{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/2.2-3010.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/2.2-3010.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/2.2-3010.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/2.2-3010.html"}],"law_id":82218,"edition_id":1,"section_id":82218,"structure_id":14715,"section_number":"2.2-3010","catch_line":"Definitions","history":"2009, c. 340; 2011, cc. 798, 871; 2014, c. 403; 2015, c. 316; 2016, c. 292.","full_text":"As used in this chapter:\n\t\t“Abuse” means an employer’s or employee’s conduct or omissions that result in substantial misuse, destruction, waste, or loss of funds or resources belonging to or derived from federal, state, or local government sources.\n\t\t“Appropriate authority” means a federal, state, or local agency or organization having jurisdiction over criminal law enforcement, regulatory violations, professional conduct or ethics, or abuse; or a member, officer, agent, representative, or supervisory employee of the agency or organization. The term also includes the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the State Inspector General, and the General Assembly and its committees having the power and duty to investigate criminal law enforcement, regulatory violations, professional conduct or ethics, or abuse.\n\t\t“Employee” means any person who is regularly employed full time on either a salaried or wage basis, whose tenure is not restricted as to temporary or provisional appointment, in the service of and whose compensation is payable, no more often than biweekly, in whole or in part, by a governmental agency.\n\t\t“Employer” means a person supervising one or more employees, including the employee filing a good faith report, a superior of that supervisor, or an agent of the governmental agency.\n\t\t“Good faith report” means a report of conduct defined in this chapter as wrongdoing or abuse that is made without malice and that the person making the report has reasonable cause to believe is true.\n\t\t“Governmental agency” means (i) any agency, institution, board, bureau, commission, council, or instrumentality of state government in the executive branch listed in the appropriation act and any independent agency; (ii) any county, city, or town or local or regional governmental authority; and (iii) any local school division as defined in \u00a7 22.1-280.2:2.\n\t\t“Misconduct” means conduct or behavior by an employee that is inconsistent with state, local, or agency standards for which specific corrective or disciplinary action is warranted.\n\t\t“Whistle blower” means an employee who witnesses or has evidence of wrongdoing or abuse and who makes or demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that he is about to make a good faith report of, or testifies or is about to testify to, the wrongdoing or abuse to one of the employee’s superiors, an agent of the employer, or an appropriate authority. “Whistle blower” includes a citizen of the Commonwealth who witnesses or has evidence of wrongdoing or abuse and who makes or demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that he is about to make a good faith report of, or testifies or is about to testify to, the wrongdoing or abuse to an appropriate authority.\n\t\t“Wrongdoing” means a violation, which is not of a merely technical or minimal nature, of a federal or state law or regulation, local ordinance, or a formally adopted code of conduct or ethics of a professional organization designed to protect the interests of the public or employee.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":294653,"text":"As used in this chapter:\n\t\t“Abuse” means an employer’s or employee’s conduct or omissions that result in substantial misuse, destruction, waste, or loss of funds or resources belonging to or derived from federal, state, or local government sources.\n\t\t“Appropriate authority” means a federal, state, or local agency or organization having jurisdiction over criminal law enforcement, regulatory violations, professional conduct or ethics, or abuse; or a member, officer, agent, representative, or supervisory employee of the agency or organization. The term also includes the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the State Inspector General, and the General Assembly and its committees having the power and duty to investigate criminal law enforcement, regulatory violations, professional conduct or ethics, or abuse.\n\t\t“Employee” means any person who is regularly employed full time on either a salaried or wage basis, whose tenure is not restricted as to temporary or provisional appointment, in the service of and whose compensation is payable, no more often than biweekly, in whole or in part, by a governmental agency.\n\t\t“Employer” means a person supervising one or more employees, including the employee filing a good faith report, a superior of that supervisor, or an agent of the governmental agency.\n\t\t“Good faith report” means a report of conduct defined in this chapter as wrongdoing or abuse that is made without malice and that the person making the report has reasonable cause to believe is true.\n\t\t“Governmental agency” means (i) any agency, institution, board, bureau, commission, council, or instrumentality of state government in the executive branch listed in the appropriation act and any independent agency; (ii) any county, city, or town or local or regional governmental authority; and (iii) any local school division as defined in \u00a7 22.1-280.2:2.\n\t\t“Misconduct” means conduct or behavior by an employee that is inconsistent with state, local, or agency standards for which specific corrective or disciplinary action is warranted.\n\t\t“Whistle blower” means an employee who witnesses or has evidence of wrongdoing or abuse and who makes or demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that he is about to make a good faith report of, or testifies or is about to testify to, the wrongdoing or abuse to one of the employee’s superiors, an agent of the employer, or an appropriate authority. “Whistle blower” includes a citizen of the Commonwealth who witnesses or has evidence of wrongdoing or abuse and who makes or demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that he is about to make a good faith report of, or testifies or is about to testify to, the wrongdoing or abuse to an appropriate authority.\n\t\t“Wrongdoing” means a violation, which is not of a merely technical or minimal nature, of a federal or state law or regulation, local ordinance, or a formally adopted code of conduct or ethics of a professional organization designed to protect the interests of the public or employee.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14715,"edition_id":1,"name":"The Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Protection Act","identifier":"30.1","label":"chapter","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13049,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:49:29","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:49:29","permalink":{"id":175993,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14715,"identifier":"30.1","token":"2.2\/I\/E\/30.1","url":"\/2.2\/I\/E\/30.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13049,"edition_id":1,"name":"State Officers and Employees","identifier":"E","label":"part","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12784,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:11","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:11","permalink":{"id":175733,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13049,"identifier":"E","token":"2.2\/I\/E","url":"\/2.2\/I\/E\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12784,"edition_id":1,"name":"Organization of State Government","identifier":"I","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12749,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:53","permalink":{"id":171455,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12784,"identifier":"I","token":"2.2\/I","url":"\/2.2\/I\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12749,"edition_id":1,"name":"Administration of Government","identifier":"2.2","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":171453,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12749,"identifier":"2.2","token":"2.2","url":"\/2.2\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":70276,"structure_id":14715,"section_number":"2.2-3009","catch_line":"Policy","url":"\/2.2-3009\/","token":"2.2\/I\/E\/30.1\/2.2-3009","metadata":false},{"id":82218,"structure_id":14715,"section_number":"2.2-3010","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/2.2-3010\/","token":"2.2\/I\/E\/30.1\/2.2-3010","metadata":false},{"id":80232,"structure_id":14715,"section_number":"2.2-3010.1","catch_line":"Discrimination and retaliatory actions against citizen whistle blowers prohibited; good faith required; other remedies","url":"\/2.2-3010.1\/","token":"2.2\/I\/E\/30.1\/2.2-3010.1","metadata":false},{"id":70864,"structure_id":14715,"section_number":"2.2-3011","catch_line":"Discrimination and retaliatory actions against whistle blowers prohibited; good faith required; remedies","url":"\/2.2-3011\/","token":"2.2\/I\/E\/30.1\/2.2-3011","metadata":false},{"id":69265,"structure_id":14715,"section_number":"2.2-3012","catch_line":"Application of state or local grievance procedure; other remedies","url":"\/2.2-3012\/","token":"2.2\/I\/E\/30.1\/2.2-3012","metadata":false},{"id":56388,"structure_id":14715,"section_number":"2.2-3013","catch_line":"Notice to employees of whistle blower protection","url":"\/2.2-3013\/","token":"2.2\/I\/E\/30.1\/2.2-3013","metadata":false},{"id":66245,"structure_id":14715,"section_number":"2.2-3014","catch_line":"Fraud and Abuse Whistle Blower Reward Fund","url":"\/2.2-3014\/","token":"2.2\/I\/E\/30.1\/2.2-3014","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":70276,"structure_id":14715,"section_number":"2.2-3009","catch_line":"Policy","url":"\/2.2-3009\/","token":"2.2\/I\/E\/30.1\/2.2-3009","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":80232,"structure_id":14715,"section_number":"2.2-3010.1","catch_line":"Discrimination and retaliatory actions against citizen whistle blowers prohibited; good faith required; other remedies","url":"\/2.2-3010.1\/","token":"2.2\/I\/E\/30.1\/2.2-3010.1","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/2.2-3010\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2009. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 340<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 4 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 2011, chapters 798<\/a> and 871<\/a>; in 2014, chapter 403<\/a>; in 2015, chapter 316<\/a>; in 2016, chapter 292<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":77912,"section_number":"2.2-3705.3","catch_line":"(Effective July 1, 2026) Exclusions to application of chapter; records relating to administrative investigations","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-3705.3\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":62442,"section_number":"22.1-280.2:2","catch_line":"Public School Security Equipment Grant Act of 2013","order_by":null,"url":"\/22.1-280.2_2\/"}],"permalink":{"id":175999,"object_type":"law","relational_id":82218,"identifier":"2.2-3010","token":"2.2\/I\/E\/30.1\/2.2-3010","url":"\/2.2-3010\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/2.2-3010\/","token":"2.2\/I\/E\/30.1\/2.2-3010","dublin_core":{"Title":"Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 2.2-3010","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this chapter:\n\t\t“Abuse<\/span>” means an employer<\/span>’s or employee<\/span>’s conduct or omissions that result in substantial misuse, destruction, waste, or loss of funds or resources belonging to or derived from federal, state, or local government sources.\n\t\t“Appropriate authority<\/span>” means a federal, state, or local agency or organization having jurisdiction<\/span> over criminal law<\/span> enforcement, regulatory violations, professional conduct or ethics, or abuse<\/span>; or a member, officer, agent, representative, or supervisory employee<\/span> of the agency or organization. The term also includes the Office of the Attorney General<\/span>, the Office of the State Inspector General, and the General Assembly and its committees having the power and duty to investigate criminal law<\/span> enforcement, regulatory violations, professional conduct or ethics, or abuse<\/span>.\n\t\t“Employee<\/span>” means any person who is regularly employed full time on either a salaried or wage basis, whose tenure is not restricted as to temporary or provisional appointment, in the service of and whose compensation is payable, no more often than biweekly, in whole or in part, by a governmental agency<\/span>.\n\t\t“Employer<\/span>” means a person supervising one or more employees<\/span>, including the employee<\/span> filing a good faith report<\/span>, a superior of that supervisor, or an agent of the governmental agency<\/span>.\n\t\t“Good faith report<\/span>” means a report of conduct defined in this chapter as wrongdoing<\/span> or abuse<\/span> that is made without malice<\/span> and that the person making the report has reasonable cause to believe is true.\n\t\t“Governmental agency<\/span>” means (i) any agency, institution, board, bureau, commission, council, or instrumentality of state government in the executive branch listed in the appropriation act and any independent agency; (ii) any county, city, or town or local or regional governmental authority; and (iii) any local school division as defined in \u00a7 22.1-280.2:2<\/a>.\n\t\t“Misconduct<\/span>” means conduct or behavior by an employee<\/span> that is inconsistent with state, local, or agency standards for which specific corrective or disciplinary action is warranted.\n\t\t“Whistle blower<\/span>” means an employee<\/span> who witnesses or has evidence<\/span> of wrongdoing<\/span> or abuse<\/span> and who makes or demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence<\/span> that he is about to make a good faith report<\/span> of, or testifies or is about to testify to, the wrongdoing<\/span> or abuse<\/span> to one of the employee<\/span>’s superiors, an agent of the employer<\/span>, or an appropriate authority<\/span>. “Whistle blower<\/span>” includes a citizen of the Commonwealth who witnesses or has evidence<\/span> of wrongdoing<\/span> or abuse<\/span> and who makes or demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence<\/span> that he is about to make a good faith report<\/span> of, or testifies or is about to testify to, the wrongdoing<\/span> or abuse<\/span> to an appropriate authority<\/span>.\n\t\t“Wrongdoing<\/span>” means a violation, which is not of a merely technical or minimal nature, of a federal or state law<\/span> or regulation, local ordinance<\/span>, or a formally adopted code of conduct or ethics of a professional organization designed to protect the interests of the public or employee<\/span>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDEFINITIONS (\u00a7 2.2-3010)\n\nAs used in this chapter:\n\t\t“Abuse” means an employer’s or employee’s conduct or\nomissions that result in substantial misuse, destruction, waste, or loss of\nfunds or resources belonging to or derived from federal, state, or local\ngovernment sources.\n\t\t“Appropriate authority” means a federal, state, or local agency or\norganization having jurisdiction over criminal law enforcement, regulatory\nviolations, professional conduct or ethics, or abuse; or a member, officer,\nagent, representative, or supervisory employee of the agency or organization.\nThe term also includes the Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the\nState Inspector General, and the General Assembly and its committees having the\npower and duty to investigate criminal law enforcement, regulatory violations,\nprofessional conduct or ethics, or abuse.\n\t\t“Employee” means any person who is regularly employed full time on\neither a salaried or wage basis, whose tenure is not restricted as to temporary\nor provisional appointment, in the service of and whose compensation is payable,\nno more often than biweekly, in whole or in part, by a governmental agency.\n\t\t“Employer” means a person supervising one or more employees,\nincluding the employee filing a good faith report, a superior of that\nsupervisor, or an agent of the governmental agency.\n\t\t“Good faith report” means a report of conduct defined in this\nchapter as wrongdoing or abuse that is made without malice and that the person\nmaking the report has reasonable cause to believe is true.\n\t\t“Governmental agency” means (i) any agency, institution, board,\nbureau, commission, council, or instrumentality of state government in the\nexecutive branch listed in the appropriation act and any independent agency;\n(ii) any county, city, or town or local or regional governmental authority; and\n(iii) any local school division as defined in \u00a7 22.1-280.2:2.\n\t\t“Misconduct” means conduct or behavior by an employee that is\ninconsistent with state, local, or agency standards for which specific\ncorrective or disciplinary action is warranted.\n\t\t“Whistle blower” means an employee who witnesses or has evidence\nof wrongdoing or abuse and who makes or demonstrates by clear and convincing\nevidence that he is about to make a good faith report of, or testifies or is\nabout to testify to, the wrongdoing or abuse to one of the employee’s\nsuperiors, an agent of the employer, or an appropriate authority. “Whistle\nblower” includes a citizen of the Commonwealth who witnesses or has\nevidence of wrongdoing or abuse and who makes or demonstrates by clear and\nconvincing evidence that he is about to make a good faith report of, or\ntestifies or is about to testify to, the wrongdoing or abuse to an appropriate\nauthority.\n\t\t“Wrongdoing” means a violation, which is not of a merely technical\nor minimal nature, of a federal or state law or regulation, local ordinance, or\na formally adopted code of conduct or ethics of a professional organization\ndesigned to protect the interests of the public or employee.\n\nHISTORY: 2009, c. 340; 2011, cc. 798, 871; 2014, c. 403; 2015, c. 316; 2016, c.\n292.","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}}