{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/15.2-201.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/15.2-201.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/15.2-201.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/15.2-201.html"}],"law_id":66471,"edition_id":1,"section_id":66471,"structure_id":15324,"section_number":"15.2-201","catch_line":"Charter elections; subsequent procedure; procedure when bill not introduced or fails to pass in General Assembly","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 15-65.2; 1958, c. 329; 1962, cc. 1, 623, \u00a7 15.1-834; 1979, c. 297; 1985, c. 387; 1997, c. 587; 2024, cc. 225, 242.","full_text":"A locality may provide for holding an election to be conducted as provided in \u00a7 24.2-681 et seq. of Title 24.2 to determine if the voters of the locality desire that it request the General Assembly to grant to the locality a new charter or to amend its existing charter. At least seven days prior to the holding of such election, public notice shall be given in accordance with \u00a7 15.2-1427.\n\t\tIf a majority of the voters voting in such election vote in favor of such request, the locality shall transmit two certified copies of the results of such election together with the publisher’s affidavit and the new charter or the amendments to the existing charter, to one or more members of the General Assembly representing such locality for introduction as a bill in the succeeding session of the General Assembly.\n\t\tIf a bill incorporating such charter or amendments is not introduced at the succeeding session of the General Assembly, the approval of the voters for such charter or amendments shall be void. If, at such session, members of the General Assembly fail to enact or pass by indefinitely and do not carry over such a bill incorporating such charter or amendments, the charter or amendments shall again be presented to the voters for their approval or submitted to a public hearing pursuant to \u00a7 15.2-202 before reintroduction in the General Assembly.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":241236,"text":"A locality may provide for holding an election to be conducted as provided in \u00a7 24.2-681 et seq. of Title 24.2 to determine if the voters of the locality desire that it request the General Assembly to grant to the locality a new charter or to amend its existing charter. At least seven days prior to the holding of such election, public notice shall be given in accordance with \u00a7 15.2-1427.\n\t\tIf a majority of the voters voting in such election vote in favor of such request, the locality shall transmit two certified copies of the results of such election together with the publisher’s affidavit and the new charter or the amendments to the existing charter, to one or more members of the General Assembly representing such locality for introduction as a bill in the succeeding session of the General Assembly.\n\t\tIf a bill incorporating such charter or amendments is not introduced at the succeeding session of the General Assembly, the approval of the voters for such charter or amendments shall be void. If, at such session, members of the General Assembly fail to enact or pass by indefinitely and do not carry over such a bill incorporating such charter or amendments, the charter or amendments shall again be presented to the voters for their approval or submitted to a public hearing pursuant to \u00a7 15.2-202 before reintroduction in the General Assembly.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":15324,"edition_id":1,"name":"Local Government Charters","identifier":"2","label":"chapter","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13138,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:53:59","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:53:59","permalink":{"id":151345,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15324,"identifier":"2","token":"15.2\/I\/2","url":"\/15.2\/I\/2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13138,"edition_id":1,"name":"General Provisions; Charters; Other Forms and Organization of Counties","identifier":"I","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12720,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:20","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:20","permalink":{"id":151281,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13138,"identifier":"I","token":"15.2\/I","url":"\/15.2\/I\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12720,"edition_id":1,"name":"Counties, Cities and Towns","identifier":"15.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:49","permalink":{"id":151279,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12720,"identifier":"15.2","token":"15.2","url":"\/15.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":87139,"structure_id":15324,"section_number":"15.2-200","catch_line":"Required procedure for obtaining new charter or amendment","url":"\/15.2-200\/","token":"15.2\/I\/2\/15.2-200","metadata":false},{"id":66471,"structure_id":15324,"section_number":"15.2-201","catch_line":"Charter elections; subsequent procedure; procedure when bill not introduced or fails to pass in General Assembly","url":"\/15.2-201\/","token":"15.2\/I\/2\/15.2-201","metadata":false},{"id":59541,"structure_id":15324,"section_number":"15.2-202","catch_line":"Public hearing in lieu of election; procedure when bill not introduced or fails to pass in General Assembly","url":"\/15.2-202\/","token":"15.2\/I\/2\/15.2-202","metadata":false},{"id":68624,"structure_id":15324,"section_number":"15.2-203","catch_line":"Legislation granting or amending charter evidence of compliance with requirements","url":"\/15.2-203\/","token":"15.2\/I\/2\/15.2-203","metadata":false},{"id":68313,"structure_id":15324,"section_number":"15.2-204","catch_line":"Uniform charter powers","url":"\/15.2-204\/","token":"15.2\/I\/2\/15.2-204","metadata":false},{"id":80616,"structure_id":15324,"section_number":"15.2-205","catch_line":"Use of provisions of chapter not authorized for certain purposes","url":"\/15.2-205\/","token":"15.2\/I\/2\/15.2-205","metadata":false},{"id":58349,"structure_id":15324,"section_number":"15.2-206","catch_line":"Special elections; request for abolition of certain local constitutional offices","url":"\/15.2-206\/","token":"15.2\/I\/2\/15.2-206","metadata":false},{"id":87493,"structure_id":15324,"section_number":"15.2-207","catch_line":"Boundaries of municipal corporations continued; charters not to contain metes and bounds; incorporated by reference","url":"\/15.2-207\/","token":"15.2\/I\/2\/15.2-207","metadata":false},{"id":71536,"structure_id":15324,"section_number":"15.2-208","catch_line":"Boundaries of counties","url":"\/15.2-208\/","token":"15.2\/I\/2\/15.2-208","metadata":false},{"id":72488,"structure_id":15324,"section_number":"15.2-209","catch_line":"Notice to be given to counties, cities, and towns of tort claims for damages","url":"\/15.2-209\/","token":"15.2\/I\/2\/15.2-209","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":87139,"structure_id":15324,"section_number":"15.2-200","catch_line":"Required procedure for obtaining new charter or amendment","url":"\/15.2-200\/","token":"15.2\/I\/2\/15.2-200","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":59541,"structure_id":15324,"section_number":"15.2-202","catch_line":"Public hearing in lieu of election; procedure when bill not introduced or fails to pass in General Assembly","url":"\/15.2-202\/","token":"15.2\/I\/2\/15.2-202","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/15.2-201\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 6 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 1958, chapter 329; in 1962, chapters 1 and 623; in 1979, chapter 297; in 1985, chapter 387; in 1997, chapter 587<\/a>; in 2024, chapters 225<\/a> and 242<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":59541,"section_number":"15.2-202","catch_line":"Public hearing in lieu of election; procedure when bill not introduced or fails to pass in General Assembly","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-202\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":65433,"section_number":"15.2-1427","catch_line":"Adoption of ordinances and resolutions generally; amending or repealing ordinances","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1427\/"},{"id":59541,"section_number":"15.2-202","catch_line":"Public hearing in lieu of election; procedure when bill not introduced or fails to pass in General Assembly","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-202\/"},{"id":58078,"section_number":"24.2-681","catch_line":"How special elections superintended and determined","order_by":null,"url":"\/24.2-681\/"}],"permalink":{"id":151351,"object_type":"law","relational_id":66471,"identifier":"15.2-201","token":"15.2\/I\/2\/15.2-201","url":"\/15.2-201\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/15.2-201\/","token":"15.2\/I\/2\/15.2-201","dublin_core":{"Title":"Charter elections; subsequent procedure; procedure when bill not introduced or fails to pass in General Assembly","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 15.2-201","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A locality<\/span> may provide for holding an election to be conducted as provided in \u00a7 24.2-681<\/a> et seq. of Title 24.2 to determine if the voters<\/span> of the locality<\/span> desire that it request the General Assembly to grant to the locality<\/span> a new charter or to amend<\/span> its existing charter. At least seven days prior to the holding of such election, public notice shall be given in accordance with \u00a7 15.2-1427<\/a>.\n\t\tIf a majority of the voters<\/span> voting in such election vote in favor of such request, the locality<\/span> shall transmit two certified copies of the results of such election together with the publisher’s affidavit<\/span> and the new charter or the amendments to the existing charter, to one or more members of the General Assembly representing such locality<\/span> for introduction as a bill in the succeeding session of the General Assembly.\n\t\tIf a bill incorporating such charter or amendments is not introduced at the succeeding session of the General Assembly, the approval of the voters<\/span> for such charter or amendments shall be void. If, at such session, members of the General Assembly fail to enact or pass by indefinitely and do not carry over such a bill incorporating such charter or amendments, the charter or amendments shall again be presented to the voters<\/span> for their approval or submitted to a public hearing<\/span> pursuant to \u00a7 15.2-202<\/a> before reintroduction in the General Assembly.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nCHARTER ELECTIONS; SUBSEQUENT PROCEDURE; PROCEDURE WHEN BILL NOT INTRODUCED OR\nFAILS TO PASS IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY (\u00a7 15.2-201)\n\nA locality may provide for holding an election to be conducted as provided in \u00a7\n24.2-681 et seq. of Title 24.2 to determine if the voters of the locality desire\nthat it request the General Assembly to grant to the locality a new charter or\nto amend its existing charter. At least seven days prior to the holding of such\nelection, public notice shall be given in accordance with \u00a7 15.2-1427.\n\t\tIf a majority of the voters voting in such election vote in favor of such\nrequest, the locality shall transmit two certified copies of the results of such\nelection together with the publisher’s affidavit and the new charter or\nthe amendments to the existing charter, to one or more members of the General\nAssembly representing such locality for introduction as a bill in the succeeding\nsession of the General Assembly.\n\t\tIf a bill incorporating such charter or amendments is not introduced at the\nsucceeding session of the General Assembly, the approval of the voters for such\ncharter or amendments shall be void. If, at such session, members of the General\nAssembly fail to enact or pass by indefinitely and do not carry over such a bill\nincorporating such charter or amendments, the charter or amendments shall again\nbe presented to the voters for their approval or submitted to a public hearing\npursuant to \u00a7 15.2-202 before reintroduction in the General Assembly.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 15-65.2; 1958, c. 329; 1962, cc. 1, 623, \u00a7 15.1-834;\n1979, c. 297; 1985, c. 387; 1997, c. 587; 2024, cc. 225, 242.","edition":{"id":1,"name":"2025","slug":"2025","date_created":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","date_modified":"2026-06-21 22:39:22","current":1,"order_by":1,"last_import":null}}