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2001 SESSION

014349420
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 374
AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE
(Proposed by the Senate Committee on Rules
on January 22, 2001)
(Patron Prior to Substitute--Senator Edwards)
Directing the Division of Legislative Services to identify the laws and determine the practices in other states for financing courthouse and court-related facilities, including the construction, renovation, and maintenance of such facilities.

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 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 Division of Legislative Services be directed to identify the laws and determine the practices in other states for financing courthouse and court-related facilities, including the construction, renovation, and maintenance of such facilities. The Division shall also note the advantages and disadvantages of such practices in other states.

The Division of Legislative Services shall complete its work in time to submit its written findings and recommendations by October 20, 2001, to the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Appropriations for their consideration, and 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.