HB1790: Freedom of Information Act; access by persons civilly committed under Sexually Violent Predators.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 2.2-3703 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 2.2-3703. Public bodies and records to which chapter inapplicable; voter registration and election records; access by persons incarcerated in a state, local, or federal correctional facility.
A. The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to:
1. The Virginia Parole Board, except that (i) information from the Virginia Parole Board providing the number of inmates considered by such Board for discretionary parole, the number of inmates granted or denied parole, and the number of parolees returned to the custody of the Department of Corrections solely as a result of a determination by such Board of a violation of parole shall be open to inspection and available for release, on a monthly basis, as provided by § 2.2-3704 and (ii) all records concerning the finances of the Virginia Parole Board shall be public records and subject to the provisions of this chapter. The information required by clause (i) shall be furnished by offense, sex, race, age of the inmate, and the locality in which the conviction was obtained, upon the request of the party seeking the information;
2. Petit juries and grand juries;
3. Family assessment and planning teams established pursuant to § 2.2-5207; and
4. The Virginia State Crime Commission.
B. Public access to voter registration and election records shall be governed by the provisions of Title 24.2 and this chapter. The provisions of Title 24.2 shall be controlling in the event of any conflict.
C. No provision of this chapter or Chapter 21 (§ 30-178 et
seq.) of Title 30 shall be construed to afford any rights to any person (i) incarcerated
in a state, local or federal correctional facility, whether or not such
facility is (ia)
located in the Commonwealth or (iib)
operated pursuant to the Corrections Private Management Act (§ 53.1-261 et
seq.) or (ii) civilly
committed pursuant
to the Sexually Violent Predators Act (§ 37.2-900 et seq.). However, this subsection shall not be construed
to prevent an incarcerated person such persons from exercising his their constitutionally protected rights, including, but not
limited to, his rights their right
to call for evidence in his their
favor in a criminal prosecution.