Bill Text: VA SB736 | 2024 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Clerks' offices; days of operation, clerks' authority to close office.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2024-04-04 - Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0521) [SB736 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2024-SB736-Chaptered.html
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §17.1-207 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§17.1-207. Days of operation of clerks' offices.
A. The clerk's office of every court shall be kept open on every day except Saturday, except as provided in subsection B, and Sunday, and the days provided for in §2.2-3300, for the transaction of business; provided that:
1. The clerk's office of the circuit court of any county or
city may be closed on any day which is established as a general holiday for the
employees of such county or city by a resolution duly adopted by the governing
body of such county or city and approved by the judge or judges of the
circuit court and filed in the office of the clerk; provided that such
general holiday shall have the same force and effect as a legal holiday as set
forth in subsection B of §1-210;
2. The judge or judges of any circuit court in any county
or city may authorize the clerk of such the circuit court
to of any county or city may close the such clerk's
office on Christmas Eve; provided that the closing of any clerk's office as
provided by this subdivision shall have the same force and effect as a legal
holiday as set forth in subsection B of §1-210;
3. The chief judge or presiding judge of any circuit court may authorize the clerk of the court to close the clerk's office on any day when the chief judge or presiding judge determines that operation of the clerk's office, under prevailing conditions, would constitute a threat to the health and safety of the clerk's office personnel or the general public. Closing of the clerk's office pursuant to this subdivision shall have the same effect as provided in subsection B of §1-210;
4. The judge or judges of the circuit court of any county
or city may authorize the clerk of such the circuit court
to of any county or city may close the such clerk's
office on any day or portion of a day which that the Governor
declares as a holiday for state employees, or on any day or portion of a day on
which the Governor, Supreme Court, or Judicial Council authorizes state
offices to be closed; provided that such closing of any clerk's office shall
have the same force and effect as a legal holiday as set forth in subsection B
of §1-210.
Except for closings pursuant to subdivision 3, whenever the
authorization of the judge is necessary to close a clerk's office and a court
has more than one judge, the authorization of all such judges shall be
necessary.
The judge of the circuit court of any county or city may
require the clerk's office to be kept open continuously for the transaction of
business during convenient hours on all the days on which it is required by
this section to be kept open.
B. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the
clerk, with the approval of the chief judge, to open the clerk's office
on Saturdays, during such hours as the chief judge clerk of the
circuit court may authorize, solely for the purposes of (i) permitting
examination and copying of court records, (ii) accepting applications for and
granting licenses pursuant to applicable law, and (iii) recording instruments.
For all other purposes, including without limitation the filing of actions at
law and suits in equity and all pleadings, pleas and motions therein, such
clerk's office shall be closed with the force and effect of a statutory closing
as provided in subsection B of §1-210.
