                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

MEMBERSHIP; TERMS; COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES (§ 17.1-802)

A. The Commission shall be composed of 18 members as follows:

   1. Six judges or justices, who may be judges of a circuit court who regularly
   hear criminal cases or judges or justices of the Supreme Court or the Court of
   Appeals, to be appointed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of
   Virginia;

   2. One person who is not an active member of the judiciary, to be appointed as
   Chairman by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia for a term of
   four years subject to confirmation by the General Assembly. The Chairman shall
   designate a vice-chairman from among the other members to serve a term
   commensurate with that of the Chairman;

   3. The Chairman of the House Committee for Courts of Justice or his designee
   who shall be a member of the committee and two persons to be appointed by the
   Speaker of the House of Delegates;

   4. The Chairman of the Senate Committee for Courts of Justice or his designee
   who shall be a member of the committee and one person to be appointed by the
   Senate Committee on Rules;

   5. Four persons to be appointed by the Governor, at least one of whom shall be
   a representative of a crime victims&#8217; organization or a victim of crime
   as defined in subsection B of &#xA7; 19.2-11.01;

   6. The Attorney General of Virginia or his designee for a term commensurate
   with his term of office; and

   7. The executive director of the Virginia Indigent Defense Commission or his
   designee.
   				All members shall be citizens of the Commonwealth.

B. Except for legislative members and gubernatorial appointments, appointments
to the Commission made on and after January 1, 2001, shall be for terms of four
years. Legislative members shall serve terms coincident with their terms of
office. Appointments to the Commission made by the Governor on and after January
1, 2006, shall be for terms of four years. Members initially appointed to the
Commission prior to January 1, 1998, may serve no more than three consecutive
terms. Members initially appointed on and after January 1, 1998, shall not be
eligible to serve more than two consecutive terms except for the Attorney
General who shall serve by virtue of his office. Vacancies occurring other than
by expiration of a term shall be filled for the unexpired term. Vacancies shall
be filled in the same manner as the original appointments. The remainder of any
term to which a member is appointed to fill a vacancy or the service of an
initial term of three years or less shall not constitute a term in determining
the member&#8217;s eligibility for reappointment.

C. Legislative members of the Commission shall receive compensation as provided
in &#xA7; 30-19.12 and nonlegislative citizen members of the Commission shall
receive compensation as provided in &#xA7; 2.2-2813 and all members shall be
reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance
of their duties as provided in &#xA7;&#xA7; 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825. Funding for
the costs of compensation and expenses of the members shall be provided by the
Virginia Sentencing Commission.

HISTORY: 1994, Sp. Sess. II., cc. 1, 2, § 17-234; 1997, cc. 795, 883; 1998, cc.
226, 872; 2002, c. 79; 2004, c. 1000; 2005, c. 596; 2025, cc. 60, 64.