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2000 SESSION


CHAPTER 400
An Act to amend and reenact §§ 2.1-41.2, 2.1-116, 2.1-342.01, 2.1-344, 9-6.14:4.1, 11-35, 23-38.75, 23-38.76, 23-38.77, 23-38.78, 23-38.80, 23-38.81, 23-38.83, 23-38.84, 58.1-302, and 58.1-322 of the Code of Virginia, relating to certain college tuition savings initiatives.
[H 438]
Approved April 4, 2000

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 2.1-41.2, 2.1-116, 2.1-342.01, 2.1-344, 9-6.14:4.1, 11-35, 23-38.75, 23-38.76, 23-38.77, 23-38.78, 23-38.80, 23-38.81, 23-38.83, 23-38.84, 58.1-302, and 58.1-322 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 2.1-41.2. Appointment of agency heads; chief of staff.

Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the Governor shall appoint the administrative head of each agency of the executive branch of state government except the following: the Executive Director of the Virginia Port Authority, the Director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Executive Director of the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, the Executive Director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, the Executive Director of the Motor Vehicle Dealer Board, the Executive Director of the Virginia Higher Education Tuition Trust Fund College Savings Plan, and the Librarian of Virginia. However, the manner of selection of those heads of agencies chosen by election as of January 1, 1976, or as set forth in the Constitution of Virginia shall continue without change. Each administrative head and Secretary appointed by the Governor pursuant to this section shall be subject to confirmation by the General Assembly, shall have such professional qualifications as may be prescribed by law, and shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The chief of staff who may be appointed by the Governor pursuant to § 2.1-38 shall be confirmed by a majority of the members of each house of the General Assembly. For the purpose of this section, "agency" shall include all administrative units established by law or by executive order which are not arms of the legislative or judicial branches of government, which are not educational institutions as classified under §§ 9-84, 22.1-346, 23-14, and 23-252, which are not regional planning districts, regional transportation authorities or districts, or regional sanitation districts and which are not assigned by law to other departments or agencies, not including assignments to secretaries under Chapter 5.1 (§ 2.1-51.7 et seq.) of this title.

§ 2.1-116. Certain officers and employees exempt from chapter.

The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to:

1. Officers and employees for whom the Constitution specifically directs the manner of selection;

2. Officers and employees of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals;

3. Officers appointed by the Governor, whether confirmation by the General Assembly or by either house thereof is required or not;

4. Officers elected by popular vote or by the General Assembly or either house thereof;

5. Members of boards and commissions however selected;

6. Judges, referees, receivers, arbiters, masters and commissioners in chancery, commissioners of accounts, and any other persons appointed by any court to exercise judicial functions, and jurors and notaries public;

7. Officers and employees of the General Assembly and persons employed to conduct temporary or special inquiries, investigations, or examinations on its behalf;

8. The presidents, and teaching and research staffs of state educational institutions;

9. Commissioned officers and enlisted personnel of the National Guard and the naval militia;

10. Student employees in institutions of learning, and patient or inmate help in other state institutions;

11. Upon general or special authorization of the Governor, laborers, temporary employees and employees compensated on an hourly or daily basis;

12. County, city, town and district officers, deputies, assistants and employees;

13. The employees of the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission;

14. The officers and employees of the Virginia Retirement System;

15. Employees whose positions are identified by the State Council of Higher Education and the boards of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, The Science Museum of Virginia, the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia, the Virginia Museum of Natural History and The Library of Virginia, and approved by the Director of the Department of Personnel and Training as requiring specialized and professional training;

16. Employees of the State Lottery Department;

17. Production workers for the Virginia Industries for the Blind Sheltered Workshop programs;

18. [Repealed.]

19. Employees of the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals Authority;

20. Employees of the University of Virginia Medical Center. Any changes in compensation plans for such employees shall be subject to the review and approval of the Board of Visitors of the University of Virginia. The University of Virginia shall ensure that its procedures for hiring University of Virginia Medical Center personnel are based on merit and fitness. Such employees shall remain subject to the provisions of Chapter 10.01 (§ 2.1-116.01 et seq.) of this title 2.1;

21. In executive branch agencies the employee who has accepted serving in the capacity of chief deputy, or equivalent, and the employee who has accepted serving in the capacity of a confidential assistant for policy or administration. An employee serving in either one of these two positions shall be deemed to serve on an employment-at-will basis. An agency may not exceed two employees who serve in this exempt capacity;

22. Employees of Virginia Correctional Enterprises. Such employees shall remain subject to the provisions of Chapter 10.01 (§ 2.1-116.01 et seq.) of this title 2.1;

23. Officers and employees of the Virginia Port Authority;

24. Employees of the Virginia Higher Education Tuition Trust Fund College Savings Plan; and

25. Directors of state facilities operated by the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services employed or reemployed by the Commissioner after July 1, 1999, under a contract pursuant to § 37.1-42.2.

§ 2.1-342.01. Exclusions to application of chapter.

A. The following records are excluded from the provisions of this chapter but may be disclosed by the custodian in his discretion, except where such disclosure is prohibited by law:

1. Confidential records of all investigations of applications for licenses and permits, and all licensees and permittees made by or submitted to the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, the State Lottery Department, the Virginia Racing Commission, or the Charitable Gaming Commission.

2. State income, business, and estate tax returns, personal property tax returns, scholastic and confidential records held pursuant to § 58.1-3.

3. Scholastic records containing information concerning identifiable individuals, except that such access shall not be denied to the person who is the subject thereof, or the parent or legal guardian of the student. However, no student shall have access to (i) financial records of a parent or guardian or (ii) records of instructional, supervisory, and administrative personnel and educational personnel ancillary thereto, which are in the sole possession of the maker thereof and which are not accessible or revealed to any other person except a substitute.

The parent or legal guardian of a student may prohibit, by written request, the release of any individual information regarding that student until the student reaches the age of eighteen years. For scholastic records of students under the age of eighteen years, the right of access may be asserted only by his legal guardian or parent, including a noncustodial parent, unless such parent's parental rights have been terminated or a court of competent jurisdiction has restricted or denied such access. For scholastic records of students who are emancipated or attending a state-supported institution of higher education, the right of access may be asserted by the student.

Any person who is the subject of any scholastic record and who is eighteen years of age or older may waive, in writing, the protections afforded by this subdivision. If the protections are so waived, the public body shall open such records for inspection and copying.

4. Personnel records containing information concerning identifiable individuals, except that access shall not be denied to the person who is the subject thereof. Any person who is the subject of any personnel record and who is eighteen years of age or older may waive, in writing, the protections afforded by this subdivision. If the protections are so waived, the public body shall open such records for inspection and copying.

5. Medical and mental records, except that such records may be personally reviewed by the subject person or a physician of the subject person's choice. However, the subject person's mental records may not be personally reviewed by such person when the subject person's treating physician has made a part of such person's records a written statement that in his opinion a review of such records by the subject person would be injurious to the subject person's physical or mental health or well-being.

Where the person who is the subject of medical records is confined in a state or local correctional facility, the administrator or chief medical officer of such facility may assert such confined person's right of access to the medical records if the administrator or chief medical officer has reasonable cause to believe that such confined person has an infectious disease or other medical condition from which other persons so confined need to be protected. Medical records shall only be reviewed and shall not be copied by such administrator or chief medical officer. The information in the medical records of a person so confined shall continue to be confidential and shall not be disclosed by the administrator or chief medical officer of the facility to any person except the subject or except as provided by law.

For the purposes of this chapter, statistical summaries of incidents and statistical data concerning patient abuse as may be compiled by the Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services shall be open to inspection and copying as provided in § 2.1-342. No such summaries or data shall include any patient-identifying information. Where the person who is the subject of medical and mental records is under the age of eighteen, his right of access may be asserted only by his guardian or his parent, including a noncustodial parent, unless such parent's parental rights have been terminated or a court of competent jurisdiction has restricted or denied such access. In instances where the person who is the subject thereof is an emancipated minor or a student in a public institution of higher education, the right of access may be asserted by the subject person.

6. Working papers and correspondence of the Office of the Governor; Lieutenant Governor; the Attorney General; the members of the General Assembly or the Division of Legislative Services; the mayor or chief executive officer of any political subdivision of the Commonwealth; or the president or other chief executive officer of any public institution of higher education. However, no record which is otherwise open to inspection under this chapter shall be deemed exempt by virtue of the fact that it has been attached to or incorporated within any working paper or correspondence.

As used in this subdivision:

"Working papers" means those records prepared by or for an above-named public official for his personal or deliberative use.

"Office of the Governor" means the Governor; his chief of staff, counsel, director of policy, Cabinet Secretaries, and the Director of the Virginia Liaison Office; and those individuals to whom the Governor has delegated his authority pursuant to § 2.1-39.1.

7. Written advice of the county, city and town attorneys to their local government clients and any other records protected by the attorney-client privilege.

8. Legal memoranda and other work product compiled specifically for use in litigation or for use in an active administrative investigation concerning a matter which is properly the subject of a closed meeting under § 2.1-344.

9. Confidential letters and statements of recommendation placed in the records of educational agencies or institutions respecting (i) admission to any educational agency or institution, (ii) an application for employment, or (iii) receipt of an honor or honorary recognition.

10. Library records which can be used to identify both (i) any library patron who has borrowed material from a library and (ii) the material such patron borrowed.

11. Any test or examination used, administered or prepared by any public body for purposes of evaluation of (i) any student or any student's performance, (ii) any employee or employment seeker's qualifications or aptitude for employment, retention, or promotion, or (iii) qualifications for any license or certificate issued by a public body.

As used in this subdivision, "test or examination" shall include (i) any scoring key for any such test or examination and (ii) any other document which would jeopardize the security of the test or examination. Nothing contained in this subdivision shall prohibit the release of test scores or results as provided by law, or limit access to individual records as provided by law. However, the subject of such employment tests shall be entitled to review and inspect all records relative to his performance on such employment tests.

When, in the reasonable opinion of such public body, any such test or examination no longer has any potential for future use, and the security of future tests or examinations will not be jeopardized, the test or examination shall be made available to the public. However, minimum competency tests administered to public school children shall be made available to the public contemporaneously with statewide release of the scores of those taking such tests, but in no event shall such tests be made available to the public later than six months after the administration of such tests.

12. Applications for admission to examinations or for licensure and scoring records maintained by the Department of Health Professions or any board in that department on individual licensees or applicants. However, such material may be made available during normal working hours for copying, at the requester's expense, by the individual who is the subject thereof, in the offices of the Department of Health Professions or in the offices of any health regulatory board, whichever may possess the material.

13. Records of active investigations being conducted by the Department of Health Professions or by any health regulatory board in the Commonwealth.

14. Records recorded in or compiled exclusively for use in closed meetings lawfully held pursuant to § 2.1-344. However, no record which is otherwise open to inspection under this chapter shall be deemed exempt by virtue of the fact that it has been reviewed or discussed in a closed meeting.

15. Reports, documentary evidence and other information as specified in §§ 2.1-373.2 and 63.1-55.4.

16. Proprietary information gathered by or for the Virginia Port Authority as provided in § 62.1-132.4 or § 62.1-134.1.

17. Contract cost estimates prepared for the confidential use of the Department of Transportation in awarding contracts for construction or the purchase of goods or services, and records and automated systems prepared for the Department's Bid Analysis and Monitoring Program.

18. Vendor proprietary information software which may be in the official records of a public body. For the purpose of this subdivision, "vendor proprietary software" means computer programs acquired from a vendor for purposes of processing data for agencies or political subdivisions of the Commonwealth.

19. Financial statements not publicly available filed with applications for industrial development financings.

20. Data, records or information of a proprietary nature produced or collected by or for faculty or staff of public institutions of higher education, other than the institutions' financial or administrative records, in the conduct of or as a result of study or research on medical, scientific, technical or scholarly issues, whether sponsored by the institution alone or in conjunction with a governmental body or a private concern, where such data, records or information has not been publicly released, published, copyrighted or patented.

21. Lists of registered owners of bonds issued by a political subdivision of the Commonwealth, whether the lists are maintained by the political subdivision itself or by a single fiduciary designated by the political subdivision.

22. Confidential proprietary records, voluntarily provided by private business pursuant to a promise of confidentiality from the Department of Business Assistance, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Virginia Tourism Authority, or local or regional industrial or economic development authorities or organizations, used by the Department, the Partnership, the Authority, or such entities for business, trade and tourism development; and memoranda, working papers or other records related to businesses that are considering locating or expanding in Virginia, prepared by the Partnership, where competition or bargaining is involved and where, if such records are made public, the financial interest of the governmental unit would be adversely affected.

23. Information which was filed as confidential under the Toxic Substances Information Act (§ 32.1-239 et seq.), as such Act existed prior to July 1, 1992.

24. Confidential records, including victim identity, provided to or obtained by staff in a rape crisis center or a program for battered spouses.

25. Computer software developed by or for a state agency, state-supported institution of higher education or political subdivision of the Commonwealth.

26. Investigator notes, and other correspondence and information, furnished in confidence with respect to an active investigation of individual employment discrimination complaints made to the Department of Personnel and Training. However, nothing in this section shall prohibit the disclosure of information taken from inactive reports in a form which does not reveal the identity of charging parties, persons supplying the information or other individuals involved in the investigation.

27. Fisheries data which would permit identification of any person or vessel, except when required by court order as specified in § 28.2-204.

28. Records of active investigations being conducted by the Department of Medical Assistance Services pursuant to Chapter 10 (§ 32.1-323 et seq.) of Title 32.1.

29. Records and writings furnished by a member of the General Assembly to a meeting of a standing committee, special committee or subcommittee of his house established solely for the purpose of reviewing members' annual disclosure statements and supporting materials filed under § 2.1-639.40 or of formulating advisory opinions to members on standards of conduct, or both.

30. Customer account information of a public utility affiliated with a political subdivision of the Commonwealth, including the customer's name and service address, but excluding the amount of utility service provided and the amount of money paid for such utility service.

31. Investigative notes and other correspondence and information furnished in confidence with respect to an investigation or conciliation process involving an alleged unlawful discriminatory practice under the Virginia Human Rights Act (§ 2.1-714 et seq.). However, nothing in this section shall prohibit the distribution of information taken from inactive reports in a form which does not reveal the identity of the parties involved or other persons supplying information.

32. Investigative notes; proprietary information not published, copyrighted or patented; information obtained from employee personnel records; personally identifiable information regarding residents, clients or other recipients of services; and other correspondence and information furnished in confidence to the Department of Social Services in connection with an active investigation of an applicant or licensee pursuant to Chapters 9 (§ 63.1-172 et seq.) and 10 (§ 63.1-195 et seq.) of Title 63.1. However, nothing in this section shall prohibit disclosure of information from the records of completed investigations in a form that does not reveal the identity of complainants, persons supplying information, or other individuals involved in the investigation.

33. Personal information, as defined in § 2.1-379, (i) filed with the Virginia Housing Development Authority concerning individuals who have applied for or received loans or other housing assistance or who have applied for occupancy of or have occupied housing financed, owned or otherwise assisted by the Virginia Housing Development Authority, (ii) concerning persons participating in or persons on the waiting list for federally funded rent-assistance programs, or (iii) filed with any local redevelopment and housing authority created pursuant to § 36-4 concerning persons participating in or persons on the waiting list for housing assistance programs funded by local governments or by any such authority. However, access to one's own information shall not be denied.

34. Records regarding the siting of hazardous waste facilities, except as provided in § 10.1-1441, if disclosure of them would have a detrimental effect upon the negotiating position of a governing body or on the establishment of the terms, conditions and provisions of the siting agreement.

35. Appraisals and cost estimates of real property subject to a proposed purchase, sale or lease, prior to the completion of such purchase, sale or lease.

36. Records containing information on the site specific location of rare, threatened, endangered or otherwise imperiled plant and animal species, natural communities, caves, and significant historic and archaeological sites if, in the opinion of the public body which has the responsibility for such information, disclosure of the information would jeopardize the continued existence or the integrity of the resource. This exemption shall not apply to requests from the owner of the land upon which the resource is located.

37. Records, memoranda, working papers, graphics, video or audio tapes, production models, data and information of a proprietary nature produced by or for or collected by or for the State Lottery Department relating to matters of a specific lottery game design, development, production, operation, ticket price, prize structure, manner of selecting the winning ticket, manner of payment of prizes to holders of winning tickets, frequency of drawings or selections of winning tickets, odds of winning, advertising, or marketing, where such official records have not been publicly released, published, copyrighted or patented. Whether released, published or copyrighted, all game-related information shall be subject to public disclosure under this chapter upon the first day of sales for the specific lottery game to which it pertains.

38. Records of studies and investigations by the State Lottery Department of (i) lottery agents, (ii) lottery vendors, (iii) lottery crimes under §§ 58.1-4014 through 58.1-4018, (iv) defects in the law or regulations which cause abuses in the administration and operation of the lottery and any evasions of such provisions, or (v) the use of the lottery as a subterfuge for organized crime and illegal gambling where such official records have not been publicly released, published or copyrighted. All studies and investigations referred to under clauses (iii), (iv) and (v) shall be open to inspection and copying upon completion of the study or investigation.

39. Those portions of engineering and construction drawings and plans submitted for the sole purpose of complying with the Building Code in obtaining a building permit which would identify specific trade secrets or other information the disclosure of which would be harmful to the competitive position of the owner or lessee. However, such information shall be exempt only until the building is completed. Information relating to the safety or environmental soundness of any building shall not be exempt from disclosure.

40. Records concerning reserves established in specific claims administered by the Department of General Services through its Division of Risk Management as provided in Article 5.1 (§ 2.1-526.1 et seq.) of Chapter 32 of this title, or by any county, city, or town.

41. Information and records collected for the designation and verification of trauma centers and other specialty care centers within the Statewide Emergency Medical Services System and Services pursuant to Article 2.1 (§ 32.1-111.1 et seq.) of Chapter 4 of Title 32.1.

42. Reports and court documents required to be kept confidential pursuant to § 37.1-67.3.

43. Investigative notes, correspondence and information furnished in confidence, and records otherwise exempted by this chapter or any Virginia statute, provided to or produced by or for the (i) Auditor of Public Accounts; (ii) Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission; (iii) Department of the State Internal Auditor with respect to an investigation initiated through the State Employee Fraud, Waste and Abuse Hotline; or (iv) the committee or the auditor with respect to an investigation or audit conducted pursuant to § 15.2-825. Records of completed investigations shall be disclosed in a form that does not reveal the identity of the complainants or persons supplying information to investigators. Unless disclosure is prohibited by this section, the records disclosed shall include, but not be limited to, the agency involved, the identity of the person who is the subject of the complaint, the nature of the complaint, and the actions taken to resolve the complaint. If an investigation does not lead to corrective action, the identity of the person who is the subject of the complaint may be released only with the consent of the subject person.

44. Data formerly required to be submitted to the Commissioner of Health relating to the establishment of new or the expansion of existing clinical health services, acquisition of major medical equipment, or certain projects requiring capital expenditures pursuant to former § 32.1-102.3:4.

45. Documentation or other information which describes the design, function, operation or access control features of any security system, whether manual or automated, which is used to control access to or use of any automated data processing or telecommunications system.

46. Confidential financial statements, balance sheets, trade secrets, and revenue and cost projections provided to the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, provided such information is exempt under the federal Freedom of Information Act or the federal Interstate Commerce Act or other laws administered by the Surface Transportation Board or the Federal Railroad Administration with respect to data provided in confidence to the Surface Transportation Board and the Federal Railroad Administration.

47. In the case of corporations organized by the Virginia Retirement System (i) proprietary information provided by, and financial information concerning, coventurers, partners, lessors, lessees, or investors and (ii) records concerning the condition, acquisition, disposition, use, leasing, development, coventuring, or management of real estate, the disclosure of which would have a substantial adverse impact on the value of such real estate or result in a competitive disadvantage to the corporation or subsidiary.

48. Confidential proprietary records related to inventory and sales, voluntarily provided by private energy suppliers to the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, used by that Department for energy contingency planning purposes or for developing consolidated statistical information on energy supplies.

49. Confidential proprietary information furnished to the Board of Medical Assistance Services or the Medicaid Prior Authorization Advisory Committee pursuant to Article 4 (§ 32.1-331.12 et seq.) of Chapter 10 of Title 32.1.

50. Proprietary, commercial or financial information, balance sheets, trade secrets, and revenue and cost projections provided by a private transportation business to the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation for the purpose of conducting transportation studies needed to obtain grants or other financial assistance under the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (P.L. 105-178) for transportation projects, provided such information is exempt under the federal Freedom of Information Act or the federal Interstate Commerce Act or other laws administered by the Surface Transportation Board or the Federal Railroad Administration with respect to data provided in confidence to the Surface Transportation Board and the Federal Railroad Administration. However, the exemption provided by this subdivision shall not apply to any wholly owned subsidiary of a public body.

51. Names and addresses of subscribers to Virginia Wildlife magazine, published by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, provided the individual subscriber has requested in writing that the Department not release such information.

52. Information required to be provided pursuant to § 54.1-2506.1.

53. Confidential information designated as provided in subsection D of § 11-52 as trade secrets or proprietary information by any person who has submitted to a public body an application for prequalification to bid on public construction projects in accordance with subsection B of § 11-46.

54. All information and records acquired during a review of any child death by the State Child Fatality Review team established pursuant to § 32.1-283.1, during a review of any child death by a local or regional child fatality review team established pursuant to § 32.1-283.2, and all information and records acquired during a review of any death by a family violence fatality review team established pursuant to § 32.1-283.3.

55. Financial, medical, rehabilitative and other personal information concerning applicants for or recipients of loan funds submitted to or maintained by the Assistive Technology Loan Fund Authority under Chapter 11 (§ 51.5-53 et seq.) of Title 51.5.

56. Confidential proprietary records which are voluntarily provided by a private entity pursuant to a proposal filed with a public entity under the Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995 (§ 56-556 et seq.), pursuant to a promise of confidentiality from the responsible public entity, used by the responsible public entity for purposes related to the development of a qualifying transportation facility; and memoranda, working papers or other records related to proposals filed under the Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995, where, if such records were made public, the financial interest of the public or private entity involved with such proposal or the process of competition or bargaining would be adversely affected. In order for confidential proprietary information to be excluded from the provisions of this chapter, the private entity shall (i) invoke such exclusion upon submission of the data or other materials for which protection from disclosure is sought, (ii) identify the data or other materials for which protection is sought, and (iii) state the reasons why protection is necessary. For the purposes of this subdivision, the terms "public entity" and "private entity" shall be defined as they are defined in the Public-Private Transportation Act of 1995.

57. Records of law-enforcement agencies, to the extent that such records contain specific tactical plans, the disclosure of which would jeopardize the safety or security of law-enforcement personnel or the general public; or records of emergency service agencies to the extent that such records contain specific tactical plans relating to antiterrorist activity.

58. All records of the University of Virginia or the University of Virginia Medical Center which contain proprietary, business-related information pertaining to the operations of the University of Virginia Medical Center, including its business development or marketing strategies and its activities with existing or future joint venturers, partners, or other parties with whom the University of Virginia Medical Center has formed, or forms, any arrangement for the delivery of health care, if disclosure of such information would be harmful to the competitive position of the Medical Center.

59. Patient level data collected by the Board of Health and not yet processed, verified, and released, pursuant to § 32.1-276.9, to the Board by the nonprofit organization with which the Commissioner of Health has contracted pursuant to § 32.1-276.4.

60. Records of the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals Authority pertaining to any of the following: an individual's qualifications for or continued membership on its medical or teaching staffs; proprietary information gathered by or in the possession of the Authority from third parties pursuant to a promise of confidentiality; contract cost estimates prepared for confidential use in awarding contracts for construction or the purchase of goods or services; data, records or information of a proprietary nature produced or collected by or for the Authority or members of its medical or teaching staffs; financial statements not publicly available that may be filed with the Authority from third parties; the identity, accounts or account status of any customer of the Authority; consulting or other reports paid for by the Authority to assist the Authority in connection with its strategic planning and goals; and the determination of marketing and operational strategies where disclosure of such strategies would be harmful to the competitive position of the Authority; and data, records or information of a proprietary nature produced or collected by or for employees of the Authority, other than the Authority's financial or administrative records, in the conduct of or as a result of study or research on medical, scientific, technical or scholarly issues, whether sponsored by the Authority alone or in conjunction with a governmental body or a private concern, when such data, records or information have not been publicly released, published, copyrighted or patented.

61. Confidential proprietary information or trade secrets, not publicly available, provided by a private person or entity to the Virginia Resources Authority or to a fund administered in connection with financial assistance rendered or to be rendered by the Virginia Resources Authority where, if such information were made public, the financial interest of the private person or entity would be adversely affected, and, after June 30, 1997, where such information was provided pursuant to a promise of confidentiality.

62. Confidential proprietary records which are provided by a franchisee under § 15.2-2108 to its franchising authority pursuant to a promise of confidentiality from the franchising authority which relates to the franchisee's potential provision of new services, adoption of new technologies or implementation of improvements, where such new services, technologies or improvements have not been implemented by the franchisee on a nonexperimental scale in the franchise area, and where, if such records were made public, the competitive advantage or financial interests of the franchisee would be adversely affected. In order for confidential proprietary information to be excluded from the provisions of this chapter, the franchisee shall (i) invoke such exclusion upon submission of the data or other materials for which protection from disclosure is sought, (ii) identify the data or other materials for which protection is sought, and (iii) state the reason why protection is necessary.

63. Records of the Intervention Program Committee within the Department of Health Professions, to the extent such records may identify any practitioner who may be, or who is actually, impaired to the extent disclosure is prohibited by § 54.1-2517.

64. Records submitted as a grant application, or accompanying a grant application, to the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative Advisory Board pursuant to Article 12 (§ 32.1-73.1 et seq.) of Chapter 2 of Title 32.1, to the extent such records contain (i) medical or mental records, or other data identifying individual patients or (ii) proprietary business or research-related information produced or collected by the applicant in the conduct of or as a result of study or research on medical, rehabilitative, scientific, technical or scholarly issues, when such information has not been publicly released, published, copyrighted or patented, if the disclosure of such information would be harmful to the competitive position of the applicant.

65. Information which would disclose the security aspects of a system safety program plan adopted pursuant to 49 C.F.R. Part 659 by the Commonwealth's designated Rail Fixed Guideway Systems Safety Oversight agency; and information in the possession of such agency, the release of which would jeopardize the success of an ongoing investigation of a rail accident or other incident threatening railway safety.

66. Documents and other information of a proprietary nature furnished by a supplier of charitable gaming supplies to the Charitable Gaming Commission pursuant to subsection E of § 18.2-340.34.

67. Personal information, as defined in § 2.1-379, provided to the Board of the Virginia Higher Education Tuition Trust Fund College Savings Plan or its employees by or on behalf of individuals who have requested information about, applied for, or entered into prepaid tuition contracts or savings trust account agreements pursuant to Chapter 4.9 (§ 23-38.75 et seq.) of Title 23. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to prohibit disclosure or publication of information in a statistical or other form which does not identify individuals or provide personal information. Individuals shall be provided access to their own personal information.

68. Any record copied, recorded or received by the Commissioner of Health in the course of an examination, investigation or review of a managed care health insurance plan licensee pursuant to §§ 32.1-137.4 and 32.1-137.5, including books, records, files, accounts, papers, documents, and any or all computer or other recordings.

69. Engineering and architectural drawings, operational, procedural, tactical planning or training manuals, or staff meeting minutes or other records, the disclosure of which would reveal surveillance techniques, personnel deployments, alarm systems or technologies, or operational and transportation plans or protocols, to the extent such disclosure would jeopardize the security or employee safety of (i) the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts or any of its warehouses; (ii) any government store or warehouse controlled by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control; (iii) any courthouse, jail, detention or law-enforcement facility; or (iv) any correctional or juvenile facility or institution under the supervision of the Department of Corrections or the Department of Juvenile Justice.

70. Records and reports related to Virginia apple producer sales provided to the Virginia State Apple Board pursuant to §§ 3.1-622 and 3.1-624.

B. Neither any provision of this chapter nor any provision of Chapter 26 (§ 2.1-377 et seq.) of this title shall be construed as denying public access to (i) contracts between a public official and a public body, other than contracts settling public employee employment disputes held confidential as personnel records under subdivision 4 of subsection A; (ii) records of the position, job classification, official salary or rate of pay of, and records of the allowances or reimbursements for expenses paid to any officer, official or employee of a public body; or (iii) the compensation or benefits paid by any corporation organized by the Virginia Retirement System or its officers or employees. The provisions of this subsection, however, shall not require public access to records of the official salaries or rates of pay of public employees whose annual rate of pay is $10,000 or less.

C. No provision of this chapter shall be construed to afford any rights to any person incarcerated in a state, local or federal correctional facility, whether or not such facility is (i) located in the Commonwealth or (ii) operated pursuant to the Corrections Private Management Act (§ 53.1-261 et seq.). However, this subsection shall not be construed to prevent an incarcerated person from exercising his constitutionally protected rights, including, but not limited to, his rights to call for evidence in his favor in a criminal prosecution.

§ 2.1-344. Closed meetings authorized for certain limited purposes.

A. Public bodies may hold closed meetings only for the following purposes:

1. Discussion, consideration or interviews of prospective candidates for employment; assignment, appointment, promotion, performance, demotion, salaries, disciplining or resignation of specific public officers, appointees or employees of any public body; and evaluation of performance of departments or schools of public institutions of higher education where such evaluation will necessarily involve discussion of the performance of specific individuals. Any teacher shall be permitted to be present during a closed meeting in which there is a discussion or consideration of a disciplinary matter which involves the teacher and some student and the student involved in the matter is present, provided the teacher makes a written request to be present to the presiding officer of the appropriate board.

2. Discussion or consideration of admission or disciplinary matters concerning any student of any public institution of higher education or any state school system. However, any such student, legal counsel and, if the student is a minor, the student's parents or legal guardians shall be permitted to be present during the taking of testimony or presentation of evidence at a closed meeting, if such student, parents or guardians so request in writing and such request is submitted to the presiding officer of the appropriate board.

3. Discussion or consideration of the acquisition of real property for a public purpose, or of the disposition of publicly held real property, where discussion in an open meeting would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the public body.

4. The protection of the privacy of individuals in personal matters not related to public business.

5. Discussion concerning a prospective business or industry or the expansion of an existing business or industry where no previous announcement has been made of the business' or industry's interest in locating or expanding its facilities in the community.

6. The investing of public funds where competition or bargaining is involved, where, if made public initially, the financial interest of the governmental unit would be adversely affected.

7. Consultation with legal counsel and briefings by staff members or consultants pertaining to actual or probable litigation, where such consultation or briefing in open meeting would adversely affect the negotiating or litigating posture of the public body; and consultation with legal counsel employed or retained by a public body regarding specific legal matters requiring the provision of legal advice by such counsel. For the purposes of this subdivision, "probable litigation" means litigation which has been specifically threatened or on which the public body or its legal counsel has a reasonable basis to believe will be commenced by or against a known party. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to permit the closure of a meeting merely because an attorney representing the public body is in attendance or is consulted on a matter.

8. In the case of boards of visitors of public institutions of higher education, discussion or consideration of matters relating to gifts, bequests and fund-raising activities, and grants and contracts for services or work to be performed by such institution. However, the terms and conditions of any such gifts, bequests, grants and contracts made by a foreign government, a foreign legal entity or a foreign person and accepted by a public institution of higher education shall be subject to public disclosure upon written request to the appropriate board of visitors. For the purpose of this subdivision, (i) "foreign government" means any government other than the United States government or the government of a state or a political subdivision thereof; (ii) "foreign legal entity" means any legal entity created under the laws of the United States or of any state thereof if a majority of the ownership of the stock of such legal entity is owned by foreign governments or foreign persons or if a majority of the membership of any such entity is composed of foreign persons or foreign legal entities, or any legal entity created under the laws of a foreign government; and (iii) "foreign person" means any individual who is not a citizen or national of the United States or a trust territory or protectorate thereof.

9. In the case of the boards of trustees of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and The Science Museum of Virginia, discussion or consideration of matters relating to specific gifts, bequests, and grants.

10. Discussion or consideration of honorary degrees or special awards.

11. Discussion or consideration of tests, examinations or other records excluded from this chapter pursuant to § 2.1-342.01 A 11.

12. Discussion, consideration or review by the appropriate House or Senate committees of possible disciplinary action against a member arising out of the possible inadequacy of the disclosure statement filed by the member, provided the member may request in writing that the committee meeting not be conducted in a closed meeting.

13. Discussion of strategy with respect to the negotiation of a siting agreement or to consider the terms, conditions, and provisions of a siting agreement if the governing body in open meeting finds that an open meeting will have an adverse effect upon the negotiating position of the governing body or the establishment of the terms, conditions and provisions of the siting agreement, or both. All discussions with the applicant or its representatives may be conducted in a closed meeting.

14. Discussion by the Governor and any economic advisory board reviewing forecasts of economic activity and estimating general and nongeneral fund revenues.

15. Discussion or consideration of medical and mental records excluded from this chapter pursuant to § 2.1-342.01 A 5, and those portions of disciplinary proceedings by any regulatory board within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation or Department of Health Professions conducted pursuant to § 9-6.14:11 or § 9-6.14:12 during which the board deliberates to reach a decision.

16. Discussion, consideration or review of State Lottery Department matters related to proprietary lottery game information and studies or investigations exempted from disclosure under subdivisions 37 and 38 of subsection A of § 2.1-342.01.

17. Those portions of meetings by local government crime commissions where the identity of, or information tending to identify, individuals providing information about crimes or criminal activities under a promise of anonymity is discussed or disclosed.

18. Discussion, consideration, review and deliberations by local community corrections resources boards regarding the placement in community diversion programs of individuals previously sentenced to state correctional facilities.

19. Those portions of meetings in which the Board of Corrections discusses or discloses the identity of, or information tending to identify, any prisoner who (i) provides information about crimes or criminal activities, (ii) renders assistance in preventing the escape of another prisoner or in the apprehension of an escaped prisoner, or (iii) voluntarily or at the instance of a prison official renders other extraordinary services, the disclosure of which is likely to jeopardize the prisoner's life or safety.

20. Discussion of plans to protect public safety as it relates to terrorist activity.

21. In the case of corporations organized by the Virginia Retirement System, discussion or consideration of (i) proprietary information provided by, and financial information concerning, coventurers, partners, lessors, lessees, or investors and (ii) the condition, acquisition, disposition, use, leasing, development, coventuring, or management of real estate the disclosure of which would have a substantial adverse impact on the value of such real estate or result in a competitive disadvantage to the corporation or subsidiary.

22. Those portions of meetings in which individual child death cases are discussed by the State Child Fatality Review team established pursuant to § 32.1-283.1, and those portions of meetings in which individual child death cases are discussed by a regional or local child fatality review team established pursuant to § 32.1-283.2, and those portions of meetings in which individual death cases are discussed by family violence fatality review teams established pursuant to § 32.1-283.3.

23. Those portions of meetings of the University of Virginia Board of Visitors and those portions of meetings of any persons to whom management responsibilities for the University of Virginia Medical Center have been delegated, in which there is discussed proprietary, business-related information pertaining to the operations of the University of Virginia Medical Center, including its business development or marketing strategies and its activities with existing or future joint venturers, partners, or other parties with whom the University of Virginia Medical Center has formed, or forms, any arrangement for the delivery of health care, if disclosure of such information would adversely affect the competitive position of the Medical Center.

24. In the case of the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals Authority, discussion or consideration of any of the following: the acquisition or disposition of real or personal property where disclosure would adversely affect the bargaining position or negotiating strategy of the Authority; operational plans that could affect the value of such property, real or personal, owned or desirable for ownership by the Authority; matters relating to gifts, bequests and fund-raising activities; grants and contracts for services or work to be performed by the Authority; marketing or operational strategies where disclosure of such strategies would adversely affect the competitive position of the Authority; members of its medical and teaching staffs and qualifications for appointments thereto; and qualifications or evaluations of other employees.

25. Those portions of the meetings of the Intervention Program Committee within the Department of Health Professions to the extent such discussions identify any practitioner who may be, or who actually is, impaired pursuant to Chapter 25.1 (§ 54.1-2515 et seq.) of Title 54.1.

26. Meetings or portions of meetings of the Board of the Virginia Higher Education Tuition Trust Fund College Savings Plan wherein personal information, as defined in § 2.1-379, which has been provided to the Board or its employees by or on behalf of individuals who have requested information about, applied for, or entered into prepaid tuition contracts or savings trust account agreements pursuant to Chapter 4.9 (§ 23-38.75 et seq.) of Title 23 is discussed.

B. No resolution, ordinance, rule, contract, regulation or motion adopted, passed or agreed to in a closed meeting shall become effective unless the public body, following the meeting, reconvenes in open meeting and takes a vote of the membership on such resolution, ordinance, rule, contract, regulation or motion which shall have its substance reasonably identified in the open meeting.

C. Public officers improperly selected due to the failure of the public body to comply with the other provisions of this section shall be de facto officers and, as such, their official actions are valid until they obtain notice of the legal defect in their election.

D. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the holding of conferences between two or more public bodies, or their representatives, but these conferences shall be subject to the same procedures for holding closed meetings as are applicable to any other public body.

E. This section shall not be construed to (i) require the disclosure of any contract between the Intervention Program Committee within the Department of Health Professions and an impaired practitioner entered into pursuant to Chapter 25.1 (§ 54.1-2515 et seq.) of Title 54.1 or (ii) require the board of directors of any authority created pursuant to the Industrial Development and Revenue Bond Act (§ 15.2-4900 et seq.), or any public body empowered to issue industrial revenue bonds by general or special law, to identify a business or industry to which subdivision A 5 applies. However, such business or industry shall be identified as a matter of public record at least thirty days prior to the actual date of the board's authorization of the sale or issuance of such bonds.

§ 9-6.14:4.1. Exemptions and exclusions.

A. Although required to comply with § 9-6.18 of the Virginia Register Act (§ 9-6.15 et seq.), the following agencies are exempted from the provisions of this chapter, except to the extent that they are specifically made subject to §§ 9-6.14:14.1, 9-6.14:21 and 9-6.14:22:

1. The General Assembly.

2. Courts, any agency of the Supreme Court, and any agency which by the Constitution is expressly granted any of the powers of a court of record.

3. The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries in promulgating regulations regarding the management of wildlife and for all case decisions rendered pursuant to any provisions of Chapters 2 (§ 29.1-200 et seq.), 3 (§ 29.1-300 et seq.), 4 (§ 29.1-400 et seq.), 5 (§ 29.1-500 et seq.), and 7 (§ 29.1-700 et seq.) of Title 29.1.

4. The Virginia Housing Development Authority.

5. Municipal corporations, counties, and all local, regional or multijurisdictional authorities created under this Code, including those with federal authorities.

6. Educational institutions operated by the Commonwealth, provided that, with respect to § 9-6.14:22, such educational institutions shall be exempt from the publication requirements only with respect to regulations which pertain to (i) their academic affairs; (ii) the selection, tenure, promotion and disciplining of faculty and employees; (iii) the selection of students; and (iv) rules of conduct and disciplining of students.

7. The Milk Commission in promulgating regulations regarding (i) producers' licenses and bases, (ii) classification and allocation of milk, computation of sales and shrinkage, and (iii) class prices for producers' milk, time and method of payment, butterfat testing and differential.

8. The Virginia Resources Authority.

9. Agencies expressly exempted by any other provision of this Code.

10. The Virginia Voluntary Formulary Board in formulating recommendations regarding amendments to the Formulary pursuant to § 32.1-81.

11. [Repealed.]

12. The Department of General Services in promulgating standards for the inspection of buildings for asbestos pursuant to § 2.1-526.14.

13., 14. [Repealed.]

15. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, in developing, issuing, and revising guidelines pursuant to § 23-9.6:2.

16. The Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services in adopting regulations pursuant to subsection B of § 3.1-726.

17. The Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services in promulgating regulations pursuant to subsections B and C of § 3.1-106.4, subsection B of § 3.1-126.12:1, §§ 3.1-271.1, 3.1-398, subsections B and C of § 3.1-828.4, and subsection A of § 3.1-884.21:1.

18. The Board of Optometry when specifying therapeutic pharmaceutical agents, treatment guidelines, and diseases and abnormal conditions of the human eye and its adnexa for TPA-certification of optometrists pursuant to Article 5 (§ 54.1-3222 et seq.) of Chapter 32 of Title 54.1.

19. The Board of Medicine, in consultation with the Board of Pharmacy, when promulgating amendments to the Physician Assistant Formulary established pursuant to § 54.1-2952.1.

20. The Boards of Medicine and Nursing in promulgating amendments to the Nurse Practitioner Formulary established pursuant to § 54.1-2957.01.

21. The Virginia War Memorial Foundation.

22. The Virginia Medicaid Prior Authorization Advisory Committee in making recommendations to the Board of Medical Assistance Services regarding prior authorization for prescription drug coverage pursuant to Article 4 (§ 32.1-331.12 et seq.) of Chapter 10 of Title 32.1.

23. The State Board of Education, in developing, issuing, and revising guidelines pursuant to § 22.1-280.3.

24. The Virginia Racing Commission, when acting by and through its duly appointed stewards or in matters related to any specific race meeting.

25. The Virginia Small Business Financing Authority.

26. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority.

27. The Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services in adopting, amending or repealing regulations pursuant to subsection A (ii) of § 59.1-156.

28. The Insurance Continuing Education Board pursuant to § 38.2-1867.

29. The Board of Health in promulgating the list of diseases that shall be reported to the Department of Health pursuant to § 32.1-35.

B. Agency action relating to the following subjects is exempted from the provisions of this chapter:

1. Money or damage claims against the Commonwealth or agencies thereof.

2. The award or denial of state contracts, as well as decisions regarding compliance therewith.

3. The location, design, specifications or construction of public buildings or other facilities.

4. Grants of state or federal funds or property.

5. The chartering of corporations.

6. Customary military, naval or police functions.

7. The selection, tenure, dismissal, direction or control of any officer or employee of an agency of the Commonwealth.

8. The conduct of elections or eligibility to vote.

9. Inmates of prisons or other such facilities or parolees therefrom.

10. The custody of persons in, or sought to be placed in, mental, penal or other state institutions as well as the treatment, supervision, or discharge of such persons.

11. Traffic signs, markers or control devices.

12. Instructions for application or renewal of a license, certificate, or registration required by law.

13. Content of, or rules for the conduct of, any examination required by law.

14. The administration of a pool or pools authorized by Article 7.1 (§ 2.1-234.9:1 et seq.) of Chapter 14 of Title 2.1.

15. Any rules for the conduct of specific lottery games, so long as such rules are not inconsistent with duly adopted regulations of the State Lottery Board, and provided that such regulations are published and posted.

16. Orders condemning or closing any shellfish, finfish, or crustacea growing area and the shellfish, finfish or crustacea located thereon pursuant to Article 2 (§ 28.2-803 et seq.) of Chapter 8 of Title 28.2.

17. Any operating procedures for review of child deaths developed by the State Child Fatality Review Team pursuant to § 32.1-283.1.

18. The regulations for the implementation of the Health Practitioners' Intervention Program and the activities of the Intervention Program Committee pursuant to Chapter 25.1 (§ 54.1-2515 et seq.) of Title 54.1.

19. The process of reviewing and ranking grant applications submitted to the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative Advisory Board pursuant to Article 12 (§ 32.1-73.1 et seq.) of Chapter 2 of Title 32.1.

20. Loans from the Small Business Environmental Compliance Assistance Fund pursuant to Article 4 (§ 10.1-1197.1 et seq.) of Chapter 11.1 of Title 10.1.

21. The Virginia Breeders Fund created pursuant to § 59.1-372.

22. The types of pari-mutuel wagering pools available for live or simulcast horse racing.

23. The administration of medication or other substances foreign to the natural horse.

C. The following agency actions otherwise subject to this chapter and § 9-6.18 of the Virginia Register Act are excluded from the operation of Article 2 (§ 9-6.14:7.1 et seq.) of this chapter:

1. Agency orders or regulations fixing rates or prices.

2. Regulations which establish or prescribe agency organization, internal practice or procedures, including delegations of authority.

3. Regulations which consist only of changes in style or form or corrections of technical errors. Each promulgating agency shall review all references to sections of the Code of Virginia within their regulations each time a new supplement or replacement volume to the Code of Virginia is published to ensure the accuracy of each section or section subdivision identification listed.

4. Regulations which:

(a) Are necessary to conform to changes in Virginia statutory law or the appropriation act where no agency discretion is involved;

(b) Are required by order of any state or federal court of competent jurisdiction where no agency discretion is involved; or

(c) Are necessary to meet the requirements of federal law or regulations, provided such regulations do not differ materially from those required by federal law or regulation, and the Registrar has so determined in writing; notice of the proposed adoption of these regulations and the Registrar's above determination shall be published in the Virginia Register not less than thirty days prior to the effective date thereof.

5. Regulations which an agency finds are necessitated by an emergency situation. For the purposes of this subdivision, "emergency situation" means (i) a situation involving an imminent threat to public health or safety or (ii) a situation in which Virginia statutory law or the appropriation act or federal law or federal regulation requires that a regulation shall be effective in 280 days or less from enactment of the law or the appropriation act or the effective date of the federal regulation, and the regulation is not exempt under the provisions of subdivision C 4 of this section. In such cases, the agency shall state in writing the nature of the emergency and of the necessity for such action and may adopt such regulations. Pursuant to § 9-6.14:9, such regulations shall become effective upon approval by the Governor and filing with the Registrar of Regulations. Such regulations shall be limited to no more than twelve months in duration. During the twelve-month period, an agency may issue additional emergency regulations as needed addressing the subject matter of the initial emergency regulation, but any such additional emergency regulations shall not be effective beyond the twelve-month period from the effective date of the initial emergency regulation. If the agency wishes to continue regulating the subject matter governed by the emergency regulation beyond the twelve-month limitation, a regulation to replace the emergency regulation shall be promulgated in accordance with Article 2 (§ 9-6.14:7.1 et seq.) of this chapter. The Notice of Intended Regulatory Action to promulgate a replacement regulation shall be filed with the Registrar within sixty days of the effective date of the emergency regulation and published as soon as practicable, and the proposed replacement regulation shall be filed with the Registrar within 180 days after the effective date of the emergency regulation and published as soon as practicable.

6. [Repealed.]

7. Preliminary program permit fees of the Department of Environmental Quality assessed pursuant to subsection C of § 10.1-1322.2.

8. Regulations of the Pesticide Control Board adopted pursuant to subsection B of § 3.1-249.51 or clause (v) or (vi) of subsection C of § 3.1-249.53 after having been considered at two or more Board meetings and one public hearing.

9. Regulations of the regulatory boards served by (i) the Department of Labor and Industry pursuant to Title 40.1 and (ii) the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation or the Department of Health Professions pursuant to Title 54.1 which are limited to reducing fees charged to regulants and applicants.

10. The development and issuance of procedural policy relating to risk-based mine inspections by the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy authorized pursuant to §§ 45.1-161.82 and 45.1-161.292:55.

11. General permits issued by the State Air Pollution Control Board pursuant to Chapter 13 (§ 10.1-1300 et seq.) of Title 10.1 if the Board: (i) provides a Notice of Intended Regulatory Action in conformance with the provisions of subsection B of § 9-6.14:7.1, (ii) following the passage of thirty days from the publication of the Notice of Intended Regulatory Action forms a technical advisory committee composed of relevant stakeholders, including potentially affected citizens groups, to assist in the development of the general permit, (iii) provides notice and receives oral and written comment as provided in subsection F of § 9-6.14:7.1, and (iv) conducts at least one public hearing on the proposed general permit.

12. General permits issued by the State Water Control Board pursuant to the State Water Control Law (§ 62.1-44.2 et seq.), Chapter 24 (§ 62.1-242 et seq.) of Title 62.1 and Chapter 25 (§ 62.1-254 et seq.) of Title 62.1 if the Board: (i) provides a Notice of Intended Regulatory Action in conformance with the provisions of subsection B of § 9-6.14:7.1, (ii) following the passage of thirty days from the publication of the Notice of Intended Regulatory Action forms a technical advisory committee composed of relevant stakeholders, including potentially affected citizens groups, to assist in the development of the general permit, (iii) provides notice and receives oral and written comment as provided in subsection F of § 9-6.14:7.1, and (iv) conducts at least one public hearing on the proposed general permit.

13. The development and issuance by the Board of Education of guidelines on constitutional rights and restrictions relating to the recitation of the pledge of allegiance to the American flag in public schools pursuant to § 22.1-202.

14. Regulations of the Board of the Virginia Higher Education Tuition Trust Fund College Savings Plan promulgated pursuant to § 23-38.77.

15. The development and issuance of general wetlands permits by the Marine Resources Commission pursuant to subsection B of § 28.2-1307 if the Commission: (i) provides a Notice of Intended Regulatory Action in conformance with the provisions of subsection B of § 9-6.14:7.1, (ii) following the passage of thirty days from publication of the Notice of Intended Regulatory Action forms a technical advisory committee composed of relevant stakeholders, including potentially affected citizens groups, to assist in the development of the general permit, (iii) provides notice and receives oral and written comment as provided in subsection F of § 9-6.14:7.1, and (iv) conducts at least one public hearing on the proposed general permit.

Whenever regulations are adopted under this subsection, the agency shall state as part thereof that it will receive, consider and respond to petitions by any interested person at any time with respect to reconsideration or revision. The effective date of regulations adopted under this subsection shall be in accordance with the provisions of § 9-6.14:9.3, except in the case of emergency regulations, which shall become effective as provided in subsection B of § 9-6.14:9.

D. The following agency actions otherwise subject to this chapter are excluded from the operation of Article 3 (§ 9-6.14:11 et seq.) of this chapter:

1. The assessment of taxes or penalties and other rulings in individual cases in connection with the administration of the tax laws.

2. The award or denial of claims for workers' compensation.

3. The grant or denial of public assistance.

4. Temporary injunctive or summary orders authorized by law.

5. The determination of claims for unemployment compensation or special unemployment.

6. The suspension of any license, certificate, registration or authority granted any person by the Department of Health Professions or the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation for the dishonor, by a bank or financial institution named, of any check, money draft or similar instrument used in payment of a fee required by statute or regulation.

E. Appeals from decisions of the Governor's Employment and Training Department otherwise subject to this chapter are excluded from the operation of Article 4 (§ 9-6.14:15 et seq.) of this chapter.

F. The Marine Resources Commission, otherwise subject to this chapter and § 9-6.18 of the Virginia Register Act, is excluded from the operation of subdivision C 5 of this section and of Article 2 (§ 9-6.14:7.1 et seq.) of this chapter.

G. A regulation for which an exemption is claimed under this section and which is placed before a board or commission for consideration shall be provided at least two days in advance of the board or commission meeting to members of the public that request a copy of that regulation. A copy of that regulation shall be made available to the public attending such meeting.

H. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission shall conduct a review periodically of exemptions and exclusions authorized by this section. The purpose of this review shall be to assess whether there are any exemptions or exclusions which should be discontinued or modified.

I. Minor changes to regulations being published in the Virginia Administrative Code under the Virginia Register Act, Chapter 1.2 (§ 9-6.15 et seq.) of this title, made by the Virginia Code Commission pursuant to § 9-77.10:1 shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter.

§ 11-35. Title; purpose; applicability.

A. This chapter may be cited as the Virginia Public Procurement Act.

B. The purpose of this chapter is to enunciate the public policies pertaining to governmental procurement from nongovernmental sources, to include governmental procurement which may or may not result in monetary consideration for either party. This chapter shall apply whether the consideration is monetary or nonmonetary and regardless of whether the public body, the contractor, or some third party is providing the consideration.

C. The provisions of this chapter, however, shall not apply, except as stipulated in the provisions of §§ 11-41.1, 11-49, 11-51, 11-54, 11-56 through 11-61 and 11-72 through 11-80, to any town with a population of less than 3,500 as determined by the last official United States census.

D. Except to the extent adopted by such governing body, the provisions of this chapter also shall not apply, except as stipulated in subsection E, to any county, city or town whose governing body adopts by ordinance or resolution alternative policies and procedures which are based on competitive principles and which are generally applicable to procurement of goods and services by such governing body and the agencies thereof. This exemption shall be applicable only so long as such policies and procedures, or other policies and procedures meeting the requirements of this section, remain in effect in such county, city or town. Such policies and standards may provide for incentive contracting which offers a contractor whose bid is accepted the opportunity to share in any cost savings realized by the locality when project costs are reduced by such contractor, without affecting project quality, during construction of the project. The fee, if any, charged by the project engineer or architect for determining such cost savings shall be paid as a separate cost and shall not be calculated as part of any cost savings.

Except to the extent adopted by such school board, the provisions of this chapter shall not apply, except as stipulated in subsection E, to any school division whose school board adopts by policy or regulation alternative policies and procedures which are based on competitive principles and which are generally applicable to procurement of goods and services by such school board. This exemption shall be applicable only so long as such policies and procedures, or other policies or procedures meeting the requirements of this section, remain in effect in such school division. This provision shall not exempt any school division from any centralized purchasing ordinance duly adopted by a local governing body.

E. Notwithstanding the exemptions set forth in subsection D, the provisions of §§ 11-41 C, 11-41.1, 11-46 B, 11-49, 11-51, 11-54, 11-56 through 11-61 and 11-72 through 11-80 shall apply to all counties, cities and school divisions, and to all towns having a population greater than 3,500 in the Commonwealth. The method for procurement of professional services set forth in subdivision 3 a of § 11-37 in the definition of competitive negotiation shall also apply to all counties, cities and school divisions, and to all towns having a population greater than 3,500, where the cost of the professional service is expected to exceed $30,000 in the aggregate or for the sum of all phases of a contract or project. A school board that makes purchases through its public school foundation or purchases educational technology through its educational technology foundation, either as may be established pursuant to § 22.1-212.2:2 shall be exempt from the provisions of this chapter, except, relative to such purchases, the school board shall comply with the provisions of §§ 11-51 and 11-72 through 11-80; however, a school board that makes purchases through its public school foundation established pursuant to § 22.1-212.2:2 shall not be exempt from the provisions of this chapter.

F. The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to those contracts entered into prior to January 1, 1983, which shall continue to be governed by the laws in effect at the time those contracts were executed.

G. To the end that public bodies in the Commonwealth obtain high quality goods and services at reasonable cost, that all procurement procedures be conducted in a fair and impartial manner with avoidance of any impropriety or appearance of impropriety, that all qualified vendors have access to public business and that no offeror be arbitrarily or capriciously excluded, it is the intent of the General Assembly that competition be sought to the maximum feasible degree, that individual public bodies enjoy broad flexibility in fashioning details of such competition, that the rules governing contract awards be made clear in advance of the competition, that specifications reflect the procurement needs of the purchasing body rather than being drawn to favor a particular vendor, and that the purchaser and vendor freely exchange information concerning what is sought to be procured and what is offered.

H. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, the selection of services by the Virginia Retirement System related to the management, purchase or sale of authorized investments, including but not limited to actuarial services, shall be governed by the standard set forth in § 51.1-124.30 and shall not be subject to the provisions of this chapter.

I. The provisions of this chapter shall apply to procurement of any construction or planning and design services for construction by a Virginia not-for-profit corporation or organization not otherwise specifically exempted when the planning, design or construction is funded by state appropriations greater than $10,000 unless the Virginia not-for-profit corporation or organization is obligated to conform to procurement procedures which are established by federal statutes or regulations, whether or not those federal procedures are in conformance with the provisions of this chapter.

J. The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to items purchased by public institutions of higher education for resale at retail bookstores and similar retail outlets operated by such institution. However, such purchase procedures shall provide for competition where practicable.

K. The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to the Virginia Port Authority in the exercise of any of its powers in accordance with Chapter 10 (§ 62.1-128 et seq.) of Title 62.1, provided the Authority implements, by policy or regulation adopted by the Board of Commissioners and approved by the Department of General Services, procedures to ensure fairness and competitiveness in the procurement of goods and services and in the administration of its capital outlay program. This exemption shall be applicable only so long as such policies and procedures meeting the requirements remain in effect.

L. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, the selection of services by the Board of the Virginia Higher Education Tuition Trust Fund College Savings Plan related to the operation and administration of the Fund Plan, including, but not limited to, contracts or agreements for the management, purchase, or sale of authorized investments or actuarial, record-keeping, or consulting services, shall be governed by the standard set forth in § 23-38.80 and shall not be subject to the provisions of this chapter.

M. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the selection of services by the University of Virginia related to the management and investment of its endowment funds shall be governed by the Uniform Management of Institutional Funds Act (§ 55-268.1 et seq.) as required by § 23-76.1 and shall not be subject to the provisions of this chapter.

N. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, the selection of investment management services by the State Treasurer related to the external management of funds shall be governed by the standard set forth in § 2.1-328.14, and shall be subject to competitive guidelines and policies that are set by the Commonwealth Treasury Board and approved by the Department of General Services; and not be subject to the provisions of this chapter.

§ 23-38.75. Definitions.

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning:

"Board" means the Board of the Virginia Higher Education Tuition Trust Fund College Savings Plan.

"Contributor" means a person who contributes money to a savings trust account established pursuant to this chapter on behalf of a qualified beneficiary and who is listed as the owner of the savings trust account.

"Fund Plan" means the Virginia Higher Education Tuition Trust Fund College Savings Plan.

"Prepaid tuition contract" means the contract entered into by the Board and a purchaser pursuant to this chapter for the advance payment of tuition at a fixed, guaranteed level by the purchaser for a qualified beneficiary to attend any two-year or four-year public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth to which the qualified beneficiary is admitted.

"Purchaser" means a person who makes or is obligated to make advance payments in accordance with a prepaid tuition contract and who is listed as the owner of the prepaid tuition contract.

"Qualified beneficiary" or "beneficiary" means (i) a resident of the Commonwealth, as determined by the Board, who is the beneficiary of a contract and who may apply advance tuition payments to tuition as set forth in this chapter; (ii) a beneficiary of a contract purchased by a resident of the Commonwealth, as determined by the Board, who may apply advance tuition payments to tuition as set forth in this chapter; or (iii) a beneficiary of a savings trust account established pursuant to this chapter.

"Savings trust account" means an account established by a contributor pursuant to this chapter on behalf of a qualified beneficiary in order to apply distributions from the account toward qualified higher education expenses at eligible educational institutions, both as defined in § 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or other applicable federal law.

"Savings trust agreement" means the agreement entered into by the Board and a contributor establishing a savings trust account.

"Tuition" means the quarter, semester, or term charges imposed for undergraduate tuition by any two-year or four-year public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth and all mandatory fees required as a condition of enrollment of all students. A beneficiary may apply benefits under a prepaid tuition contract and distributions from a savings trust account toward graduate-level tuition and toward tuition costs at such eligible educational institutions, as that term is defined in 26 U.S.C. § 529 or any other applicable section of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, as determined by the Board in its sole discretion.

§ 23-38.76. Virginia College Savings Plan established; governing board; terms.

A. To enhance the accessibility and affordability of higher education for all citizens of the Commonwealth, there is hereby established as an independent agency of the Commonwealth, the Virginia Higher Education Tuition Trust Fund College Savings Plan (the Fund Plan). Moneys of the Fund Plan shall be held in the state treasury in a special nonreverting fund (the Fund), which shall consist of payments received pursuant to prepaid tuition contracts or contributions to savings trust accounts made pursuant to this chapter, bequests, endowments or grants from the United States government, its agencies and instrumentalities, and any other available sources of funds, public or private. Any moneys remaining in the Fund at the end of a biennium shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Interest and income earned from the investment of such funds shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it.

B. The Fund Plan shall be administered by an eight-member Board, as follows: the Director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia or his designee; the Chancellor of the Virginia Community College System or his designee; the State Treasurer or his designee; the State Comptroller or his designee; and four citizens, to be appointed by the Governor, with significant experience in finance, accounting, and investment management. No person holding a full-time position of employment with the Commonwealth, any county or municipality, any institution of higher education, or any agency, instrumentality, or subdivision of the foregoing shall be eligible for appointment to the Board.

Of the citizen members to be appointed initially, two shall be appointed for four-year terms, and two shall be appointed for two-year and three-year terms, respectively. Thereafter, all appointments shall be for terms of four years, except that appointments to fill vacancies shall be for the unexpired terms. No person shall be appointed to serve for or during more than two successive four-year terms, but after the expiration of a term of three years or less, or after the expiration of the remainder of a term to which appointed to fill a vacancy, two additional terms may be served by such member if appointed thereto. Should a noncitizen member cease to hold his public office, the vacancy shall be filled for the remainder of the term by his successor.

C. Members of the Board shall receive no compensation, but shall be reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. The Board shall elect from its membership a chairman, vice-chairman, and a treasurer for each calendar year. A majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.

§ 23-38.77. Powers and duties of Board.

The Board shall administer the Fund Plan established by this chapter and shall develop and implement programs for (i) the prepayment of undergraduate tuition, as defined in § 23-38.75, at a fixed, guaranteed level for application at a two-year or four-year public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth and (ii) contributions to savings trust accounts established pursuant to this chapter on behalf of a qualified beneficiary in order to apply distributions from the account toward qualified higher education expenses at eligible educational institutions, both as defined in § 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or other applicable federal law. In addition, the Board shall have the power and duty to:

1. Invest moneys in the Fund Plan in any instruments, obligations, securities, or property deemed appropriate by the Board;

2. Develop requirements, procedures, and guidelines regarding prepaid tuition contracts and savings trust accounts, including, but not limited to, residency requirements; the number of participants in the Fund Plan; the termination, withdrawal, or transfer of payments under a prepaid tuition contract or savings trust account; time limitations for the use of tuition benefits or savings trust account distributions; and payment schedules;

3. Enter into contractual agreements, including contracts for legal, actuarial, financial, and consulting services;

4. Procure insurance against any loss in connection with the Fund's Plan property, assets, or activities and indemnifying Board members from personal loss or accountability from liability arising from any action or inaction as a Board member;

5. Make arrangements with two-year and four-year public institutions in the Commonwealth to fulfill obligations under prepaid tuition contracts and to apply savings trust account distributions, including, but not limited to, payment from the Fund Plan of the then actual in-state undergraduate tuition cost on behalf of a qualified beneficiary of a prepaid tuition contract to the institution in which the beneficiary is admitted and enrolled and application of such benefits towards graduate-level tuition and towards tuition costs at such eligible educational institutions, as that term is defined in 26 U.S.C. § 529 or any other applicable section of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, as determined by the Board in its sole discretion;

6. Apply for, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from public or private sources to enable it to carry out its objectives;

7. Promulgate regulations and procedures and to perform any act or function consistent with the purposes of this chapter; and

8. Reimburse, at its option, all or part of the cost of employing legal counsel and such other costs as are demonstrated to have been reasonably necessary for the defense of any Board member, officer, or employee of the Fund Plan upon the acquittal, dismissal of charges, nolle prosequi, or any other final disposition concluding the innocence of such member, officer or employee who is brought before any regulatory body, summoned before any grand jury, investigated by any law-enforcement agency, arrested, indicted, or otherwise prosecuted on any criminal charge arising out of any act committed in the discharge of his official duties which alleges a violation of state or federal securities laws. The Board shall provide for the payment of such legal fees and expenses out of funds appropriated or otherwise available to the Board.

§ 23-38.78. Board actions not a debt of Commonwealth.

A. No act or undertaking of the Board shall be deemed to constitute a debt of the Commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof, or a pledge of the full faith and credit of the Commonwealth or of any political subdivision, but shall be payable solely from the Fund Plan.

B. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection A, in order to ensure that the Fund Plan is able to meet its current obligations, the Governor shall include in the budget bills submitted pursuant to § 2.1-399 a sum sufficient appropriation for the purpose of ensuring that the Fund Plan can meet the current obligations of the Fund Plan. Any sums appropriated by the General Assembly for such purpose shall be deposited into the Fund. All amounts paid into the Fund pursuant to this subsection shall constitute and be accounted for as advances by the Commonwealth to the Fund Plan and, subject to the rights of the Fund's Plan's contract holders, shall be repaid to the Commonwealth without interest from available operating revenue of the Fund Plan in excess of amounts required for the payment of current obligations of the Fund Plan. As used in this section, "current obligations of the Fund Plan" means amounts required for the payment of contract benefits or other obligations of the Fund Plan, the maintenance of the Fund Plan, and operating expenses for the current biennium.

§ 23-38.80. Standard of care; investment and administration of Plan.

A. In acquiring, investing, reinvesting, exchanging, retaining, selling, and managing property for the benefit of the Fund Plan, the Board, and any person, investment manager, or committee to whom the Board delegates any of its investment authority, shall act as trustee and shall exercise the judgment of care under the circumstances then prevailing, which persons of prudence, discretion, and intelligence exercise in the management of their own affairs, not in regard to speculation but to the permanent disposition of funds, considering the probable income as well as the probable safety of their capital. If the annual accounting and audit required by § 23-38.85 reveal that there are insufficient funds to ensure the actuarial soundness of the Fund Plan, the Board shall be authorized to adjust the terms of subsequent prepaid tuition contracts, arrange refunds for current purchasers to ensure actuarial soundness, or take such other action the Board deems appropriate.

B. The assets of the Fund Plan shall be preserved, invested, and expended solely pursuant to and for the purposes of this chapter and shall not be loaned or otherwise transferred or used by the Commonwealth for any other purpose. Within the standard prescribed in subsection A of this section, the Board, and any person, investment manager, or committee to whom the Board delegates any of its investment authority, is authorized to acquire and retain every kind of property and every kind of investment, specifically including but not limited to (i) debentures and other corporate obligations of foreign or domestic corporations; (ii) common or preferred stocks traded on foreign or domestic stock exchanges, limited to sixty percent of total trust fund investments based on cost; (iii) not less than all of the stock of a corporation organized by the Board under the laws of the Commonwealth for the purposes of acquiring and retaining real property that the Board is authorized under this chapter to acquire and retain; and (iv) securities of any open-end or closed-end management type investment company or investment trust registered under the federal Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, including such investment companies or investment trusts which, in turn, invest in the securities of such investment companies or investment trusts, which persons of prudence, discretion, and intelligence acquire or retain for their own account. Within the limitations of the foregoing standard, the Board may retain property properly acquired, without time limitation and without regard to its suitability for original purchase. This section shall not be construed to prohibit the investment of the Fund Plan, by purchase or otherwise, in bonds, notes, or other obligations of the Commonwealth or its agencies and instrumentalities.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this section limiting investments in common or preferred stock traded on foreign or domestic stock exchanges to sixty percent of total trust fund investments based on cost shall not apply to that portion of the Fund attributable to savings trust account contributions and the earnings thereon. All other provisions of this subsection shall apply to the portion of the Fund attributable to savings trust account contributions and the earnings thereon.

C. The selection of services related to the operation and administration of the Fund Plan, including, but not limited to, contracts or agreements for the management, purchase, or sale of authorized investments or actuarial, record-keeping, or consulting services, shall be governed by the foregoing standard and shall not be subject to the provisions of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (§ 11-35 et seq.).

D. No Board member nor any person, investment manager, or committee to whom the Board delegates any of its investment authority who acts within the standard of care set forth in subsection A shall be held personally liable for losses suffered by the Fund Plan on investments made pursuant to this chapter.

§ 23-38.81. Prepaid tuition contracts and savings trust agreements; terms; termination; etc.

A. Each prepaid tuition contract made pursuant to this chapter shall include the following terms and provisions:

1. The amount of payment or payments and the number of payments required from a purchaser on behalf of a qualified beneficiary;

2. The terms and conditions under which purchasers shall remit payments, including the dates of such payments;

3. Provisions for late payment charges, defaults, withdrawals, refunds, and any penalties;

4. The name and date of birth of the qualified beneficiary on whose behalf the contract is made;

5. Terms and conditions for a substitution for the qualified beneficiary originally named;

6. Terms and conditions for termination of the contract, including any refunds, withdrawals, or transfers of tuition prepayments, and the name of the person or persons entitled to terminate the contract;

7. The time period during which the qualified beneficiary must claim benefits from the Fund Plan;

8. The number of credit hours or quarters, semesters, or terms contracted for by the purchaser;

9. All other rights and obligations of the purchaser and the trust; and

10. Any other terms and conditions which the Board deems necessary or appropriate, including those necessary to conform the contract with the requirements of Internal Revenue Code § 529, as amended, which specifies the requirements for qualified state tuition programs.

B. Each savings trust agreement made pursuant to this chapter shall include the following terms and provisions:

1. The maximum and minimum contribution allowed on behalf of each qualified beneficiary for the payment of qualified higher education expenses at eligible institutions, both as defined in § 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or other applicable federal law;

2. Provisions for withdrawals, refunds, transfers, and any penalties;

3. The name, address, and date of birth of the qualified beneficiary on whose behalf the savings trust account is opened;

4. Terms and conditions for a substitution for the qualified beneficiary originally named;

5. Terms and conditions for termination of the account, including any refunds, withdrawals, or transfers, and applicable penalties, and the name of the person or persons entitled to terminate the account;

6. The time period during which the qualified beneficiary must use benefits from the savings trust account;

7. All other rights and obligations of the contributor and the Fund Plan; and

8. Any other terms and conditions which the Board deems necessary or appropriate, including those necessary to conform the savings trust account with the requirements of § 529 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or other applicable federal law.

C. In addition to the provisions required by subsection A of this section, each prepaid tuition contract shall include provisions for the application of tuition prepayments (i) at accredited, nonprofit, independent institutions of higher education located in Virginia, including actual interest and income earned on such prepayments and (ii) at public and at accredited, nonprofit, independent institutions of higher education located in other states, including principal and reasonable return on such principal as determined by the Board. Payments authorized for accredited, nonprofit, independent institutions located in Virginia may not exceed the projected highest payment made for tuition at a public institution of higher education in Virginia in the same academic year, less a fee to be determined by the Board. Payments authorized for public and for accredited, nonprofit, independent institutions of higher education located in other states may not exceed the projected average payment made for tuition at a public institution of higher education in Virginia in the same academic year, less a fee to be determined by the Board.

D. All prepaid tuition contracts and savings trust agreements shall specifically provide that, if after a specified period of time the contract or savings trust agreement has not been terminated nor the qualified beneficiary's rights exercised, the Board, after making reasonable effort to contact the purchaser or contributor and the qualified beneficiary or their agents, shall report such unclaimed moneys to the State Treasurer pursuant to § 55-210.12.

E. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, money in the Fund Plan shall be exempt from creditor process and shall not be liable to attachment, garnishment, or other process, nor shall it be seized, taken, appropriated, or applied by any legal or equitable process or operation of law to pay any debt or liability of any purchaser, contributor or beneficiary.

F. No contract or savings trust account shall be assigned for the benefit of creditors, used as security or collateral for any loan, or otherwise subject to alienation, sale, transfer, assignment, pledge, encumbrance or charge.

G. The Board's decision on any dispute, claim, or action arising out of or related to a prepaid tuition contract or savings trust agreement made or entered into pursuant to this chapter or benefits thereunder shall be considered a case decision as defined in § 9-6.14:4 and all proceedings related thereto shall be conducted pursuant to Article 3 (§ 9-6.14:11 et seq.) of the Administrative Process Act. Judicial review shall be exclusively provided pursuant to Article 4 (§ 9-6.14:15 et seq.) of the Administrative Process Act.

§ 23-38.83. Plan property tax exempt.

The assets of the Fund Plan and its income shall be exempt from state and local taxation.

§ 23-38.84. Annual report.

The Board shall submit an annual statement of the receipts, disbursements, and current investments of the Fund Plan for the preceding year to the Governor, the Senate Committee on Finance, and the House Committees on Appropriations and Finance. The report shall set forth a complete operating and financial statement covering the operation of the Fund Plan during the year and shall include a statement of projected receipts, disbursements, investments, and costs for the further operation of the Fund Plan.

§ 58.1-302. Definitions.

For the purpose of this chapter and unless otherwise required by the context:

"Affiliated" means two or more corporations subject to Virginia income taxes whose relationship to each other is such that (i) one corporation owns at least eighty percent of the voting stock of the other or others or (ii) at least eighty percent of the voting stock of two or more corporations is owned by the same interests.

"Compensation" means wages, salaries, commissions and any other form of remuneration paid or accrued to employees for personal services.

"Corporation" includes associations, joint stock companies and insurance companies.

"Domicile" means the permanent place of residence of a taxpayer and the place to which he intends to return even though he may actually reside elsewhere. In determining domicile, consideration may be given to the applicant's expressed intent, conduct, and all attendant circumstances including, but not limited to, financial independence, business pursuits, employment, income sources, residence for federal income tax purposes, marital status, residence of parents, spouse and children, if any, leasehold, sites of personal and real property owned by the applicant, motor vehicle and other personal property registration, residence for purposes of voting as proven by registration to vote, if any, and such other factors as may reasonably be deemed necessary to determine the person's domicile.

"Foreign source income" means:

1. Interest, other than interest derived from sources within the United States;

2. Dividends, other than dividends derived from sources within the United States;

3. Rents, royalties, license, and technical fees from property located or services performed without the United States or from any interest in such property, including rents, royalties, or fees for the use of or the privilege of using without the United States any patents, copyrights, secret processes and formulas, good will, trademarks, trade brands, franchises, and other like properties;

4. Gains, profits, or other income from the sale of intangible or real property located without the United States; and

5. The amount of an individual's share of net income attributable to a foreign source qualified business unit of an electing small business corporation (S corporation). For purposes of this subsection, qualified business unit shall be defined by § 989 of the Internal Revenue Code, and the source of such income shall be determined in accordance with §§ 861, 862 and 987 of the Internal Revenue Code.

In determining the source of "foreign source income," the provisions of §§ 861, 862, and 863 of the Internal Revenue Code shall be applied except as specifically provided in subsection 5 above.

"Income and deductions from Virginia sources" includes:

1. Items of income, gain, loss and deduction attributable to:

a. The ownership of any interest in real or tangible personal property in Virginia;

b. A business, trade, profession or occupation carried on in Virginia; or

c. Prizes paid by the Virginia Lottery Department, and gambling winnings from wagers placed or paid at a location in Virginia.

2. Income from intangible personal property, including annuities, dividends, interest, royalties and gains from the disposition of intangible personal property to the extent that such income is from property employed by the taxpayer in a business, trade, profession, or occupation carried on in Virginia.

"Individual" means all natural persons whether married or unmarried and fiduciaries acting for natural persons, but not fiduciaries acting for trusts or estates.

"Nonresident estate or trust" means an estate or trust which is not a resident estate or trust.

"Resident" applies only to natural persons and includes, for the purpose of determining liability for the taxes imposed by this chapter upon the income of any taxable year every person domiciled in Virginia at any time during the taxable year and every other person who, for an aggregate of more than 183 days of the taxable year, maintained his place of abode within Virginia, whether domiciled in Virginia or not. The word "resident" shall not include any member of the United States Congress who is domiciled in another state.

"Resident estate or trust" means:

1. The estate of a decedent who at his death was domiciled in the Commonwealth;

2. A trust created by will of a decedent who at his death was domiciled in the Commonwealth;

3. A trust created by or consisting of property of a person domiciled in the Commonwealth; or

4. A trust or estate which is being administered in the Commonwealth.

"Sales" means all gross receipts of the corporation not allocated under § 58.1-407, except the sale or other disposition of intangible property shall include only the net gain realized from the transaction.

"State" means for purposes of Article 10 of this chapter any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States, and any foreign country.

"Trust" or "estate" means a trust or estate, or a fiduciary thereof, which is required to file a fiduciary income tax return under the laws of the United States.

"Virginia fiduciary adjustment" means the net amount of the applicable modifications described in § 58.1-322 (including subsection E thereof if the estate or trust is a beneficiary of another estate or trust) which relate to items of income, gain, loss or deduction of an estate or trust. The fiduciary adjustment shall not include the modification in subsection D of § 58.1-322, except that the amount of state income taxes excluded from federal taxable income shall be included. The fiduciary adjustment shall also include the modification in subsection D of § 58.1-322, regarding the deduction for the purchase of a prepaid tuition contract or contribution to a savings trust account.

§ 58.1-322. Virginia taxable income of residents.

A. The Virginia taxable income of a resident individual means his federal adjusted gross income for the taxable year, which excludes combat pay for certain members of the Armed Forces of the United States as provided in § 112 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended, and with the modifications specified in this section.

B. To the extent excluded from federal adjusted gross income, there shall be added:

1. Interest, less related expenses to the extent not deducted in determining federal income, on obligations of any state other than Virginia, or of a political subdivision of any such other state unless created by compact or agreement to which Virginia is a party;

2. Interest or dividends, less related expenses to the extent not deducted in determining federal taxable income, on obligations or securities of any authority, commission or instrumentality of the United States, which the laws of the United States exempt from federal income tax but not from state income taxes;

3. Unrelated business taxable income as defined by § 512 of the Internal Revenue Code;

4. The amount of a lump sum distribution from a qualified retirement plan, less the minimum distribution allowance and any amount excludable for federal income tax purposes which is excluded from federal adjusted gross income solely by virtue of an individual's election to use the averaging provisions under § 402 of the Internal Revenue Code;

5. through 7. [Repealed.]

8. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1990, and before January 1, 1994, any amount of self-employment tax deduction under § 164 (f) of the Internal Revenue Code; and

9. The amount required to be included in income for the purpose of computing the partial tax on an accumulation distribution pursuant to § 667 of the Internal Revenue Code.

C. To the extent included in federal adjusted gross income, there shall be subtracted:

1. Income derived from obligations, or on the sale or exchange of obligations, of the United States and on obligations or securities of any authority, commission or instrumentality of the United States to the extent exempt from state income taxes under the laws of the United States including, but not limited to, stocks, bonds, treasury bills, and treasury notes, but not including interest on refunds of federal taxes, interest on equipment purchase contracts, or interest on other normal business transactions.

2. Income derived from obligations, or on the sale or exchange of obligations of this Commonwealth or of any political subdivision or instrumentality of this Commonwealth.

3. [Repealed.]

4. Benefits received under Title II of the Social Security Act and other benefits subject to federal income taxation solely pursuant to § 86 of the Internal Revenue Code.

4a. A deduction equal to the amount used in computing the federal credit allowed under § 22 of the Internal Revenue Code by a retiree under age sixty-five who qualified for such retirement on the basis of permanent and total disability and who is a qualified individual as defined in § 22 (b) (2) of the Internal Revenue Code; however, any person who claims a subtraction under subdivision 5 of subsection D of this section may not also claim a deduction under this subdivision.

5. The amount of any refund or credit for overpayment of income taxes imposed by the Commonwealth or any other taxing jurisdiction.

6. The amount of wages or salaries eligible for the federal Targeted Jobs Credit which was not deducted for federal purposes on account of the provisions of § 280 C (a) of the Internal Revenue Code.

7. Any amount included therein which is foreign source income as defined in § 58.1-302.

8. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 1983, the available portion of total excess cost recovery as defined in former § 58.1-323 B and for taxable years beginning after December 31, 1987, the excess cost recovery amount specified in § 58.1-323.1 B.

9. [Expired.]

10. Any amount included therein less than $600 from a prize awarded by the State Lottery Department.

11. The wages or salaries received by any person for active and inactive service in the National Guard of the Commonwealth of Virginia, not to exceed the amount of income derived from thirty-nine calendar days of such service or $3,000, whichever amount is less; however, only those persons in the ranks of O3 and below shall be entitled to the deductions specified herein.

12. Amounts received by an individual, not to exceed $1,000 in any taxable year, as a reward for information provided to a law-enforcement official or agency, or to a nonprofit corporation created exclusively to assist such law-enforcement official or agency, in the apprehension and conviction of perpetrators of crimes. This provision shall not apply to the following: an individual who is an employee of, or under contract with, a law-enforcement agency, a victim or the perpetrator of the crime for which the reward was paid, or any person who is compensated for the investigation of crimes or accidents.

13. [Repealed.]

14. (Expires for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2004.) The amount of any qualified agricultural contribution as determined in § 58.1-322.2.

15. [Repealed.]

16. The amounts of self-employment tax required to be added in computing Virginia taxable income for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1990, but before January 1, 1994, pursuant to subdivision B 8 of this section, as follows:

a. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1994, and before January 1, 1995, the amount of self-employment tax added to federal adjusted gross income in taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1990, and before January 1, 1991;

b. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1995, and before January 1, 1996, the amount of self-employment tax added to federal adjusted gross income in taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1991, and before January 1, 1992;

c. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1996, and before January 1, 1997, the amount of self-employment tax added to federal adjusted gross income in taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1992, and before January 1, 1993;

d. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1997, and before January 1, 1998, the amount of self-employment tax added to federal adjusted gross income in taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1993, and before January 1, 1994, and any amount of self-employment tax required to be added back for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1990, and before January 1, 1994, which was not subtracted in those taxable years.

17. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1995, the amount of "qualified research expenses" or "basic research expenses" eligible for deduction for federal purposes, but which were not deducted, on account of the provisions of § 280 C (c) of the Internal Revenue Code and which shall be available to partners, shareholders of S corporations, and members of limited liability companies to the extent and in the same manner as other deductions may pass through to such partners, shareholders, and members.

18. For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 1995, all military pay and allowances, not otherwise subtracted under this subsection, earned for any month during any part of which such member performed military service in any part of the former Yugoslavia, including the air space above such location or any waters subject to related naval operations, in support of Operation JOINT ENDEAVOR as part of the NATO Peace Keeping Force. Such subtraction shall be available until the taxpayer completes such service.

19. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1996, any income received during the taxable year derived from a qualified pension, profit-sharing, or stock bonus plan as described by § 401 of the Internal Revenue Code, an individual retirement account or annuity established under § 408 of the Internal Revenue Code, a deferred compensation plan as defined by § 457 of the Internal Revenue Code, or any federal government retirement program, the contributions to which were deductible from the taxpayer's federal adjusted gross income, but only to the extent the contributions to such plan or program were subject to taxation under the income tax in another state.

20. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1997, any income attributable to a distribution of benefits or a refund from a prepaid tuition contract or savings trust account with the Virginia Higher Education Tuition Trust Fund College Savings Plan, created pursuant to Chapter 4.9 (§ 23-38.75 et seq.) of Title 23. The subtraction for any income attributable to a refund shall be limited to income attributable to a refund in the event of a beneficiary's death, disability, or receipt of a scholarship.

21. For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 1998, all military pay and allowances, to the extent included in federal adjusted gross income and not otherwise subtracted, deducted or exempted under this section, earned by military personnel while serving by order of the President of the United States with the consent of Congress in a combat zone or qualified hazardous duty area which is treated as a combat zone for federal tax purposes pursuant to § 112 of the Internal Revenue Code.

22. For taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2000, the gain derived from the sale or exchange of real property or the sale or exchange of an easement to real property which results in the real property or the easement thereto being devoted to open-space use, as that term is defined in § 58.1-3230, for a period of time not less than thirty years. To the extent a subtraction is taken in accordance with this subdivision, no tax credit under this chapter for donating land for its preservation shall be allowed for three years following the year in which the subtraction is taken.

23. (Delayed effective date) Effective for all taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2000, $15,000 of military basic pay for military service personnel on extended active duty for periods in excess of ninety days; however, the subtraction amount shall be reduced dollar-for-dollar by the amount which the taxpayer's military basic pay exceeds $15,000 and shall be reduced to zero if such military basic pay amount is equal to or exceeds $30,000.

24. (Delayed effective date) Effective for all taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2000, the first $15,000 of salary for each federal and state employee whose annual salary is $15,000 or less.

25. (Delayed effective date) Unemployment benefits taxable pursuant to § 85 of the Internal Revenue Code.

D. In computing Virginia taxable income there shall be deducted from federal adjusted gross income:

1. a. The amount allowable for itemized deductions for federal income tax purposes where the taxpayer has elected for the taxable year to itemize deductions on his federal return, but reduced by the amount of income taxes imposed by the Commonwealth or any other taxing jurisdiction and deducted on such federal return and increased by an amount which, when added to the amount deducted under § 170 of the Internal Revenue Code for mileage, results in a mileage deduction at the state level for such purposes at a rate of eighteen cents per mile; or

b. Two thousand dollars for taxable years beginning January 1, 1987, through December 31, 1987; $2,700 for taxable years beginning January 1, 1988, through December 31, 1988; and $5,000 for married persons (one-half of such amounts in the case of a married individual filing a separate return); and $3,000 for single individuals for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1989; provided that the taxpayer has not itemized deductions for the taxable year on his federal income tax return. For purposes of this section, any person who may be claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer's return for the taxable year may compute the deduction only with respect to earned income.

2. a. A deduction in the amount of $700 for taxable years beginning January 1, 1987, through December 31, 1987, and $800 for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1988, for each personal exemption allowable to the taxpayer for federal income tax purposes. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1987, each blind or aged taxpayer as defined under § 63 (f) of the Internal Revenue Code shall be entitled to an additional personal exemption.

b. An additional deduction of $200 for taxable years beginning January 1, 1987, through December 31, 1987, for each blind or aged taxpayer as defined under § 63 (f) of the Internal Revenue Code. The additional deduction for blind or aged taxpayers allowed under this subdivision and the additional personal exemption allowed to blind or aged taxpayers under subdivision 2 a of this subsection shall be allowable regardless of whether the taxpayer itemizes deductions for the taxable year for federal income tax purposes.

3. A deduction equal to the amount of employment-related expenses upon which the federal credit is based under § 21 of the Internal Revenue Code for expenses for household and dependent care services necessary for gainful employment.

4. An additional $1,000 deduction for each child residing for the entire taxable year in a home under permanent foster care placement as defined in Chapter 10 (§ 63.1-195 et seq.) of Title 63.1, provided the taxpayer can also claim the child as a personal exemption under § 151 of the Internal Revenue Code.

5. Effective for all taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1990, a deduction in the amount of $12,000 for taxpayers age sixty-five or older, or $6,000 for taxpayers age sixty-two through sixty-four, less any amount received pursuant to the (i) Social Security Act or (ii) Railroad Retirement Act and treated for federal income tax purposes as equivalent to social security. Beginning in taxable year 1992 through taxable year 1993, the $12,000 and $6,000 deduction amounts shall be indexed annually in each such taxable year by an amount equivalent to the most recent percentage increase in the social security wage base.

Effective for the taxable year beginning January 1, 1994, a deduction in the amount of $12,944 for taxpayers age sixty-five or older, or $6,472 for taxpayers age sixty-two through sixty-four. Effective for the taxable year beginning January 1, 1995, a deduction in the amount of $10,000 for taxpayers age sixty-five or older, or $5,000 for taxpayers age sixty-two through sixty-four. Effective for all taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 1996, a deduction in the amount of $12,000 for taxpayers age sixty-five or older, or $6,000 for taxpayers age sixty-two through sixty-four.

Beginning in taxable year 1995, the deductions under this subdivision shall not be reduced by any amount received pursuant to the (i) Social Security Act or (ii) Railroad Retirement Act and treated for federal income tax purposes as equivalent to social security.

6. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1997, the amount an individual pays as a fee for an initial screening to become a possible bone marrow donor, if (i) the individual is not reimbursed for such fee or (ii) the individual has not claimed a deduction for the payment of such fee on his federal income tax return.

7. a. (Effective for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1996.) A deduction shall be allowed to the purchaser or contributor for the amount paid or contributed during the taxable year for a prepaid tuition contract or savings trust account entered into with the Virginia Higher Education Tuition Trust Fund College Savings Plan, pursuant to Chapter 4.9 (§ 23-38.75 et seq.) of Title 23. Except as provided in subdivision 7 c, the amount deducted on any individual income tax return in any taxable year shall be limited to $2,000 per prepaid tuition contract or savings trust account. No deduction shall be allowed pursuant to this section if such payments or contributions are deducted on the purchaser's or contributor's federal income tax return. If the purchase price or annual contribution to a savings trust account exceeds $2,000, the remainder may be carried forward and subtracted in future taxable years until the purchase price or savings trust contribution has been fully deducted; however, except as provided in subdivision 7 c, in no event shall the amount deducted in any taxable year exceed $2,000 per contract or savings trust account. Notwithstanding the statute of limitations on assessments contained in § 58.1-312, any deduction taken hereunder shall be subject to recapture in the taxable year or years in which distributions or refunds are made for any reason other than (i) to pay qualified higher education expenses, as defined in § 529 of the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) the beneficiary's death, disability, or receipt of a scholarship. For the purposes of this subdivision, the term "purchaser" or "contributor" means the person shown as such on the records of the Virginia Higher Education Tuition Trust Fund College Savings Plan as of December 31 of the taxable year. In the case of a transfer of ownership of a prepaid tuition contract or savings trust account, the transferee shall succeed to the transferor's tax attributes associated with a prepaid tuition contract or savings trust account, including, but not limited to, carryover and recapture of deductions.

b. (Effective for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1996.) The amount paid for a prepaid tuition contract during taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 1996, but before January 1, 1998, shall be deducted in taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 1998, and shall be subject to the limitations set out in subdivision 7 a.

c. (Effective for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1998.) A purchaser of a prepaid tuition contract or contributor to a savings trust account who has attained age seventy shall not be subject to the limitation that the amount of the deduction not exceed $2,000 per prepaid tuition contract or savings trust account in any taxable year. Such taxpayer shall be allowed a deduction for the full amount paid for the contract or contributed to a savings trust account, less any amounts previously deducted. If a prepaid tuition contract was purchased by such taxpayer during taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 1996, but before January 1, 1998, such taxpayer may take the deduction for the full amount paid during such years, less any amounts previously deducted with respect to such payments, in taxable year 1999 or by filing an amended return for taxable year 1998.

8. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2000, the total amount an individual actually contributed in funds to the Virginia Public School Construction Grants Program and Fund, established in Chapter 11.1 (§ 22.1-175.1 et seq.) of Title 22.1, provided the individual has not claimed a deduction for such amount on his federal income tax return.

9. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 1999, an amount equal to twenty percent of the tuition costs incurred by an individual employed as a primary or secondary school teacher licensed pursuant to Chapter 15 (§ 22.1-289.1 et seq.) of Title 22.1 to attend continuing teacher education courses that are required as a condition of employment; however, the deduction provided by this subsection shall be available only if (i) the individual is not reimbursed for such tuition costs and (ii) the individual has not claimed a deduction for the payment of such tuition costs on his federal income tax return.

10. For taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2000, the amount an individual pays annually in premiums for long term health care insurance, provided the individual has not claimed a deduction for federal income tax purposes.

E. There shall be added to or subtracted from federal adjusted gross income, as the case may be, the individual's share, as beneficiary of an estate or trust, of the Virginia fiduciary adjustment determined under § 58.1-361.

F. There shall be added or subtracted, as the case may be, the amounts provided in § 58.1-315 as transitional modifications.

2. That the provisions of this act shall be effective for taxable years beginning on and after January 1, 2000.