Freedom of Information Act
| Bills | Committee | Last action | Date |
| HB 2 - Marshall, R.G. - Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project; prohibits use of state funds for Phase II of Project, etc. | (H) Committee on General Laws | (H) Left in General Laws | 02/14/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Dulles Metrorail Project. Prohibits use of state funds for Phase II of the Dulles Metrorail Project if the Project is subject to a project labor agreement, the policies and bylaws of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority do not permit public access to MWAA%92s meetings and records as provided in Virginia%92s FOIA, or the Project is not subject to audit by VDOT or the Auditor of Public Accounts. |
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| HB 63 - Cole - Provisional ballots; electoral board meeting opened only to authorized party to determine validity. | (H) Committee on Privileges and Elections (S) Committee on Privileges and Elections | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0592) | 04/04/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS PASSED: Elections; provisional ballots; electoral board meetings. Provides that the meeting of the electoral board following the election is open only to authorized party and candidate representatives, the persons who cast the provisional ballots with their representatives or legal counsel, and the staff and legal counsel for the electoral board. The bill also specifies that the party and candidate representatives attend as observers and not as participants. |
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| HB 141 - Cole - Freedom of Information Act; exempts personal information in constituent correspondence. | (H) Committee on General Laws (S) Committee on General Laws and Technology | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0726) | 04/09/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS PASSED HOUSE: Freedom of Information Act; personal information in constituent correspondence. Provides an exemption from the mandatory disclosure provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for the names, physical addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses contained in correspondence between an individual and a member of the governing body, school board, or other public body of the locality in which the individual is a resident, unless the correspondence relates to the transaction of public business. The bill provides that no record that is otherwise open to inspection under FOIA shall be deemed exempt by virtue of the fact that it has been attached to or incorporated within any such correspondence. |
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| HB 397 - Hope - Parole Board; exceptions to Freedom of Information Act. | (H) Committee on General Laws | (H) Tabled in General Laws | 01/24/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Virginia Parole Board; exceptions to the Freedom of Information Act. Requires guidance documents of the Board to be available as public records under the Freedom of Information Act. The bill has a delayed effective date to give the Freedom of Information Advisory Council an opportunity to review the legislation and report on its implementation. |
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| HB 480 - Albo - FOIA; attendance by certain members in a closed meeting. | (H) Committee on General Laws (S) Committee on General Laws and Technology | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0428) | 03/30/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS PASSED HOUSE: Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); attendance by certain members in a closed meeting. Provides that a member of a public body shall be permitted to attend a closed meeting held by any of its committees or subcommittees, provided such member does not participate in any discussions held by the committee or subcommittee conducting the closed meeting. The bill requires that the minutes of the committee or subcommittee to include the identity of such member who attended the closed meeting. |
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| HB 773 - Landes - Local government; publication of notices for charter changes, etc. | (H) Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns | (H) Left in Counties, Cities and Towns | 02/14/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Local government; publication of notices for charter changes, referenda, and public hearings, etc.; alternatives. Gives localities alternatives to publication in a newspaper of general circulation in the locality for legal ads and other notices of proposed action. These alternatives include publication in at least two of the following forms of publication: (i) in a newspaper of general circulation in the locality, including such newspaper's online publication, if any; (ii) on the locality's website; (iii) on any public access channel operated by the locality, to be aired during prime-time programming and at least two other times during the day; (iv) using any automated voice or text alert systems used by the locality; or (v) posting at the local public library established pursuant to � 42.1-33, if any. In addition, the bill provides that any resident of the locality annually filing a written request for notification with the locality shall be provided notice by the locality in a manner mutually agreed upon by the locality and such individual. The request shall include the resident's name, address, zip code, daytime telephone number, and electronic mail address, if available. In selecting the methods of publication, the bill requires the locality to publish and advertise in a manner gauged to ensure that the maximum number of persons within the locality are likely to be informed of the existence and content of the proposed action. The bill contains technical amendments. |
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| HB 815 - Marshall, R.G. - University of Virginia; university-related foundation funds used in relation to FOIA. | (H) Committee on General Laws | (H) Continued to 2013 in General Laws | 02/09/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: University-related foundation funds; University of Virginia; Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Provides that if the University of Virginia uses funds from one of its affiliated foundations to pay for costs incurred by the University in relation to the enforcement of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, the foundation shall provide a list of its donors for the prior three years to the University. The University shall disclose this list to any party upon request and shall make no attempt to withhold it. |
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| HB 816 - Marshall, R.G. - Freedom of Information Act; university-related foundation funds. | (H) Committee on General Laws | (H) Continued to 2013 in General Laws | 02/09/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: University-related foundation funds; Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Provides that if a Virginia college or university uses funds from one of its affiliated foundations to pay for costs incurred by the college or university in relation to the enforcement of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, the foundation shall provide a list of its donors for the prior three years to the college or university. The college or university shall disclose this list to any party upon request and shall make no attempt to withhold it. |
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| HB 817 - Marshall, R.G. - FOIA; use of general fund appropriations by colleges or universities. | (H) Committee on General Laws | (H) Continued to 2013 in General Laws | 02/09/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Use of general fund appropriations; Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Provides that a Virginia college or university may only use funds appropriated to it from general fund revenues, and not from any other source, to pay for any costs incurred by the college or university in relation to the enforcement of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. |
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| HB 818 - Marshall, R.G. - Freedom of Information Act; use of general fund appropriations. | (H) Committee on General Laws | (H) Continued to 2013 in General Laws | 02/09/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Use of general fund appropriations; Virginia Freedom of Information Act. Provides that the University of Virginia may only use funds appropriated to it from general fund revenues, and not from any other source, to pay for any costs incurred by the University in relation to the enforcement of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. |
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| HB 1105 - Greason - Freedom of Information Act; electronic communication meetings. | (H) Committee on General Laws | (H) Left in General Laws | 02/14/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Virginia Freedom of Information Act; electronic communication meetings. Revises the rules for which meetings of state public bodies may be conducted by audio or video means. The bill provides that (i) at least one member of the public body must be physically assembled at the principal meeting location, (ii) the quorum of the public body is determined by members participating in person or by electronic means in the meeting, (iii) a member of the public shall pay for the documented marginal cost that a public body may incur in expanding public participation to the meeting, and (iv) the number of meetings a public body may conduct through electronic communications means is limited to 50 percent of its regular meetings in any calendar year. The bill contains technical amendments. |
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| HB 1149 - Dudenhefer - Freedom of Information Act; electronic communication meetings by local and regional public bodies. | (H) Committee on General Laws | (H) Left in General Laws | 02/14/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Freedom of Information Act; electronic communication meetings by local and regional public bodies. Expands the authority for the conduct of electronic communication meetings to all public bodies. Currently, local public bodies are prohibited from conducting public meetings in this manner, except when the Governor declares a state of emergency. The bill contains technical amendments. |
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| SB 107 - Edwards - Freedom of Information Act; criminal investigative records. | (S) Committee on General Laws and Technology | (S) Passed by indefinitely in General Laws and Technology (7-Y 6-N) | 02/13/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Freedom of Information Act; criminal investigative records. Amends the definition of "criminal investigative file" so that the exemption applies to records relating to active or ongoing investigations or prosecutions. |
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| SB 193 - Miller, J.C. - Freedom of Information Act; exemption for cell phone numbers for EMS personnel and firefighters. | (H) Committee on General Laws (S) Committee on General Laws and Technology | (G) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0617) | 04/04/12 |
| notes:
SUMMARY AS INTRODUCED: Freedom of Information Act; exemption for cell phone numbers for EMS personnel and firefighters. Provides an exemption from the mandatory disclosure provisions of the Freedom of Information Act for records of a fire/EMS company or fire/EMS department, to the extent that they disclose the telephone numbers for cellular telephones, pagers, or comparable portable communication devices provided to its personnel for use in the performance of their official duties. |
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