Authority: Discretionary Inclusion.

A. Sufficient funding is included within the Judicial Department to support a total of 408 circuit and district court judgeships in fiscal year 2017 and 407 circuit and district court judgeships in fiscal year 2018. The vacant judgeships to be filled as of July 1, 2016, are as follows:

1. Circuit Court judgeships: one each in the 10th, 19th, and 23rd Circuits; and two each in the 15th and 25th Circuits, for a total of seven Circuit Court judgeships to be filled as of July 1, 2016.

2. General District Court judgeships: one each in the 7th, 16th, 19th, 21st, 24th and 31st Districts; and two in the 15th District, for a total of eight General District Court judgeships to be filled as of July 1, 2016.

3. Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court judgeships: one each in the 5th, 17th, and 29th Districts, for a total of three Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court judgeships to be filled as of July 1, 2016, and one in the 13th District to be filled as of August 1, 2016.

B. The vacant judgeships to be filled as of July 1, 2017, are as follows:

1. Circuit Court judgeships: one each in the 3rd, 6th, and 7th Circuits, and two in the 19th Circuit, for a total of five Circuit Court judgeships to be filled as of July 1, 2017.

2. General District Court judgeship: one each in the 8th and 15th Districts, for a total of two General District Court judgeships to be filled as of July 1, 2017.

3. Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court judgeships: one each in the 2nd, 5th, and 20th Districts, for a total of three Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court judgeships to be filled as of July 1, 2017.

C. On or before June 30, 2018, the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget shall revert an amount estimated at $198,822 from Judicial agency balances.

D. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 17.1-507, Code of Virginia, upon the next vacancy of an authorized judgeship in the 19th judicial circuit, the maximum number of authorized judgeships in the 19th judicial circuit shall be reduced from 15 to 14.

E. Included within this item is $2,625,000 the second year from the general fund for a compensation initiative for district court clerks and deputy clerks effective September 10, 2017. The annualized cost of the compensation initiative shall not exceed $3,500,000 and the implementation is subject to approval by the Committee on District Courts.

F. On or before June 30, 2017, the Director, Department of Planning and Budget, shall authorize the reversion to the general fund of $1,500,000 the first year from the fiscal year 2016 balances of the Criminal Fund.

G. On or before June 30, 2018, the Director, Department of Planning and Budget, shall transfer to the general fund $1,500,000 the second year from the fiscal year 2017 balances of the Criminal Fund.