A bill seeking to study and rework staffing and funding levels for Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ offices has been sent to the Senate Finance Committee for further review.
SB 1226 (Boysko) requires that the Compensation Board shall consider workload totals comprehensively, including the use of diversion programs and specialty dockets, when determining staffing and funding levels. Currently, diversion programs and specialty dockets, which include things like mental health dockets and drug courts, are not considered by the Comp Board in their staffing and funding formulas.
Senator Boysko and proponents of the bill argue that this current practice disincentivizes localities from using such programs. While many stakeholders have spoken in favor of this legislation, there has been caution urged by a number of parties about the rippling effects that changing and codifying the Comp Board’s staffing and funding formulas will have.
SB 1226 was initially referred to the Senate Local Government Committee and was subsequently rereferred to the Senate Judiciary Committee, which heard the bill early on January 25 and rereferred it to the Senate Finance Committee for consideration.
VACo Contact: Chris McDonald, Esq.