SB 530: Conflict of Interests Act, State/Local Gov't.; electronic discl. by local govt officers & employees. - Virginia

Procurement/Open Government Subcommittee Substitute → Chaptered · 4 edits

MODERATE

This bill finalizes the transition to electronic filing for local government conflict of interest disclosures, establishing a phased implementation schedule based on population size. It also updates the statutory text to reflect the chaptered status of the law and clarifies the retention period for public records.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on State and Local Government Conflict of Interests, but it adds specific operational requirements for electronic filing deadlines tied to local population thresholds.

TIMELINE

Added a phased timeline for mandatory electronic filing starting in 2028 for large cities (over 250,000), 2029 for mid-sized cities (100,000-250,000), and 2030 for smaller localities (under 100,000).

TECHNICAL

Removed procedural headers like 'House Substitute' and 'Amendment' and replaced them with the official 'Chapter 504' text indicating the bill has been enacted into law.

Updated section references within the text to use the standard chaptered format (e.g., § 2.2-3115) for consistency with the Code of Virginia.

REQUIREMENT

Clarified that disclosure forms filed by local officials must be maintained as public records for five years in the office of the clerk.

General Laws Substitute → Procurement/Open Government Subcommittee Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was reformatted to align with House substitute standards, including the insertion of a new bill number and the addition of a phased implementation timeline for electronic filing starting in 2027. The core legal requirements for conflict of interest disclosures remain substantively unchanged.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; only the formatting and the specific dates for electronic filing implementation were modified.

TIMELINE

Added a phased schedule requiring electronic filing of disclosure forms by local governments, starting with the largest jurisdictions in 2028 and the smallest in 2030.

TECHNICAL

Added a temporary provision requiring physical copies of disclosure forms to be kept on file until July 2031.

Reformatted the entire document to match House substitute style, including adding a bill number and adjusting line breaks.

General Laws and Technology Substitute → General Laws Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was transferred from the Senate to the House Committee, changing the proposing body. The substantive text of the bill remains identical, including the specific deadlines for electronic filing and the retention period for records, though the House version includes additional page breaks and formatting markers.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability are unchanged; it still applies to the same local government entities and officials in Virginia.

TECHNICAL

Removed the Senate-specific header identifying the 'Senate Committee on General Laws and Technology' as the proposing body.

Added a House-specific header identifying the 'House Committee on General Laws' as the proposing body.

Added page numbering and draft status markers (e.g., 'DRAFT', 'OFFERED FOR CONSIDERATION') which are formatting artifacts of the House markup process.

Enrolled → General Laws and Technology Substitute · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill was converted from an Enrolled version (ready for signature) to a General Laws and Technology Substitute version, which is a revised draft offered for further committee consideration. The substantive policy text regarding conflict of interest disclosure requirements, filing deadlines, and electronic filing mandates appears identical in both versions, indicating the change is procedural rather than substantive.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; the text governing local government officers and employees is identical in both versions.

TECHNICAL

The document format was changed from a finalized 'Enrolled' Act to a 'Substitute' draft, adding header information such as the Senate Committee name, patron, and page numbers, while removing the final approval language.

Introduced → Enrolled · 3 edits · Mar 13, 2026

MINOR

The bill was enacted into law, changing its status from a proposed draft to an official state statute. The primary substantive change is the addition of Section 2, which mandates that local government officers and employees file their conflict of interest disclosures electronically with the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council. This requirement is phased in based on local population size, starting with the largest localities in 2028 and the smallest in 2030, to ensure a gradual transition to digital reporting.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include a specific mandate for electronic filing of disclosure forms, whereas the original draft only mentioned electronic filing as a general standard without specific implementation dates or population thresholds.

REQUIREMENT

Added a mandatory requirement for electronic filing of conflict of interest disclosure forms by local government officers and employees.

TIMELINE

Established a phased implementation schedule for electronic filing based on local population size, with deadlines ranging from January 1, 2028, for populations over 250,000 to January 1, 2030, for populations under 100,000.

TECHNICAL

Updated the document header and formatting to reflect the bill's final 'Enrolled' status as part of the Virginia Acts of Assembly.

Conflict of Interests Act, State/Local Gov't.; electronic discl. by local govt officers & employees.

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