A workgroup that has been directed to review the sustainability of the structure and finances of the Virginia Alcohol Safety Action Program (VASAP) held its first meeting on May 27. Issues the workgroup has been directed to examine include factors affecting financial sustainability of the program, including fees and other funding sources for the program; factors affecting the operational stability of the system of local alcohol safety action programs (ASAPs); and the role and responsibility of the state-level VASAP Commission in ensuring the success of local programs.
The bills establishing the workgroup, HB 862 (Cousins) and SB 391 (Stuart), were introduced at the recommendation of the Commission on VASAP, a legislative branch commission, and stemmed from a small working group of Commission members that met last fall and did not include local government representation. VASAP’s funding structure has been stressed for some time, leading to program consolidations in some areas. The state established the program in the 1970s; the program is supported by fees paid by individuals referred by the courts to the program, as well as local contributions in some localities, but the fees have not increased in years and judges at times waive fees for individuals they deem unable to pay. The bills as introduced sought to address these longstanding challenges by requiring localities to provide financial support for local alcohol safety action programs and requiring each local alcohol safety action program to have a locality serve as its fiscal agent — broad changes to the program that were not previously discussed with local governments. The bills also codified some regulations, reorganized certain Code sections, and set out responsibilities for local policy boards that supervise local alcohol safety action programs.
After a series of amendments, the requirement for a local ASAP to designate a fiscal agent locality and the requirement for localities to make financial contributions to local ASAPs were delayed until January 1, 2028, to allow time for the workgroup to examine broader questions about the structure and funding of the program.
VASAP has retained a consulting firm to conduct the study. At the initial meeting, stakeholders discussed areas of inquiry and potential options to explore. Several questions submitted by VACo for the consultants to pursue included:
- how much funding would be required to stabilize the VASAP system
- to what degree each local ASAP’s expenses are covered by fee revenue
- the process for local ASAPs to receive supplemental funds through VASAP and how often local ASAPs have needed these infusions of funds
- the effect of state actions to sweep balances from the program on the program’s stability
- the administrative fee charged by those localities currently serving as fiscal agents to compensate them for their work and how those fees have been determined
- how local ASAPs track success over time
Since the workgroup provides a forum to better understand pressures facing local ASAPs and to explore solutions without the time pressure of the compressed legislative session, VACo has encouraged the group to consider creative approaches to revenue options beyond what was contained in the 2026 legislation, in order to find solutions that will provide stable, predictable sources of funding for the ASAPs without placing a burden on the taxpayer and without requiring each ASAP to negotiate with each local government each year. Alternative ideas that could be explored include establishing a non-General Fund source of revenue that could be directly distributed to ASAPs; updating the fee structure to set fees at rates that more realistically address the costs to provide service for clients who are able to pay; or a state General Fund appropriation.
The workgroup’s next meeting is scheduled for June 24; a report is due by October 1.
VACo Contact: Katie Boyle