Authority: Article VI, Section 8, Constitution of Virginia; §§ 16.1-69.1 through 16.1-137, 19.2-163 and 37.2-809 et seq., Code of Virginia.

A. Out of the amounts in this Item for Trial Processes shall be paid:

1. The annual salaries of all General District Court judges, $166,156 from July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023, $166,156 from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. Such salary shall be 90 percent of the annual salary fixed by law for judges of the Circuit Courts and shall represent the total compensation for General District Court Judges and incorporate all supplements formerly paid by the various localities.

2. The salaries of substitute judges and court personnel.

B. There is hereby reappropriated the unexpended balances remaining at the close of business on June 30, 2022, in the appropriation made in Item 42, Chapter 552, Acts of Assembly of 2021 in the item details Other Court Costs and Allowances (Criminal Fund) and Involuntary Mental Commitments and the balances remaining in these item details on June 30, 2023.

C. Any balance, or portion thereof, in the item detail Involuntary Mental Commitments, may be transferred between Items 45, 46, 47, and 302, as needed, to cover any deficits incurred for Involuntary Mental Commitments by the Supreme Court or the Department of Medical Assistance Services.

D. The appropriation in this Item for Other Court Costs and Allowances (Criminal Fund) shall be used to implement the provisions of § 8.01-384.1:1, Code of Virginia.

E. A district court judge shall only be reimbursed for mileage for commuting if the judge has to travel to a courthouse in a county or city other than the one in which the judge resides and the distance between the judge's residence and the courthouse is greater than 25 miles.

F. Upon the retirement or separation from employment of any chief general district court clerks from the 7th judicial district or the 13th judicial district, any vacant chief clerk positions in excess of one chief clerk for each general district court shall be reallocated by the Committee on District Courts to district courts with the highest documented unmet staffing requirements.

G. Included in the appropriation for this item is $15,431,783 the first year and $15,431,783 the second year from the general fund for the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court to use, at its discretion, for additional general district court clerk positions, salary increases for general district court clerks, or a combination thereof.