Virginia Code 2.2-4103.1: Guidance documents; duty to file with Registrar
A. For the purposes of this section, “agency” means any authority, instrumentality, officer, board, or other unit of the government of the Commonwealth other than the General Assembly, courts, municipal corporations, counties, other local or regional governmental authorities including sanitary or other districts and joint state-federal, interstate or intermunicipal authorities, the Virginia Resources Authority, the Virginia Code Commission with respect to minor changes made under the provisions of § 30-150, and educational institutions operated by the Commonwealth with respect to regulations that 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.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 2.2-4103.1
- Agency: means any authority, instrumentality, officer, board, or other unit of the government of the Commonwealth with express or implied authority to issue regulations other than the General Assembly, courts, municipal corporations, counties, other local or regional governmental authorities including sanitary or other districts and joint state-federal, interstate or intermunicipal authorities, the Virginia Resources Authority, the Virginia Code Commission with respect to minor changes made under the provisions of § 30-150, and educational institutions operated by the Commonwealth with respect to regulations that 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. See Virginia Code 2.2-4101
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- Commission: means the Virginia Code Commission. See Virginia Code 2.2-4101
- Guidance document: means any document developed by a state agency or staff that provides information or guidance of general applicability to the staff or public to interpret or implement statutes or the agency's rules or regulations, excluding agency minutes or documents that pertain only to the internal management of agencies. See Virginia Code 2.2-4101
- Registrar: means the Registrar of Regulations employed as provided in § Virginia Code 2.2-4101
- Virginia Register of Regulations: means the publication issued under the provisions of Article 6 (§ Virginia Code 2.2-4101
B. It shall be the duty of every agency to annually file with the Registrar for publication in the Virginia Register of Regulations a list of any guidance documents upon which the agency currently relies. The filing shall be made on or before January 1 of each year in a format to be developed by the Registrar. Each agency shall also (i) maintain a complete list of all of its currently operative guidance documents and make the list available for public inspection, (ii) make available for public inspection the full texts of all guidance documents to the extent inspection is permitted by law, and (iii) upon request, make copies of such lists or guidance documents available without charge, at cost, or upon payment of a reasonable fee.
C. Nothing in this section is intended to nor shall it confer or impose any regulatory authority upon an agency, nor shall this section create any rights to appeal or challenge a guidance document adopted by an agency.
2017, c. 488.