{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/2.2-4116.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/2.2-4116.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/2.2-4116.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/2.2-4116.html"}],"law_id":68510,"edition_id":1,"section_id":68510,"structure_id":15806,"section_number":"2.2-4116","catch_line":"Authority to use dispute resolution proceedings","history":"2002, c. 633.","full_text":"A\n\nExcept as specifically prohibited by law, if the parties to the dispute agree, any public body may use dispute resolution proceedings to narrow or resolve any issue in controversy. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit or limit other public body dispute resolution authority. Nothing in this chapter shall create or alter any right, action, cause of action, or be interpreted or applied in a manner inconsistent with the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.), applicable federal or state law or any provision that requires the Commonwealth to obtain or maintain federal delegation or approval of any regulatory program. Nothing in this chapter shall prevent the use of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to obtain the disclosure of information concerning expenses incurred in connection with a dispute resolution proceeding or the amount of money paid by a public body or agency to settle a dispute.B\n\nA decision by a public body to participate in or not to participate in a specific dispute resolution proceeding shall be within the discretion of the public body and is not subject to judicial review. This subsection does not affect or supersede any law mandating the use of a dispute resolution proceeding.C\n\nAn agreement arising out of any dispute resolution proceeding shall not be binding upon a public body unless the agreement is affirmed by the public body.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":248017,"text":"Except as specifically prohibited by law, if the parties to the dispute agree, any public body may use dispute resolution proceedings to narrow or resolve any issue in controversy. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit or limit other public body dispute resolution authority. Nothing in this chapter shall create or alter any right, action, cause of action, or be interpreted or applied in a manner inconsistent with the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.), applicable federal or state law or any provision that requires the Commonwealth to obtain or maintain federal delegation or approval of any regulatory program. Nothing in this chapter shall prevent the use of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to obtain the disclosure of information concerning expenses incurred in connection with a dispute resolution proceeding or the amount of money paid by a public body or agency to settle a dispute.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":248018,"text":"A decision by a public body to participate in or not to participate in a specific dispute resolution proceeding shall be within the discretion of the public body and is not subject to judicial review. This subsection does not affect or supersede any law mandating the use of a dispute resolution proceeding.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":248019,"text":"An agreement arising out of any dispute resolution proceeding shall not be binding upon a public body unless the agreement is affirmed by the public body.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15806,"edition_id":1,"name":"Virginia Administrative Dispute Resolution Act","identifier":"41.1","label":"chapter","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12751,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:59:49","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:59:49","permalink":{"id":176957,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15806,"identifier":"41.1","token":"2.2\/II\/B\/41.1","url":"\/2.2\/II\/B\/41.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12751,"edition_id":1,"name":"Transaction of Public Business","identifier":"B","label":"part","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12750,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":176445,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12751,"identifier":"B","token":"2.2\/II\/B","url":"\/2.2\/II\/B\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12750,"edition_id":1,"name":"Administration of State Government","identifier":"II","label":"subtitle","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12749,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:51","permalink":{"id":176253,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12750,"identifier":"II","token":"2.2\/II","url":"\/2.2\/II\/","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":63251,"structure_id":15806,"section_number":"2.2-4115","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/2.2-4115\/","token":"2.2\/II\/B\/41.1\/2.2-4115","metadata":false},{"id":68510,"structure_id":15806,"section_number":"2.2-4116","catch_line":"Authority to use dispute resolution proceedings","url":"\/2.2-4116\/","token":"2.2\/II\/B\/41.1\/2.2-4116","metadata":false},{"id":60944,"structure_id":15806,"section_number":"2.2-4117","catch_line":"State agency promotion of dispute resolution proceedings","url":"\/2.2-4117\/","token":"2.2\/II\/B\/41.1\/2.2-4117","metadata":false},{"id":67606,"structure_id":15806,"section_number":"2.2-4118","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/2.2-4118\/","token":"2.2\/II\/B\/41.1\/2.2-4118","metadata":false},{"id":80648,"structure_id":15806,"section_number":"2.2-4119","catch_line":"Confidentiality between parties; exemption to Freedom of Information Act","url":"\/2.2-4119\/","token":"2.2\/II\/B\/41.1\/2.2-4119","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":63251,"structure_id":15806,"section_number":"2.2-4115","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/2.2-4115\/","token":"2.2\/II\/B\/41.1\/2.2-4115","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":60944,"structure_id":15806,"section_number":"2.2-4117","catch_line":"State agency promotion of dispute resolution proceedings","url":"\/2.2-4117\/","token":"2.2\/II\/B\/41.1\/2.2-4117","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/2.2-4116\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2002. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 633<\/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.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":86911,"section_number":"2.2-4000","catch_line":"Short title; purpose","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-4000\/"}],"permalink":{"id":176963,"object_type":"law","relational_id":68510,"identifier":"2.2-4116","token":"2.2\/II\/B\/41.1\/2.2-4116","url":"\/2.2-4116\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/2.2-4116\/","token":"2.2\/II\/B\/41.1\/2.2-4116","dublin_core":{"Title":"Authority to use dispute resolution proceedings","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 2.2-4116","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Except as specifically prohibited by law<\/span>, if the parties to the dispute agree, any public body<\/span> may use dispute resolution proceedings<\/span> to narrow or resolve any issue<\/span> in controversy. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to prohibit or limit other public body<\/span> dispute resolution authority. Nothing in this chapter shall create or alter any right, action, cause of action<\/span>, or be interpreted or applied in a manner inconsistent with the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000<\/a> et seq.), applicable federal or state law<\/span> or any provision that requires the Commonwealth to obtain or maintain federal delegation or approval of any regulatory program. Nothing in this chapter shall prevent the use of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to obtain the disclosure of information concerning expenses incurred in connection with a dispute resolution proceeding<\/span> or the amount of money paid by a public body<\/span> or agency<\/span> to settle a dispute. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> A decision by a public body<\/span> to participate in or not to participate in a specific dispute resolution proceeding<\/span> shall be within the discretion of the public body<\/span> and is not subject to judicial review. This subsection does not affect or supersede any law<\/span> mandating the use of a dispute resolution proceeding<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> An agreement arising out of any dispute resolution proceeding<\/span> shall not be binding upon a public body<\/span> unless the agreement is affirmed<\/span> by the public body<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nAUTHORITY TO USE DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROCEEDINGS (\u00a7 2.2-4116)\n\nA. Except as specifically prohibited by law, if the parties to the dispute\nagree, any public body may use dispute resolution proceedings to narrow or\nresolve any issue in controversy. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to\nprohibit or limit other public body dispute resolution authority. Nothing in\nthis chapter shall create or alter any right, action, cause of action, or be\ninterpreted or applied in a manner inconsistent with the Administrative Process\nAct (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.), applicable federal or state law or any provision\nthat requires the Commonwealth to obtain or maintain federal delegation or\napproval of any regulatory program. Nothing in this chapter shall prevent the\nuse of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to obtain the disclosure of\ninformation concerning expenses incurred in connection with a dispute resolution\nproceeding or the amount of money paid by a public body or agency to settle a\ndispute.\n\nB. A decision by a public body to participate in or not to participate in a\nspecific dispute resolution proceeding shall be within the discretion of the\npublic body and is not subject to judicial review. This subsection does not\naffect or supersede any law mandating the use of a dispute resolution\nproceeding.\n\nC. An agreement arising out of any dispute resolution proceeding shall not be\nbinding upon a public body unless the agreement is affirmed by the public body.\n\nHISTORY: 2002, c. 633.","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}}