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2021 Special Session I

Budget Amendments - HB1800 (Conference Report)

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Commonwealth's Attorneys Office Staffing Study

Item 75 #1c

Item 75 #1c

First Year - FY2021 Second Year - FY2022
Administration
Compensation Board FY2021 $0 FY2022 $250,000 GF

Language
Page 70, line 16, strike "$5,514,904" and insert "$5,764,904".

Page 73, after line 41, insert:

“V.1. The Compensation Board shall work with the Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys to examine the staffing standards used to determine and distribute funding and positions allocated to Commonwealth's Attorney's offices, including the use of diversion programs, specialty dockets, and other programs that incentivize best practices and improved outcomes as part of overall criminal justice reform efforts, rather than the current practice which relies solely on metrics related to felony charges and convictions. The examination shall identify funding needs to support staffing for statutorily prescribed duties while also identifying funding needs for participation in special programs, discretionary duties, and current local supplemental funds allocated. To assist in this goal, the Compensation Board shall contract with the National Center for State Courts to perform a time study as to the comprehensive duties and responsibilities of Commonwealth's Attorneys' offices including, but not limited to, “in-court” obligations, the use of diversion programs and specialty dockets, expungement/rights restoration volume as well as other obligations reflected in the Code of Virginia (e.g. duties prescribed under §15.2-1627, et seq). The Compensation Board shall develop a revised staffing standard for Commonwealth's Attorney's offices based on the results of the study that expands the current model focused on felony charges and convictions and accounts for the use of diversion programs, speciality dockets, and other programs.  Included within this appropriation is $250,000 in the second year from the general fund for the purpose of contracting with the Center to perform the study. All Commonwealth's Attorneys shall participate in the study as needed and identified by the Compensation Board and the National Center for State Courts.

2. The Compensation Board shall provide a status report on the progress of the study and participants to the Chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees by November 1, 2021. The Compensation Board shall deliver a report containing the results of the study, anticipated costs, and staffing standards methodology revisions under review or approved by the Board to the Chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees by November 1, 2022."



Explanation

(This amendment provides $250,000 from the general fund in fiscal year 2022 for the Compensation Board to contract with the National Center for State Courts to assist the Compensation Board in a study, working in collaboration with the Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys, of the staffing standards for Commonwealth's Attorney's offices, to revise the workload measures used as the basis for the allocation of new positions to include diversion programs and speciality dockets.)