Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); personal information in constituent correspondence. (HB3097)

Introduced By

Del. Mark Cole (R-Fredericksburg) with support from co-patrons Del. Anne Crockett-Stark (R-Wytheville), Del. Scott Lingamfelter (R-Woodbridge), and Del. Mark Sickles (D-Alexandria)

Progress

Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed House
Passed Senate
Signed by Governor
Became Law

Description

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); personal information in constituent correspondence. Provides an exemption for the name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address contained in correspondence from a constituent to his elected representative on a local governing body or school board and such information contained in correspondence responding to the constituent. The bill provides, however, that no record, which 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. Read the Bill »

Outcome

Bill Has Failed

History

DateAction
01/17/2007Committee
01/17/2007Presented and ordered printed 076549272
01/17/2007Referred to Committee on General Laws
01/22/2007Assigned GL sub: #2 FOIA/Procurement (Marshall, D.)
02/03/2007Read first time
02/05/2007Read second time
02/05/2007Committee amendments agreed to
02/05/2007Passed by for the day
02/06/2007Read second time
02/06/2007Committee amendments reconsidered
02/06/2007Committee amendments rejected
02/06/2007Amendment by Delegate Hull agreed to
02/06/2007Amendment by Delegate Marshall, R.G. withdrawn
02/06/2007Engrossed by House as amended HB3097E
02/06/2007Printed as engrossed 076549272-E
02/06/2007Constitutional reading dispensed (97-Y 0-N)
02/06/2007Passed House (97-Y 0-N)
02/06/2007Communicated to Senate
02/07/2007Constitutional reading dispensed
02/07/2007Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology
02/08/2007Assigned GL&T sub: #1
02/19/2007Left in General Laws and Technology
02/19/2007Letter sent to FOIA Council

Duplicate Bills

The following bills are identical to this one: SB1106.

Comments

Frosty Landon writes:

Passage was blocked on an 11-3 vote in the Senate General Laws Committee, permitting the bill to go to the FOI Advisory Council for in-depth study. A similar measure introduced by Sen. John Chichester was sent to the Council earlier in the session. Floor amendments improved the House bill, but access advocates urged the study – noting that confidential e-mail petitioning of government raised a number of serious policy issues.