HARRISBURG - A 2005 law requiring the state to compensate counties 65 percent of the cost of full-time district attorneys has been underfunded in the state budget the last three fiscal years, a situation Rep. Mario M. Scavello (R-Monroe) hopes to remedy with a new bill.

“I will be introducing the legislation to provide a $7.5 million supplemental appropriation to reimburse counties for full-time district attorney salaries,” Scavello said. “The funds would come from unappropriated funds in the state budget.”

Act 57 of 2005 requires the Commonwealth to reimburse counties for 65 percent of full-time district attorney salaries. The supplemental appropriation included will cover the county reimbursement of $6.5 million for 2008 and pay the remaining $1 million in shortfall in payments for 2006 and 2007.

“The governor has failed to include enough state funding to cover this budget item for the past three years,” said Scavello. “In fact, he has insisted that county reimbursements be paid from a restricted revenue account, the Criminal Justice Enhancement Account, which fails to generate sufficient fines to pay the county reimbursements.

This account is funded through an additional $50 assessment on certain criminal offenders, as well as increased fines on criminals convicted of certain crimes. The account currently contains less than $100,000.

House Bill 971 has 45 co-sponsors and will be referred to the House Appropriations Committee, on which Scavello serves as a member.