Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); violations and civil penalties.
Summary
Provides that in addition to any penalties imposed under FOIA, (i) if a court finds that any officer, employee, or member of a public body failed to provide public records to a requester in accordance with the provisions of FOIA because such officer, employee, or member of a public body altered or destroyed the requested public records with the intention of avoiding the provisions of FOIA prior to the expiration of the applicable record retention period set pursuant to the Virginia Public Records Act, the court may impose upon such officer, employee, or member in his individual capacity a civil penalty of up to $100 per record altered or destroyed and (ii) if a court finds that a member of a public body voted to certify a closed meeting and at the time of such certification such certification was not in accordance with the requirements of FOIA, the court may impose on each such member voting to certify in his individual capacity a civil penalty of $500.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2019
Committee Review
Feb 2019
Senate Passage
Feb 2019
House of Delegates Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 8, 2019
Last action Feb 7, 2019
Floor votes · Senate Jan 30, 2019
How they voted
37–0
Passed
Total votes 37
Jan 30, 2019
D
Democratic17
100% Yea
R
Republican20
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
14
Key actions
3
Committee
5
Amendments
2
Feb 7, 2019
Committee
Assigned GL sub: Subcommittee #4
lower
Feb 6, 2019
Committee
Referred to Committee on General Laws
lower
Feb 1, 2019
Upper · Passed
Passed by for the day
upper
Jan 31, 2019
Introduced
Engrossed by Senate as amended SB1554E
upper
Jan 31, 2019
Upper · Passed
Committee amendments agreed to
upper
Jan 31, 2019
Introduced
Reading of amendments waived
upper
Jan 30, 2019
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (37-0)
senate
Jan 21, 2019
Committee
Assigned GL&T sub: #1
upper
Jan 8, 2019
Committee
Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
upper
Jan 8, 2019
Introduced
Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/19 19103495D
upper
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Scott Surovell
DDemocratic
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