                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

ASSESSMENT FOR LAW LIBRARY AS PART OF COSTS IN CIVIL ACTIONS; CONTRIBUTIONS FROM
BAR ASSOCIATIONS (§ 42.1-70)

Any county, city, or town may, through its governing body, assess as part of the
costs incident to each civil action filed in the courts located within its
boundaries a sum not in excess of $4.
		The imposition of such assessment shall be by ordinance of the governing body,
which ordinance may provide for different sums in circuit courts and district
courts, and the assessment shall be collected by the clerk of the court in which
the action is filed and remitted to the treasurer of such county, city, or town
and held by such treasurer subject to disbursements by the governing body for
the acquisition of (i) law books, law periodicals and computer legal research
services, and computer terminals for offsite placement to maximize access to the
law library by the public and (ii) equipment for the establishment, use, and
maintenance of a law library that shall be open for the use of the public at
hours convenient to the public. In addition to the acquisition of law books, law
periodicals and computer legal research services, and equipment, the
disbursements may include compensation to be paid to librarians and other
necessary staff for the maintenance of such library and acquisition of suitable
quarters for such library. The compensation of such librarians and the necessary
staff and the cost of suitable quarters for such library shall be fixed by the
governing body and paid out of the fund created by the imposition of such
assessment of cost. Disbursements may be made to purchase or lease computer
terminals for the purpose of retaining such research services. The assessment
provided for in this section shall be in addition to all other costs prescribed
by law, but shall not apply to any action in which the Commonwealth or any
political subdivision thereof or the federal government is a party and in which
the costs are assessed against the Commonwealth or any political subdivision
thereof or the federal government. The governing body is authorized to accept
contributions to the fund from any bar association.
		Any such library established in the County of Wythe shall be located only in a
town that is the seat of the county government.

HISTORY: Code 1950, § 42-19.4; 1964, c. 439; 1964, Ex. Sess., c. 26; 1966, c.
225; 1970, c. 606; 1972, c. 343; 1977, c. 397; 1981, c. 48; 1982, c. 607; 1983,
cc. 309, 355; 1984, c. 16; 1985, c. 381; 1988, c. 571; 2009, c. 617; 2022, c.
355.