FISCAL NOTE
Date Requested: February 08, 2023
Time Requested: 11:49 AM |
| Agency: |
Supreme Court of Appeals |
|---|
| CBD Number: |
Version: |
Bill Number: |
Resolution Number: |
| 3506 |
Introduced |
HB3331 |
|
|---|
| CBD Subject: |
Courts |
|---|
|
FUND(S):
GENERAL REVENUE
Sources of Revenue:
General Fund
Legislation creates:
Fiscal Note Summary
Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.
HB 3331 allows the Supreme Court of Appeals greater flexibility to provide administrative support to family court and magistrate court. Under current law, Magistrate Assistants, Family Court Secretary-Clerks, and Family Court Case Coordinators are limited to a one staff per judge/magistrate ratio. Deputy Magistrate Clerks are limited to a maximum of 72 statewide. The bill permits the Court to evaluate workload in each county or circuit to determine whether more staff would help better balance workload as compared between counties or circuits. The bill also allows the Court to create additional support staff classifications at a lower pay rate than other support positions. For example, the Court could create receptionist position for some family courts or a cashier position for some magistrate courts.
Fiscal Note Detail
| Effect of Proposal |
Fiscal Year |
2023
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
2024
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation) |
| 1. Estmated Total Cost |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Personal Services |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Current Expenses |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Repairs and Alterations |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Assets |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Other |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2. Estimated Total Revenues |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Explanation of above estimates (including long-range effect):
The following is a list of total payroll costs (salary and benefits) for each position:
Family Court Secretary-Clerk: $64,743
Family Court Case Coordinator: $78,861
Magistrate Assistant: $69,868
Magistrate Court Deputy Clerk: $69,868
Exemplar new position w/ $30,000 salary: $46,947
The Court cannot accurately predict staffing needs until final action, if any, on the proposed circuit court, family court, and magistrate court realignment bills pending in the Legislature. Any additional staffing would be in result of specific unmet workload needs identified during the recent judicial workload studies. The Court will have greater clarity on staffing needs following completion of the Legislature’s work on the proposed judicial reallocation bills. Regardless, any future staff additions would be subject to Legislative review during the Court’s annual budget submission and presentation at the respective Finance Committees where the Court could provide greater detail on specific plans.
Memorandum
The bill updates obsolete statutory salary levels to reflect current levels following various across-the-board raises for all state employees. The bill also provides for an additional $2,550 raise effective July 1, 2023 to account for the proposed across-the-board raise under consideration and included in the Supreme Court’s FY24 Budget Request. If the Legislature decides to not include an additional across-the-board raise this year, those provisions will need to be amended out of the current version of the bill.
Person submitting Fiscal Note: Keith Hoover, Deputy Admin. Director & Counsel
Email Address: Keith.Hoover@courtswv.gov