On June 13, the State Executive Council approved circulating for an initial public comment period a proposal to repeal SEC Policy 4.3. After this initial 45-day public comment period, which will close on August 1, the SEC will determine whether to move forward with a specific policy proposal; if so, there will be an additional opportunity for public comment.
The current policy sets out a process for two or more localities to set aside a portion of their state and local pool fund allocations (up to $100,000 per jurisdiction, or 5 percent of the local allocation, whichever is smaller) to cover start-up costs for new or expanded CSA services, with an aggregate statewide cap of $2 million. The Office of Children’s Services is proposing to repeal this policy, as its implementation is contingent on a state appropriation of $2 million, which has never been funded. Background information on the policy may be found at this link, and the full text of the policy is available at this link.
Member feedback will inform VACo’s public comments and may be sent to Katie Boyle (kboyle@vaco.org). Comments may be submitted through the Public Policy Comment Form on the OCS website (https://www.csa.virginia.gov/doecsa123), via email to csa.office@csa.virginia.gov, or via US mail or other forms of delivery through 5 p.m. on August 1, 2024. If members submit comments directly to the Office of Children’s Services, VACo staff would greatly appreciate receiving a copy of your comments.
VACo Contact: Katie Boyle