On February 18, Associate Policy Director Sarah Sample testified before the Judiciary Committee in opposition of HB 492 – Courtroom Security – Minimum Adequate Security Standard.
This bill would require counties across the state to fund substantially more positions for security officers in the Circuit Courts.
Counties share the goal of ensuring safe and secure court facilities for judges, staff, litigants, and the public. However, this bill would impose sweeping new security staffing requirements on county governments without providing cost estimates, funding support, or sufficient implementation time.
Circuit Courts are state-operated but county-funded, and while enhanced security standards are important, they must be developed through a transparent and collaborative state–county partnership rather than through an immediate and unfunded mandate.
While these are worthy standards to establish, the actual current security capacity of each Circuit Court has not been made clear to counties, only that it would be a significant increase from current practice. Therefore, anticipating and planning for these new costs in the county budget is not possible at this time, while they are in the midst of budgeting for the effected fiscal year in the bill.
HB 492’s cross-file, SB 544, was also heard in the Judicial Proceedings Committee on February 18. Sarah Sample testified in opposition to this bill.
