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_ 68 Item Details($) Appropriations($) ITEM 64. First Year Second Year First Year Second Year FY2025 FY2026 FY2025 FY2026 jurisdictional lines, serving the Northern Virginia area (counties of Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, and Arlington and the cities of Falls Church, Alexandria, Manassas, Manassas Park and Fairfax). H. In accordance with the provisions of § 19.2-349, Code of Virginia, attorneys for the Commonwealth may employ individuals, or contract with private attorneys, private collection agencies, or other state or local agencies, to assist in collection of delinquent fines, costs, forfeitures, penalties, and restitution. If the attorney for the Commonwealth employs individuals, the costs associated with employing such individuals may be paid from the proceeds of the amounts collected provided that the cost is apportioned on a pro rata basis according to the amount collected which is due the state and that which is due the locality. If the attorney for the Commonwealth does not undertake collection, the attorney for the Commonwealth shall, as soon as practicable, take steps to ensure that any agreement or contract with an individual, attorney or agency complies with the terms of the current Master Guidelines Governing Collection of Unpaid Delinquent Court-Ordered Fines and Costs Pursuant to Virginia Code § 19.2-349 promulgated by the Office of the Attorney General, the Executive Secretary of the Supreme Court, the Department of Taxation, and the Compensation Board ("the Master Guidelines"). Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the delinquent amounts owed shall be increased by seventeen (17) percent to help offset the costs associated with employing such individuals or contracting with such agencies or individuals. If such increase would exceed the contracted collection agent's fee, then the delinquent amount owed shall be increased by the percentage or amount of the collection agent's fee. Effective July 1, 2015, as provided in § 19.2-349, Code of Virginia, treasurers not being compensated on a contingency basis as of January 1, 2015 shall be prohibited from being compensated on a contingency basis but shall instead be compensated for administrative costs pursuant to § 58.1-3958, Code of Virginia. Treasurers currently collecting a contingency fee shall be eligible to contract on a contingency fee basis. Effective July 1, 2015, any treasurer collecting a contingency fee shall retain only the expenses of collection, and the excess collection shall be divided between the state and the locality in the same manner as if the collection had been done by the attorney for the Commonwealth. The attorneys for the Commonwealth shall account for the amounts collected and the fees and costs associated with the collections consistent with procedures issued by the Auditor of Public Accounts. I. Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 7, Chapter 4, Title 38, Code of Virginia, beginning July 1, 2018, $600,000 each year from the Insurance Fraud Fund is included in this appropriation to fund multi-jurisdictional Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney positions that shall be dedicated to prosecuting insurance fraud and related criminal activities. The Department of State Police shall identify those jurisdictions most affected by insurance fraud based upon data provided by the Virginia State Police Insurance Fraud Program. The Virginia State Police Insurance Fraud Program shall ensure that these positions work across jurisdictional lines, serving jurisdictions identified as most in need of these resources as supported by data. These funds shall remain unallocated until the Compensation Board and Virginia State Police notify the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget of the joint agreements reached with the Commonwealth's Attorneys of the jurisdictions receiving the additional Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney positions and the jurisdictions to be served by these positions. The Commonwealth's Attorneys receiving such positions shall annually certify to the Compensation Board that these positions are used primarily, if not exclusively, for the prosecution of insurance fraud and related criminal activities. J. Any locality in the Commonwealth that employs the use of body worn cameras for its law enforcement officers shall be required to establish and fund one full-time equivalent entry- level Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney, at a salary no less than that established by the Compensation Board for an entry-level Commonwealth's Attorney, at a rate of one Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney for up to 75 body worn cameras employed for use by local law enforcement officers, and one Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney for every 75 body worn cameras employed for use by local law enforcement officers, thereafter. However, with the consent of the Commonwealth's Attorney, a locality may provide their Commonwealth's Attorney's office with additional funding, using a different formula than stated above, as needed to accommodate the additional workload resulting from the requirement to review, redact and present footage from body worn cameras. If, as of July 1, 2019, a locality is providing additional funding to the Commonwealth's Attorney's office specifically to address the staffing and workload impact of the implementation of body worn cameras on that office,