Authority: Title 9.1, Chapter 1, Code of Virginia.

A.1. This appropriation includes an estimated $4,800,000 the first year and an estimated $4,800,000 the second year from federal funds pursuant to the Omnibus Crime Control Act of 1968, as amended. Of these amounts, ten percent is available for administration, and the remainder is available for grants to state agencies and local units of government. The remaining federal funds are to be passed through as grants to localities, with a required 25 percent local match. Also included in this appropriation is $452,128 the first year and $452,128 the second year from the general fund for the required matching funds for state agencies.

2. The Department of Criminal Justice Services shall provide a summary report on federal anti-crime and related grants which will require state general funds for matching purposes during FY 2013 and beyond. The report shall include a list of each grant and grantee, the purpose of the grant, and the amount of federal and state funds recommended, organized by topical area and fiscal period. The report shall indicate whether each grant represents a new program or a renewal of an existing grant. Copies of this report shall be provided to the Chairs of the Senate Finance and Appropriations and House Appropriations Committees and the Director, Department of Planning and Budget by January 1 of each year.

B. The Department of Criminal Justice Services is authorized to make grants and provide technical assistance out of this appropriation to state agencies, local governments, regional, and nonprofit organizations for the establishment and operation of programs for the following purposes and up to the amounts specified:

1.a. Regional training academies for criminal justice training, $1,527,859 the first year and $1,527,859 the second year from the general fund and an estimated $1,122,530 the first year and an estimated $1,122,530 the second year from nongeneral funds. The Criminal Justice Services Board shall adopt such rules as may reasonably be required for the distribution of funds and for the establishment, operation and service boundaries of state-supported regional criminal justice training academies.

b. The Board of Criminal Justice Services, consistent with § 9.1-102, Code of Virginia, and § 6VAC-20-90-60 of the Administrative Code, shall not approve or provide funding for the establishment of any new criminal justice training academy from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2028.

2. Virginia Crime Victim-Witness Fund, $5,692,738 the first year and $5,692,738 the second year from dedicated special revenue, and $9,888,807 the first year and $9,888,807 the second year from the general fund. The Department of Criminal Justice Services shall provide a report on the current and projected status of federal, state and local funding for victim-witness programs supported by the Fund. Copies of the report shall be provided annually to the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, the Department of Planning and Budget, and the Chairs of the Senate Finance and Appropriations and House Appropriations Committees by October 16 of each year.

3.a. Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) programs, $1,615,000 the first year and $1,615,000 the second year from the general fund.

b. In the event that the federal government reduces or removes support for the CASA programs, the Governor is authorized to provide offsetting funding for those impacted programs out of the unappropriated balances in this Act.

4. Domestic Violence Fund, established pursuant to § 9.1-116.1, Code of Virginia, $3,000,000 the first year and $3,000,000 the second year from the dedicated special revenue fund, and $1,400,000 the first year and $1,400,000 the second year from the general fund, to provide grants to local programs and prosecutors that provide services to victims of domestic violence. Of this amount, at least $500,000 the first year and at least $500,000 the second year is provided to support sexual assault service providers and hospitals as described in clause (iii) of § 9.1-116.1 B, Code of Virginia, as amended by the 2022 Session of the General Assembly.

5. Pre and Post-Incarceration Services (PAPIS), $3,786,144 the first year and $3,786,144 the second year from general fund to support pre- and post-incarceration professional services and guidance that increase the opportunity for, and the likelihood of, successful reintegration into the community by adult offenders upon release from prisons and jails.

6. To the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services for the following activities and programs: (i) a partnership program between a local community services board and the district probation and parole office for a jail diversion program; (ii) forensic discharge planners; (iii) advanced training on veterans' issues to local crisis intervention teams; and (iv) cross systems mapping targeting juvenile justice and behavioral health.

7. To the Department of Corrections for the following activities and programs: (i) community residential re-entry programs for female offenders; (ii) establishment of a pilot day reporting center; and (iii) establishment of a pilot program whereby non-violent state offenders would be housed in a local or regional jail, rather than a prison or other state correctional facility, with rehabilitative services provided by the jail.

8. To Drive to Work, $75,000 the first year and $75,000 the second year from the general fund and $75,000 the first year and $75,000 the second year from such federal funds as may be available to provide assistance to low income and previously incarcerated persons to restore their driving privileges so they can drive to work and keep a job.

9. For model addiction recovery programs administered in local or regional jails, $153,600 the first year and $153,600 the second year from the general fund. The Department of Criminal Justice Services, consistent with the provisions of Chapter 758, 2017 Acts of Assembly, shall award grants not to exceed $38,400 to four pilot programs selected in consultation with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.

C.1. Out of this appropriation, $28,411,628 the first year and $28,411,628 the second year from the general fund is authorized to make discretionary grants and to provide technical assistance to cities, counties or combinations thereof to develop, implement, operate and evaluate programs, services and facilities established pursuant to the Comprehensive Community Corrections Act for Local-Responsible Offenders (§§ 9.1-173 through 9.1-183 Code of Virginia) and the Pretrial Services Act (§§ 19.2-152.2 through 19.2-152.7, Code of Virginia). Out of these amounts, the Director, Department of Criminal Justice Services, is authorized to expend no more than five percent per year for state administration of these programs.

2. The Department of Criminal Justice Services, in conjunction with the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court and the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission, shall conduct information and training sessions for judges and other judicial officials on the programs, services and facilities available through the Pretrial Services Act and the Comprehensive Community Corrections Act for Local-Responsible Offenders.

3. Out of this appropriation, $94,750 the first year and $94,750 the second year from the general fund is provided for the expansion of pretrial services to the Counties of Botetourt and Alleghany.

D.1. Out of this appropriation, $225,000 the first year and $225,000 the second year from the general fund is provided for Comprehensive Community Corrections and Pretrial Services Programs for localities that belong to the Central Virginia Regional Jail Authority. These amounts are 75 percent of the costs projected in the community-based corrections plan submitted by the Authority. The localities shall provide the remaining 25 percent as a condition of receiving these funds.

2. Out of this appropriation, $600,000 the first year and $600,000 the second year from the general fund is provided for Comprehensive Community Corrections and Pretrial Services Programs for localities that belong to the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority. These amounts are 75 percent of the costs projected in the community-based corrections plan submitted by the Authority. The localities shall provide the remaining 25 percent as a condition of receiving these funds.

E. In the event the federal government should make available additional funds pursuant to the Violence Against Women Act, the department shall set aside 33 percent of such funds for competitive grants to programs providing services to domestic violence and sexual assault victims.

F.1. Out of this appropriation, $20,362,525 the first year and $20,362,525 the second year from the general fund and $1,710,000 the first year and $1,710,000 the second year from such federal funds as are available shall be deposited to the School Resource Officer Incentive Grants Fund established pursuant to § 9.1-110, Code of Virginia.

2.a. The Director, Department of Criminal Justice Services, is authorized to expend $410,877 the first year and $410,877 the second year from the School Resource Officer Incentive Grants Fund to operate the Virginia Center for School Safety, pursuant to § 9.1-110, Code of Virginia.

b. The Center for School Safety shall provide a grant of $130,000 in the first year and $130,000 in the second year to the York County-Poquoson Sheriff's Office for the statewide administration of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program.

c. The Director, Department of Criminal Justice Services, is authorized to establish a digital mapping program for Virginia public universities and community colleges, in addition to the existing digital mapping program for local school divisions, which may provide grants to public universities, two-year colleges, and community colleges to support technology that provides visual communication and collaboration tools to coordinate emergency response, such as floor plans that are available on cell phones and enhanced communication during an emergency.

3. Subject to the development of criteria for the distribution of grants from the fund, including procedures for the application process and the determination of the actual amount of any grant issued by the department, the department shall award grants to either local law-enforcement agencies, where such local law-enforcement agencies and local school boards have established a collaborative agreement for the employment of school resource officers, as such positions are defined in § 9.1-101, Code of Virginia, for the employment of school resource officers, or to local school divisions for the employment of school security officers, as such positions are defined in § 9.1-101, Code of Virginia, for the employment of school security officers in any public school. The application process shall provide for the selection of either school resource officers, school security officers, or both by localities. The department shall give priority to localities requesting school resource officers, school security officers, or both where no such personnel are currently in place. Localities shall match these funds based on the composite index of local ability-to-pay.

4. Included in this appropriation is $202,300 the first year and $202,300 the second year from the general fund for the implementation of a model critical incident response training program for public school personnel and others providing services to public schools, and the maintenance of a model policy for the establishment of threat assessment teams for each public school, including procedures for the assessment of and intervention with students whose behavior poses a threat to the safety of public school staff or other students.

5. Included in the amounts appropriated for this item is $132,254 the first year and $132,254 the second year from the general fund for the purposes of collection and analysis of data related to school resource officers, pursuant to Chapter 1039, 2020 Acts of Assembly.

G. Included in the amounts appropriated in this item is $10,068,114 the first year and $10,068,114 the second year from the general fund for grants to local sexual assault crisis centers (SACCs) and domestic violence programs to provide core and comprehensive services to victims of sexual and domestic violence, including ensuring such services are available and accessible to victims of sexual assault and dating violence committed against college students on- and off-campus.

H.1. Out of the amounts appropriated for this item, $1,646,547 the first year and $1,646,547 the second year from the general fund and $2,658,420 the first year and $2,658,420 the second year from nongeneral funds is provided, to be distributed as follows: for the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, $3,096,547 the first year and $3,096,547 the second year; and, for the creation of a grant program to law enforcement agencies for the prevention of internet crimes against children, $1,208,420 the first year and $1,208,420 the second year.

2. The Southern Virginia and Northern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Forces shall each provide an annual report, in a format specified by the Department of Criminal Justice Services, on their actual expenditures and performance results. Copies of these reports shall be provided to the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, the Chairs of the Senate Finance and Appropriations and House Appropriations Committees, and Director, Department of Planning and Budget prior to the distribution of these funds each year.

3. Subject to compliance with the reports and distribution thereof as required in paragraph 2 above, the Governor shall allocate all additional funding, not to exceed actual collections, for the prevention of Internet Crimes Against Children, pursuant to § 17.1-275.12, Code of Virginia.

I. Out of the amounts appropriated for this item, $50,000 the first year and $50,000 the second year from the general fund is provided for training to local law enforcement to aid in their identifying and interacting with individuals suffering from Alzheimer's and/or dementia.

J.1. Included in the appropriation for this item is $2,000,000 the first year and $2,000,000 the second year from the general fund to continue the pilot programs authorized in Item 398, Chapter 836, 2017 Acts of Assembly. The number of pilot sites shall not be expanded beyond those participating in the pilot program the first year.

2. The funding provided to each pilot site shall supplement, not supplant, existing local spending on these services. Distribution of grant amounts shall be made quarterly pursuant to the conditions of paragraph J.3. of this item.

3. The Department shall collect on a quarterly basis qualitative and quantitative data of pilot site performance, to include: (i) mental health screenings and assessments provided to inmates, (ii) mental health treatment plans and services provided to inmates, (iii) jail safety incidents involving inmates and jail staff, (iv) the provision of appropriate services after release, (v) the number of inmates re-arrested or re-incarcerated within 90 days after release following a positive identification for mental health disorders in jail or the receipt of mental health treatment within the facility. The Department shall provide a report on its findings to the Chairs of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees no later than October 15 each year.

4. The department is authorized to expend up to $125,000 per year out of the amounts allocated in Paragraph J.1. of this item for costs related to the administration of the jail mental health pilot program.

K. Included in the appropriations for this item is $300,000 the first year and $300,000 the second year from the general fund for the Department of Criminal Justice Services to make competitive grants to nonprofit organizations to support services for law enforcement including post critical incident seminars and peer-supported critical incident stress management programs to promote officer safety and wellness, under guidelines to be established by the Department.

L. Included in the appropriation for this item is $916,066 in the first year and $916,066 in the second year from the general fund for the Virginia Beach Correctional Center for the Jail and Re-entry Service Coordination Pathway, which is a joint operation between the Virginia Beach Department of Human Services and the Virginia Beach Sheriff's Office. The program consists of diversion, screening, assessment, treatment, and re-entry services for all incarcerated individuals with an active mental illness or substance use disorder diagnosis.

M. Included in the appropriation for this item, $193,658 the first year and $193,658 the second year from the general fund and four positions to support evidence-based gun violence intervention and prevention services.

N.1.a. There is hereby created in the state treasury a special nonreverting fund to be known as the Virginia Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund (the Fund). The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. All moneys accruing to the Fund, including funds appropriated for such purpose and any gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds received on its behalf, shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the Fund. Interest earned on moneys in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it. Any moneys remaining in the Fund, including interest thereon, at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Moneys in the Fund shall be used for the purpose of supporting gun violence intervention and prevention programs. Expenditures and disbursements from the Fund shall be made by the State Treasurer on warrants issued by the Comptroller upon written request signed by the Director of the Department.

b. The Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund shall be administered by the Department, and the Department shall adopt guidelines and make funds available to agencies of local government, community-based organizations, and hospitals for the purpose of supporting implementation of evidence-informed gun violence intervention and prevention efforts, including street outreach, hospital-based violence intervention, and other violence intervention programs. Grant funds shall also support firearm suicide prevention and safe firearm removal practices from persons prohibited from possessing a firearm, including subjects of domestic violence protective orders, persons convicted of prohibitory crimes, and persons subject to substantial risk orders. The Department shall establish a grant procedure to govern funds awarded for this purpose.

c. Out of the amounts appropriated for this item, $9,000,000 the first year and $9,000,000 the second year from the general fund shall be deposited into the Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention Fund. At least $1,500,000 each year shall be provided to localities with disproportionate firearm-related homicides to support crime intervention and prevention through community engagement, including youth programs.

2.a. There is hereby created in the state treasury a special nonreverting fund to be known as the Operation Ceasefire Grant Fund (the Fund) and managed by the Department. The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. All moneys appropriated by the General Assembly for the Fund, and from any other sources, public or private, shall be paid into the state treasury and be credited to the Fund. Interest earned on moneys in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it. Any moneys remaining in the Fund, including interest thereon, at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Expenditures and disbursements from the Fund shall be made by the State Treasurer on warrants issued by the Comptroller upon written request of the Director of the Department.

b. Moneys in the Fund shall be used solely for the purposes of implementing violent crime reduction strategies, providing training for law-enforcement officers and prosecutors, providing forensic and related analytical equipment for law-enforcement agencies, and awarding grants to organizations such as local law-enforcement agencies, local attorneys for the Commonwealth, localities, social services providers, and nonprofit organizations that are engaged in group violence intervention efforts. No grants awarded shall be given to state agencies or offices. For the purposes of subsection N.2. of this item, "group violence intervention" means comprehensive law enforcement, prosecutorial, and community-based initiatives, substantially similar to Operation Ceasefire as implemented in Boston, Massachusetts and the Gang Reduction Programs implemented in Richmond and Los Angeles, California, which are documented by the Department of Justice and are carried out between members of law enforcement, members of the community, and social services providers. The Department shall establish an application process for awarding grants from the Fund, including criteria and procedures for determining the amount of a grant. Out of the amounts appropriated for this item, $10,000,000 the first year and $10,000,000 the second year from the general fund shall be deposited into the Operation Ceasefire Grant Fund.

3. Out of the amounts in section N of this item, the Director, Department of Criminal Justice Services, is authorized to expend no more than three percent per year for state administration of these programs.

4.a. Out of the amounts appropriated for this item, $14,000,000 the first year and $14,000,000 the second year from the general fund is provided for the Safer Communities Program to support holistic, community-based strategies that address the root causes and conditions of community violence. Such strategies shall be evidence-informed and/or community-driven and shall include: (i) afterschool programs and mentorships; (ii) connections to education and economic opportunities; (iii) trauma-informed mental health care; (iv) credible messengers and violence interrupters; and (v) strategies to build trust between law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders. Out of this amount, at least $13,000,000 the first year and at least $13,000,000 the second year shall be provided to the City of Norfolk, the City of Portsmouth, the City of Roanoke, and the City of Richmond, with a minimum award of $2,500,000 per locality and the remainder allocated to each of the four localities based on population. Recipient localities shall (i) use grant funds to employ a full-time position dedicated to planning, implementation, and coordination of community violence reduction strategies, including utilizing existing violence reduction grants and pursuing additional grant opportunities, and (ii) provide quarterly reports to the Department detailing expenditures to date to ensure alignment with the requirements established in this paragraph.

b. There is hereby established the Office of Safer Communities ("the Office") in the Department. The Office shall serve as a resource for research, evidence, and best practices for community-based violence intervention, including: (i) providing consultation to the Board of Criminal Justice Services as it administers the Firearm Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant Fund and the Operation Ceasefire Grant Fund; (ii) liaising with Safer Communities Program recipient localities to ensure collection of the expenditure reports required by the preceding paragraph; (iii) conducting outreach to current and potential recipients of violence intervention and prevention grants; and (iv) summarizing violence reduction grantees' use of funds, including any available outcome measures, noting alignment with national promising practices.

c. The Office shall provide quarterly updates to the Virginia Crime Commission and submit an annual report by November 1 of each year to the Chairs of the Virginia Crime Commission, House Courts of Justice Committee, Senate Courts of Justice, House Appropriations Committee, and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. The updates and annual reports shall summarize the efforts of the Office, to include information collected pursuant to provision (iv) of the preceding paragraph and the findings of the Office's research on best practices.

d. Out of the amounts in subsection N.4.a of this item, $900,000 the first year and $900,000 the second year is provided to support the Office, to include positions and support services for research, outreach, and reporting. The Office shall employ at least one position focused on coordination and outreach and at least one position focused on research and evidence. In addition, existing administrative funding and positions authorized under paragraphs M. and N. of this item shall support the Office. Of these amounts designated to support the Office, at least $400,000 the first year and at least $400,000 the second year shall be used for a contract with the Virginia Commonwealth University L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs (the School) for the School to collaborate with local entities who have received grant funding appropriated pursuant to subsection N. of this item, including local law enforcement agencies, to provide strategic planning, program evaluation, and data-driven innovations to improve the public sector's response to community violence. The School may collaborate with faculty and students from Virginia State University and Norfolk State University as needed.

e. Grant funding provided pursuant to this subsection N. of this item that is used for law-enforcement equipment may solely be used for forensic and analytical purposes, in addition to other requirements set forth in this subsection N.

O.1. Out of the appropriation in this item, $1,500,000 the first year and $1,500,000 the second year from the general fund is allocated for the Department of Criminal Justices Services to make competitive grants to combat hate crimes, including but not limited to target hardening activities, contractual security services, critical technology infrastructure, cybersecurity resilience activates, monitoring, inspection and screening systems; security-related training for employed or volunteer security staff; and terrorism awareness training for employees. Eligible grant applicants include institutions or nonprofit organizations that have been targets of or are at risk of being targeted for hate crimes, as well as localities engaged in partnership programs with such institutions or nonprofit organizations. The Department shall establish grant guidelines to implement these provisions and shall provide a biennial or annual request for funding, based on the guidelines. For each grant requested, the application shall document the need for the grant, goals, and budget expenditure of these funds and any other sources that may be committed by institutions or nonprofit organizations to combat hate crimes. Funding provided in this item shall be awarded to the applicable locality to distribute to the grant recipient and shall not be used to supplant any other funding provided by localities to combat hate crimes.

2. The Department shall disseminate information about the opportunity to stakeholders in order to ensure awareness of the grant process and timeline for application among interested institutions and nonprofit organizations. The Department may use up to $50,000 out of the appropriation in this item for the dissemination of such information.

P. Included in the appropriation for this item is $400,000 the first year and $400,000 the second year from the general fund to support the Virginia Victim Assistance Network.

Q. Out of the amounts appropriated in this item, $95,000 the first year and $95,000 the second year from the general fund is provided for a contract with Impact Living Services for the Impact First Responders program in Virginia to provide education and training related to trauma, resiliency, and critical incidence stress management, as well as peer and mental health support to first responders.

R. Included in the appropriation for this item is $1,200,000 the first year and $1,200,000 the second year from the general fund for a witness protection program. Subject to the development of criteria for the distribution of grants, including procedures for the application process and determination of the actual amount of any grant issued by the department, the Director shall award grants to local law enforcement agencies, Commonwealth's Attorneys' offices, and other local government agencies as appropriate to provide temporary assistance to help alleviate potential intimidation of witnesses. The purpose of the grant program is to support witnesses and their families who may be in danger because of their cooperation with the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes. Grant awards shall be used to provide time-limited assistance of up to 90 days to witnesses to defray the costs associated with their ability to safely serve as a witness including, but not limited to, lodging, medical, transportation, food, and relocation expenses. The department shall work with the Virginia State Police, Office of the Attorney General, Virginia Sheriffs' Association, Virginia Association of the Chiefs of Police, Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys, and other appropriate stakeholders to establish an application process for awarding grants, to include criteria and procedures to determine the amount of the grant, eligible expenses, a reasonable maximum amount for witness assistance during the 90-day period, and a verification process to ensure funding is used for eligible witness expenses. The department, in consultation with stakeholders, may also recommend options for potential extensions of the 90-day period in extenuating circumstances for consideration by the General Assembly. Of this amount, the department is authorized to expend up to $400,000 for a position and other expenses related to state administration of this program. Any remaining balance at year-end shall be carried forward to the subsequent fiscal year.

S. Included in the appropriation for this item is $30,000 the first year and $30,000 the second year from the general fund for the Community Resource Opportunity Project.

T. Included in this appropriation for this item is $3,000,000 the first year and $3,000,000 the second year from the general fund for youth development programs including: (i) $2,000,000 the first year and $2,000,000 the second year for the Big Heroes of Minority in Every Society (Big H.O.M.I.E.S.) program; and (ii) $1,000,000 the first year and $1,000,000 the second year for the Cleaning Up the Streets Youth Employment Program (C.U.T.S).

U. Included in the appropriation for this item is $125,000 the first year and $125,000 the second year from the general fund to the City of Richmond to support the Help Me Help You program.

V. Included in the appropriation for this item is $500,000 the first year and $500,000 the second year from the general fund to support the REAL LIFE Initiative.

W. Included in the appropriation for this item is $2,500,000 the first year and $2,500,000 the second year from the general fund to increase competitive grants awarded through the Victim Services Grant Program. The Department shall prioritize grants to victim services agencies that did not receive a dedicated appropriation in Chapter 1, 2023 Special Session I Acts of Assembly. This amount shall be in addition to nongeneral funds available through federal grants and special revenue included in this item.

X. Included in the appropriation for this item is $2,000,000 the first year from the general fund for the Department of Criminal Justice Services to contract with local law enforcement agencies to reimburse them only for time spent transporting an individual under an emergency custody order or a temporary detention order to an identified facility. For the purposes of this program, local law enforcement agencies shall include police departments, jails, regional jails, and sheriffs' offices that have agreed to utilize off-duty or on-duty officers performing overtime. Priority for reimbursement shall be given to agencies within the Department of State Police (VSP) Divisions III, IV, and VI, and localities whose agencies must travel far distances to transport an individual to a state facility. Remaining funds shall be disbursed to local law enforcement agencies in other VSP divisions as determined by the Department. Any remaining balance at year-end shall be carried forward to the subsequent fiscal year.