Substitute judge of a district court; per diem compensation.
Summary
HB2162 amends Virginia law governing judicial compensation to increase the per diem paid to substitute district court judges. The bill raises the standard substitute-judge daily rate from $200 to $350. It also increases the reduced per diem that may be certified by the judge being replaced, from $100 to $175, when the substitute judge serves for less than a full docket or for fewer than four hours.
The bill leaves intact the existing exception for substitute judges serving under Title 37.2, where compensation remains limited by the separate mental health-related compensation provision in § 37.2-804. It does not change the salary formula for full-time district court judges, which remains set at 90 percent of the salary of circuit court judges.
Impact
The bill directly amends § 16.1-69.44 of the Code of Virginia, changing the statutory compensation rates for substitute district court judges and the reduced-rate certification amount. Its practical effect is to increase state spending on substitute judicial service and to update the pay structure for temporary coverage in district courts, while preserving the special compensation rule for certain Title 37.2 proceedings. The measure affects the Commonwealth’s budget, district court administration, and judges who are called on to serve as substitutes.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It moved through subcommittee, committee, Appropriations, and both chambers with unanimous or near-unanimous votes, including 97-0 in the House and 39-0 in the Senate. The voting history suggests general agreement that the compensation increase was appropriate.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive opposition in the available record. The only notable policy issue is the cost increase to the Commonwealth from raising substitute judge per diem compensation, which would typically be reviewed by Appropriations and Finance and Appropriations. No committee transcript is available showing disagreement, and the recorded votes were unanimous at each stage.