Appropriations staff told the Senate committee that declining revenue in several criminal‑records special funds has prompted fund‑source changes that move existing technology and record‑keeping costs to the general fund.

A finance presenter explained that judiciary and public safety rely on special funds such as a “core technology special fund” and a criminal history records check fund that derive revenue from fines, fees and background‑check payments. He said one reason revenue into the judiciary fund has fallen is that driver’s licenses are no longer suspended for failure to pay fines, which reduced late‑payment penalties that had been a revenue source for courthouse technology.

On public safety lines, the presenter identified multiple records systems (referred to in the worksheet as the Stillman and Crosswind/Valcour systems) that had been funded from a criminal‑history records special fund and via interdepartmental transfers. The presenter said those special funds have experienced declining receipts, causing the administration to move the base costs into the general fund column on the worksheet so the systems remain maintained and available for law‑enforcement operations.

The committee also heard that the state’s attorney’s office faces higher than‑expected information‑technology and cloud storage costs for video evidence (for example, body‑camera footage) that are now showing up as an increase in spending authority in the BAA. The administration described these as existing overhead costs rather than new programs.

Committee members asked technical questions about whether some systems included computer‑aided dispatch capabilities; the presenters said they could not provide system‑level technical details in the hearing but confirmed the worksheet reflects funding shifts rather than service expansions.

No formal action was taken during the presentation; administration staff said agencies would provide more detail if the committee requested it.