by January 10, 2027 a framework for deciding which firearm and ammunition workloads should be fee-funded. The Department of Finance preferred general fund support for some items and cautioned that a loan could impair special fund solvency.
DOJ also requested three positions and $1.1 million from the Unfair Competition Law Fund to pursue injunctive litigation and investigations against illegal online and app-based gambling operations. DOJ lawyers told the committee that existing gambling control funds are statutorily restricted and cannot be used for offshore or app-based enforcement; they said these operators often lack age verification and problem-gambling safeguards and that the initial focus would be injunctive relief and consumer protection.
The committee asked DOJ to provide more detail on revenues, fee options, and a timeline for the DOJ framework. Several senators urged the department to work with staff on fee proposals and oversight to limit general fund exposure while ensuring critical workloads remain staffed.