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_ 28 Item Details($) Appropriations($) ITEM 25. First Year Second Year First Year Second Year FY2025 FY2026 FY2025 FY2026 25. Legislative Evaluation and Review (78300) $6,244,847 $6,244,847 $6,069,847 Performance Audits and Evaluation (78303) $6,244,847 $6,244,847 $6,069,847 Fund Sources: General $6,103,939 $6,103,939 $5,928,939 Trust and Agency $140,908 $140,908 Authority: Title 30, Chapters 7 and 8, Code of Virginia. A. Out of this appropriation shall be paid the annual salary of the Director, Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), $206,186 from June 10, 2024 to June 9, 2025 and $212,372 from June 10, 2025 to June 30, 2026. B. Expenses associated with the oversight responsibility of the Virginia Retirement System by JLARC and the House Appropriations and Senate Finance and Appropriations Committees shall be reimbursed by the Virginia Retirement System upon documentation by the Director, JLARC of the expenses incurred. C. Out of this appropriation, funds are provided to continue the technical support staff of JLARC, in order to assist with legislative fiscal impact analysis when an impact statement is referred from the Chairman of a standing committee of the House or Senate, and to conduct oversight of the expenditure forecasting process. Pursuant to existing statutory authority, all agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide access to information necessary to accomplish these duties. D.1. The General Assembly hereby designates the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC) to review and evaluate the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) on a continuing basis and to make such special studies and reports as may be requested by the General Assembly, the House Appropriations Committee, or the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee. 2. The areas of review and evaluation to be conducted by the Commission shall include, but are not limited to, the following: (i) VITA's infrastructure outsourcing contracts and any amendments thereto; (ii) adequacy of VITA's planning and oversight responsibilities, including VITA's oversight of information technology projects and the security of governmental information; (iii) cost-effectiveness and adequacy of VITA's procurement services and its oversight of the procurement activities of State agencies. 3. For the purpose of carrying out its duties and notwithstanding any contrary provision of law, JLARC shall have the legal authority to access the information, records, facilities, and employees of VITA. 4. Records provided to VITA by a private entity pertaining to VITA's comprehensive infrastructure agreement or any successor contract, or any contractual amendments thereto for the operation of the Commonwealth's information technology infrastructure shall be exempt from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.), to the extent that such records contain (i) trade secrets of the private entity as defined in the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (§ 59.1-336 et seq.) or (ii) financial records of the private entity, including balance sheets and financial statements, that are not generally available to the public through regulatory disclosure or otherwise. In order for the records specified in clauses (i) and (ii) to be excluded from the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, the private entity shall make a written request to VITA: a. Invoking such exclusion upon submission of the data or other materials for which protection from disclosure is sought; b. Identifying with specificity the data or other materials for which protection is sought; and c. Stating the reasons why protection is necessary. VITA shall determine whether the requested exclusion from disclosure is necessary to protect the trade secrets or financial records of the private entity. VITA shall make a written determination of the nature and scope of the protection to be afforded by it under this subdivision. Once a written determination is made by VITA, the records afforded protection