Virginia Code 54.1-2616: Dispute resolution and enforcement.
A. Dispute Resolution.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 54.1-2616
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
- State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245
- United States: includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-255
1. Upon request by a member state, the Commission shall attempt to resolve disputes related to this Compact that arise among member states and between member and non-member states.
2. The Commission shall promulgate a rule providing for both mediation and binding dispute resolution for disputes as appropriate.
B. Enforcement.
1. The Commission, in the reasonable exercise of its discretion, shall enforce the provisions and rules of this Compact.
2. By majority vote, the Commission may initiate legal action in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia or the federal district where the Commission has its principal offices against a member state in default to enforce compliance with the provisions of this Compact and its promulgated rules and bylaws. The relief sought may include both injunctive relief and damages. In the event judicial enforcement is necessary, the prevailing member shall be awarded all costs of litigation, including reasonable attorney fees.
3. The remedies herein shall not be the exclusive remedies of the Commission. The Commission may pursue any other remedies available under federal or state law.
2023, c. 337.