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2001 SESSION

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012710420
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 374 Offered January 10, 2001 Prefiled January 10, 2001 Requesting the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the current system of financing courthouse and court-related facilities, including the construction, renovation and maintenance of such facilities. ---------- Patron-- Edwards ---------- Referred to Committee on Rules ----------

WHEREAS, Virginia’s judicial system is administered in public buildings located in every region of the state; and

WHEREAS, the responsibility and cost of construction, renovation and maintenance of these buildings falls primarily on local governments; and

WHEREAS, in recent years, the increase in the number of judges and courtrooms needed in response to Virginia’s criminal justice policies, along with changes and improvements required to accommodate technological advances and security standards have combined to create a significant fiscal impact on local government budgets; and

WHEREAS, this situation has become the source of occasional tension between local governments and judicial administrators in many communities because of the needs for new and renovated courtroom facilities and the limited local funds to address such needs; and

WHEREAS, local governments face the statutory authority of judges to mandate certain actions to provide for courthouse facilities, placing local officials in a very difficult position, as they face additional mandates and fiscal pressures for a wide range of public services other than courthouse and court related infrastructure; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the Joint Legislative Review and Audit Commission (JLARC) is requested to study the current laws and practices for financing courthouse construction, renovation and maintenance throughout Virginia, to compare these practices with those in other states and to recommend possible options and improvements in the financing of these public buildings that are essential to our system of justice.

JLARC shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 2002 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.