HB1790: Freedom of Information Act; access by persons civilly committed under Sexually Violent Predators.

HOUSE BILL NO. 1790
Offered January 10, 2007
Prefiled December 28, 2006
A BILL to amend and reenact § 2.2-3703 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the Freedom of Information Act; access by persons civilly committed under the Sexually Violent Predators Act.
Patron-- Griffith

Committee Referral Pending

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.