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This page covers legislation related to transparency in government proposed in Virginia.

## Contents

* 1 2009
* 1.1 House
* 1.2 Senate
* 2 2004
* 3 Footnotes

## 2009[edit]

### House[edit]

House Bill 1799[1] would create a "Fraud & Abuse Whistle Blower Protection Act" and make any complaints made under that act exempt from FOIA requests. Passed the House on January 30, 2009, referred to Senate General Laws.[2]

House Bill 1845[3] proposes a pilot program in Prince William County where the clerk of the Circuit Court is permitted to assess a fee for accessing public land records. Passed the House on February 6, 2009.[2]

House Bill 1879[4] seeks to change the methods of notice regarding public meetings in localities with a population over 100,000. The bill would allow for public notice to be made via websites or public access television rather than in the newspaper. HB 1879 failed to report from subcommittee.[2]

House Bill 1935[5] would exempt from public disclosure company licensing applications and supporting documentation received by the State Corporation Commission. This bill has passed the House, and was referred to Senate Commerce & Labor.[2]

House Bill 2026[6] would establish the "Virginia Employee Voluntary Accounts Program" and provide an exemption to FOIA for discussions of personal information made by the program's Board.[2]

House Bill 2043[7] provides that expense records of the Virginia Port Authority are subject to FOIA, with some exceptions. HB2043 failed to report from subcommittee.[2]

House Bill 2144[8] restricts information held by the Department of State Police for purposes of entry into the Virginia Criminal Information Network to law enforcement personnel.[2] Would exempt the state datebase of concealed weapon carry licenses from public disclosure. This bill has passed both House and Senate, and now waits for the Governor's signature.[9]

House Bill 2181[10] seeks to exempt from public disclosure the internal systems used by the Commonwealth's financial systems. Passed House on January 30, 2009 and referred to Senate General Laws.[2]

House Bill 2266[11] would expand an existing FOIA exemption for zoning complainants personal information to include complaints relating to the Uniform Statewide Building Code or the Statewide Fire Prevention Code. HB 2266 passed the House on January 30, 2009 and was referred to Senate General Laws.[2]

House Bill 2269[12] would require that all expenditure reports that school boards give to their governing bodies also available to the public. Passed the House, referred to Senate Education & Health.[2]

House Bill 2285[13] creates a pilot program (Virginia Enterprise Applications Program or VEAP) that would build a searchable online database of state incomes and expenditures. Engrossed by House February 9, 2009.

House Bill 2421[14] seeks to exempt the personal correspondence of public employees from FOIA. Bill was referred to FOIA Council February 3, 2009.[2]

House Bill 2427[15] would exempt the first five digits of a social security number on an otherwise public document from disclosure, and it passed the House on February 6, 2009.[2]

House Bill 2471[16] provides that the disclosure of the names of individual teachers is not required under FOIA in response to a request for the official salary or rate of pay of employees of a local school board. It was recommended to send the bill to the FOIA Council.[2]

House Bill 2549[17] excludes certain financial records of the Virginia College Savings Plan from the Freedom of Information Act. Passed the House on February 6, 2009.[2]

House Bill 2639[18] exempts certain records of the Department of Veterans Services and the Veterans Services Foundation from the mandatory disclosure provisions of the Freedom of Information Act. Passed the House on February 6, 2009.[2]

### Senate[edit]

Senate Bill 880[19] Affirmatively states that Department of Game and Inland Fisheries records are subject to FOIA except for personal info on hunting, boating, fishing, etc. licenses.[2]

Senate Bill 934[20] Provides that no legislative action on the budget can be taken until details have been posted on the General Assembly's website for at least 72 hours. The bill was left in Finance.[2]

Senate Bill 935 (House Bill 1845)[21] proposes a pilot program in Prince William County where the clerk of the Circuit Court is permitted to assess a fee for accessing public land records. Passed Senate February 6, 2009.[2]

Senate Bill 936 (House Bill 2285)[22] creates a pilot program (Virginia Enterprise Applications Program or VEAP) that would build a searchable online database of state incomes and expenditures. Reported from Finance, February 5, 2009.[2]

Senate Bill 1014 (House Bill 2266)[23] would expand an existing FOIA exemption for zoning complainants personal information to include complaints relating to the Uniform Statewide Building Code or the Statewide Fire Prevention Code. Rolled into SB1478 (see below), February 4, 2009.[2]

Senate Bill 1285[24] would require local governing bodies and local school divisions to publish the estimated required local match in the publication of the annual school budget. Reported from Local Government, February 3, 2009.[2]

Senate Bill 1305[25] would exempt from the Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act public assistance fraud investigations conducted by the Department of Social Services and local social service departments. Reported from General Laws, February 4, 2009.[2]

Senate Bill 1316[26] Strikes the requirement to publish an index of computer databases and amends the requirement to publish a statement of rights and responsibilities to ensure that the public can find out generally what types of public records a public body has and what exemptions may apply to those records. This bill is a recommendation of the Freedom of Information Advisory Council. Reported from General Laws, February 4, 2009.[2]

Senate Bill 1317[27] requires that any electronic communication meetings (teleconference) shall be held in compliance with the provisions the Freedom of Information Act, except that a quorum of the Board is not required to be physically assembled at one primary or central meeting location. This bill is a recommendation of the Freedom of Information Advisory Council. Reported from General Laws, February 4, 2009.[2]

Senate Bill 1319'[28] clarifies that minutes of public meetings must be in writing. This bill is a recommendation of the Freedom of Information Advisory Council. Reported from General Laws, February 4, 2009.[2]

Senate Bill 1332[29] Provides that a private entity that operates, manages, or supervises any portion of the state highway system shall be considered a public body for purposes of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

Senate Bill 1344[30] Amends an existing records exemption for economic development records to include records related to the retention of existing business, and to allow the exemption to be used by all public bodies subject to FOIA. The bill makes corresponding amendments to the existing meetings exemption that allows discussion of such records in closed meetings. Reported from General Laws, February 4, 2009.[2]

Senate Bill 1478[31] Provides a record exemption under the Freedom of Information Act for the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of complainants relating to Uniform Statewide Building Code or Statewide Fire Prevention Code enforcement made to the local governing body. Reported from General Laws, February 4, 2009.[2]

## 2004[edit]

Virginia Competitive Government Act

## Footnotes[edit]

1. ↑ Text and status of HB1799
2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 Virginia Coalition for Open Government 2009 legislative roundup
3. ↑ Text and status of HB1845
4. ↑ Text and status of HB1879
5. ↑ Text and status of HB1935
6. ↑ Text and status of HB2026
7. ↑ Text and status of HB2043
8. ↑ Text and status of HB2144
9. ↑ Gun legislation awaiting Kaine's signature, NV Daily, February 27, 2009
10. ↑ Text and status of HB2181
11. ↑ Text and status of HB2266
12. ↑ Text and status of HB2269
13. ↑ Text and status of HB2285
14. ↑ Text and status of HB2421
15. ↑ Text and status of HB2427
16. ↑ Text and status of HB2471
17. ↑ Text and status of HB2549
18. ↑ Text and status of HB2639
19. ↑ Text and status of SB880
20. ↑ Text and status of SB934
21. ↑ Text and status of SB935
22. ↑ Text and status of SB936
23. ↑ Text and status of SB1014
24. ↑ Text and status of SB1285
25. ↑ Text and status of SB1305
26. ↑ Text and status of SB1316
27. ↑ Text and status of SB1317
28. ↑ Text and status of SB1319
29. ↑ Text and status of SB1332
30. ↑ Text and status of SB1344
31. ↑ Text and status of SB1478

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