HD9 - Interim Report on Fees and Costs (2026 Appropriation Act, Item 40.F.2.)
Executive Summary: Item 40 of Budget Bill - HB30 (Virginia Acts of Assembly - 2026 Special Session I) states: F.1. The Indigent Defense Commission, in consultation with the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court or his designee, shall convene a work group composed of all relevant stakeholders, including the Attorney General or his designee and representatives from the Compensation Board, the Virginia State Crime Commission, the Virginia Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, the Virginia Court Clerks' Association, the Virginia Association of Commonwealth's Attorneys, the Virginia Probation and Parole Association, staff from the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees, and two criminal justice reform organizations with relevant expertise. 2. The work group shall examine fees, fines, and other financial assessments imposed in criminal prosecutions, including amounts assessed and collected by type of offense, any guidelines or data related to the fees assessed for various types of cases, use of collected funds to include any programs such funds support, state and local reimbursement, imposition of costs on delinquent accounts, and practices used by other states. The work group shall submit an interim executive summary and report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly by November 1, 2026, and a final report no later than November 1, 2027. Pursuant to this language, the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission (VIDC) and the Office of the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court (OES) recruited the above listed stakeholders, along with others with specialized expertise in financial reporting within the state. A list of the workgroup members can be found in Appendix A. The full workgroup met on August 26, 2026 and October 13, 2026. The technical subgroup met on September 14, 2026. |