A communication from the Executive Office of the Trial Court (see item 0330-0601 of Section 2 of Chapter 140 of the Acts of 2024) submitting a report of specialty court funding

194th Legislature (2025-2026)

HD 4629 documents how FY2025 specialty court funding is used via interagency transfers (DMH, BSAS, DVS) to sustain 63 courts, including veterans courts, with balances.

Placed on file

Overview

Bill Number: HD 4629

Title: A communication from the Executive Office of the Trial Court submitting a report of specialty court funding (referencing line item 0330-0601 of Section 2 of Chapter 140 of the Acts of 2024)

Purpose: To report on the Trial Court’s use of specialty court funding for FY2025, including interdepartmental transfers to state agencies that support specialty courts

Status: Placed on file

Introduced: May 8, 2025

Classification: Proposed bill

Purpose and Intent

Provide transparency and accountability for the use of the FY2025 specialty court funding line item (0330-0601).

Document interdepartmental transfers used to support 63 existing specialty courts across Massachusetts.

Highlight interagency collaboration among the Trial Court, Department of Mental Health (DMH), Department of Public Health’s Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS), and Department of Veterans Services (DVS).

Key Provisions and Funding Details

63 Specialty Courts: Each court includes a dedicated specialty courts clinician (full-time or part-time) responsible for bio-psych-social assessments, referrals, short-term case management, and ongoing monitoring.

Interdepartmental Service Agreements (ISAs):

DMH: FY2025 ISA totaling $4,223,585 to cover costs of Clinicians across all 63 specialty courts.
Expenditures (as of March 26, 2025): $3,886,897.19
Remaining balance: $336,687.81 (to be expended by June 30)
DVS: FY2025 ISA totaling $210,000 to support a member of the DVS SAVE Team assigned to each of the 7 Veterans Treatment Courts.
Expenditures (as of March 4, 2025): $170,385.11
Remaining balance: $39,614.69

Collaboration: The report emphasizes unprecedented collaboration among the Trial Court, DMH, BSAS, and DVS in delivering and sustaining specialty court services.

Affected Entities and Impacts

State Agencies: DMH, DVS, and BSAS (via interagency funding and program support)

Local/Regional Impact: 63 specialty courts statewide, including 7 Veterans Treatment Courts

Program Impact: Maintains clinician-based services for specialty courts, supporting assessments, treatment referrals, case management, and monitoring to aid offender rehabilitation and treatment engagement.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

Source of funds: FY2025 line item 0330-0601 (Section 2, Chapter 140 of the Acts of 2024)

Reporting date: March 26, 2025 (letter from the Trial Court to Senate Ways and Means and House Ways and Means Chairs)

Legislative action: The document was introduced and subsequently placed on file on May 8, 2025

Expiration/Obligation timeline: Remaining ISA balances are expected to be expended by June 30, 2025 (fiscal year-end)

Observations

The communication underscores ongoing reliance on interagency collaboration to operate and sustain specialty courts.

The report provides concrete expenditure figures and remaining balances, enabling legislative oversight of funding utilization.

No new appropriations are requested in this communication; it serves to document current use of existing line-item funding.

Bill