Code of Virginia § 30-179. Powers and duties of the Council.

288 words·~1 min read·/va/title-30/chapter-21/30-179

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The Council shall:

1. Furnish, upon request, advisory opinions or guidelines, and other appropriate information regarding the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.) to any person or public body, in an expeditious manner;

2. Conduct training seminars and educational programs for the members and staff of public bodies and other interested persons on the requirements of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.);

3. Publish such educational materials as it deems appropriate on the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.);

4. Request from any public body such assistance, services, and information as will enable the Council to effectively carry out its responsibilities. Information provided to the Council by a public body shall not be released to any other party unless authorized by such public body;

5. Assist in the development and implementation of the provisions of § 2.2-3704.1 ;

6. Develop an online public comment form to be posted on the Council's official public government website, as defined in § 2.2-3701 , to enable any requester to comment on the quality of assistance provided to the requester by a public body; and

7. Report annually on or before December 1 of each year on its activities and findings regarding the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.), including recommendations for changes in the law, to the General Assembly and the Governor. The annual report shall be published as a state document.

2000, cc. 917 , 987 , § 2 .1-346.3; 2001, c. 844 ; 2004, cc. 730 , 1000 ; 2013, c. 694 ; 2017, c. 645 ; 2018, cc. 55 , 56 ; 2019, c. 354 ; 2022, cc. 325 , 597 .