{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/18.2-446.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/18.2-446.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/18.2-446.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/18.2-446.html"}],"law_id":60364,"edition_id":1,"section_id":60364,"structure_id":15294,"section_number":"18.2-446","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-282.1; 1968, c. 552; 1975, cc. 14, 15.","full_text":"The following words and phrases when used in this article shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this section except where the context clearly requires a different meaning:\n\n1\n\n“Benefits” means a gain or advantage, or anything regarded by the beneficiary as a gain or advantage, including a benefit to any other person or entity in whose welfare he is interested, but shall not mean an advantage promised generally to a group or class of voters as a consequence of public measures which a candidate engages to support or oppose;2\n\n“Party official” means a person who holds an elective or appointive post in a political party in the United States by virtue of which he directs or conducts, or participates in directing or conducting party affairs at any level of responsibility;3\n\n“Pecuniary benefit” means a benefit in the form of money, property, commercial interest or anything else the primary significance of which is economic gain;4\n\n“Public servant” means any officer or employee of this Commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof, including members of the General Assembly and judges, and any person participating as a juror, advisor, consultant or otherwise, in performing any governmental function; but the term does not include witnesses;5\n\n“Administrative proceeding” means any proceeding other than a judicial proceeding, the outcome of which is required to be based on a record or documentation prescribed by law including specifically, but not limited to, proceedings before a planning commission and board of zoning appeals.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":220770,"text":"The following words and phrases when used in this article shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this section except where the context clearly requires a different meaning:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":"1"},"1":{"id":220771,"text":"“Benefits” means a gain or advantage, or anything regarded by the beneficiary as a gain or advantage, including a benefit to any other person or entity in whose welfare he is interested, but shall not mean an advantage promised generally to a group or class of voters as a consequence of public measures which a candidate engages to support or oppose;","type":"section","prefixes":["1"],"prefix":"1","entire_prefix":"1","prefix_anchor":"1","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":"2"},"2":{"id":220772,"text":"“Party official” means a person who holds an elective or appointive post in a political party in the United States by virtue of which he directs or conducts, or participates in directing or conducting party affairs at any level of responsibility;","type":"section","prefixes":["2"],"prefix":"2","entire_prefix":"2","prefix_anchor":"2","level":1,"prior_prefix":"1","next_prefix":"3"},"3":{"id":220773,"text":"“Pecuniary benefit” means a benefit in the form of money, property, commercial interest or anything else the primary significance of which is economic gain;","type":"section","prefixes":["3"],"prefix":"3","entire_prefix":"3","prefix_anchor":"3","level":1,"prior_prefix":"2","next_prefix":"4"},"4":{"id":220774,"text":"“Public servant” means any officer or employee of this Commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof, including members of the General Assembly and judges, and any person participating as a juror, advisor, consultant or otherwise, in performing any governmental function; but the term does not include witnesses;","type":"section","prefixes":["4"],"prefix":"4","entire_prefix":"4","prefix_anchor":"4","level":1,"prior_prefix":"3","next_prefix":"5"},"5":{"id":220775,"text":"“Administrative proceeding” means any proceeding other than a judicial proceeding, the outcome of which is required to be based on a record or documentation prescribed by law including specifically, but not limited to, proceedings before a planning commission and board of zoning appeals.","type":"section","prefixes":["5"],"prefix":"5","entire_prefix":"5","prefix_anchor":"5","level":1,"prior_prefix":"4"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15294,"edition_id":1,"name":"Bribery of Public Servants and Party Officials","identifier":"3","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13246,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:53:41","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:53:41","permalink":{"id":164287,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15294,"identifier":"3","token":"18.2\/10\/3","url":"\/18.2\/10\/3\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13246,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes Against the Administration of Justice","identifier":"10","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12972,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:30","permalink":{"id":164221,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13246,"identifier":"10","token":"18.2\/10","url":"\/18.2\/10\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12972,"edition_id":1,"name":"Crimes and Offenses Generally","identifier":"18.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:05","permalink":{"id":164139,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12972,"identifier":"18.2","token":"18.2","url":"\/18.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":60364,"structure_id":15294,"section_number":"18.2-446","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/18.2-446\/","token":"18.2\/10\/3\/18.2-446","metadata":false},{"id":70969,"structure_id":15294,"section_number":"18.2-447","catch_line":"When person guilty of bribery","url":"\/18.2-447\/","token":"18.2\/10\/3\/18.2-447","metadata":false},{"id":58220,"structure_id":15294,"section_number":"18.2-448","catch_line":"Certain matters not to constitute defenses","url":"\/18.2-448\/","token":"18.2\/10\/3\/18.2-448","metadata":false},{"id":63406,"structure_id":15294,"section_number":"18.2-449","catch_line":"Punishment","url":"\/18.2-449\/","token":"18.2\/10\/3\/18.2-449","metadata":false},{"id":67233,"structure_id":15294,"section_number":"18.2-450","catch_line":"Immunity of witnesses","url":"\/18.2-450\/","token":"18.2\/10\/3\/18.2-450","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":70969,"structure_id":15294,"section_number":"18.2-447","catch_line":"When person guilty of bribery","url":"\/18.2-447\/","token":"18.2\/10\/3\/18.2-447","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/18.2-446\/","history_text":"

The record of this law\u2019s original creation isn\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 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 1968, chapter 552; in 1975, chapters 14 and 15.<\/p>","references":[{"id":68291,"section_number":"18.2-513","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/18.2-513\/"},{"id":77143,"section_number":"19.2-215.1","catch_line":"Functions of a multi-jurisdiction grand jury","order_by":null,"url":"\/19.2-215.1\/"},{"id":71618,"section_number":"2.2-3100","catch_line":"Policy; application; construction","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-3100\/"},{"id":77165,"section_number":"2.2-4367","catch_line":"Purpose","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-4367\/"},{"id":54935,"section_number":"30-100","catch_line":"Declaration of legislative policy; construction","order_by":null,"url":"\/30-100\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":164289,"object_type":"law","relational_id":60364,"identifier":"18.2-446","token":"18.2\/10\/3\/18.2-446","url":"\/18.2-446\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/18.2-446\/","token":"18.2\/10\/3\/18.2-446","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 18.2-446","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

The following words and phrases when used in this article shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them in this section except where the context clearly requires a different meaning:<\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

1.<\/span> “Benefits<\/span>” means a gain or advantage, or anything regarded by the beneficiary as a gain or advantage, including a benefit to any other person or entity in whose welfare he is interested, but shall not mean an advantage promised generally to a group or class of voters as a consequence of public measures which a candidate engages to support or oppose; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

2.<\/span> “Party official<\/span>” means a person who holds an elective or appointive post in a political party in the United States by virtue of which he directs or conducts, or participates in directing or conducting party affairs at any level of responsibility; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

3.<\/span> “Pecuniary benefit<\/span>” means a benefit in the form of money, property, commercial interest or anything else the primary significance of which is economic gain; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

4.<\/span> “Public servant<\/span>” means any officer or employee of this Commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof, including members of the General Assembly and judges<\/span>, and any person participating as a juror, advisor, consultant or otherwise, in performing any governmental function; but the term does not include witnesses; <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

5.<\/span> “Administrative proceeding<\/span>” means any proceeding other than a judicial proceeding, the outcome of which is required to be based on a record or documentation prescribed by law<\/span> including specifically, but not limited to, proceedings before a planning commission and board of zoning appeals<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 18.2-446)\n\nThe following words and phrases when used in this article shall have the\nmeanings respectively ascribed to them in this section except where the context\nclearly requires a different meaning:\n\n1. “Benefits” means a gain or advantage, or anything regarded by the\nbeneficiary as a gain or advantage, including a benefit to any other person or\nentity in whose welfare he is interested, but shall not mean an advantage\npromised generally to a group or class of voters as a consequence of public\nmeasures which a candidate engages to support or oppose;\n\n2. “Party official” means a person who holds an elective or\nappointive post in a political party in the United States by virtue of which he\ndirects or conducts, or participates in directing or conducting party affairs at\nany level of responsibility;\n\n3. “Pecuniary benefit” means a benefit in the form of money,\nproperty, commercial interest or anything else the primary significance of which\nis economic gain;\n\n4. “Public servant” means any officer or employee of this\nCommonwealth or any political subdivision thereof, including members of the\nGeneral Assembly and judges, and any person participating as a juror, advisor,\nconsultant or otherwise, in performing any governmental function; but the term\ndoes not include witnesses;\n\n5. “Administrative proceeding” means any proceeding other than a\njudicial proceeding, the outcome of which is required to be based on a record or\ndocumentation prescribed by law including specifically, but not limited to,\nproceedings before a planning commission and board of zoning appeals.\n\nHISTORY: Code 1950, \u00a7 18.1-282.1; 1968, c. 552; 1975, cc. 14, 15.","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}}