{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/2.2-603.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/2.2-603.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/2.2-603.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/2.2-603.html"}],"law_id":58373,"edition_id":1,"section_id":58373,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-603","catch_line":"Authority of agency directors","history":"1985, c. 212, \u00a7 2.1-20.01:1; 1992, c. 672; 1995, c. 219; 1996, c. 98; 1997, c. 491; 1999, cc. 70, 892; 2001, c. 844; 2004, cc. 488, 638; 2015, cc. 261, 768; 2017, c. 527; 2022, cc. 626, 627.","full_text":"A\n\nNotwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the agency director of each agency in the executive branch of state government shall have the power and duty to (i) supervise and manage the department or agency and (ii) prepare, approve, and submit to the Governor all requests for appropriations and to be responsible for all expenditures pursuant to appropriations.B\n\nThe director of each agency in the executive branch of state government, except those that by law are appointed by their respective boards, shall not proscribe any agency employee from discussing the functions and policies of the agency, without prior approval from his supervisor or superior, with any person unless the information to be discussed is protected from disclosure by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.) or any other provision of state or federal law.C\n\nSubsection A shall not be construed to restrict any other specific or general powers and duties of executive branch boards granted by law.D\n\nThis section shall not apply to those agency directors that are appointed by their respective boards or by the Board of Education. Directors appointed in this manner shall have the powers and duties assigned by law or by the board.E\n\nIn addition to the requirements of subsection C of § 2.2-619, the director of each agency in any branch of state government shall, at the end of each fiscal year, report to (i) the Secretary of Finance and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations a listing and general description of any federal contract, grant, or money in excess of $1 million for which the agency was eligible, whether or not the agency applied for, accepted, and received such contract, grant, or money, and, if not, the reasons therefore and the dollar amount and corresponding percentage of the agency’s total annual budget that was supplied by funds from the federal government and (ii) the Chairmen of the House Committees on Appropriations and Finance, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations any amounts owed to the agency from any source that are more than six months delinquent, the length of such delinquencies, and the total of all such delinquent amounts in each six-month interval. Clause (i) shall not be required of public institutions of higher education.F\n\nNotwithstanding subsection D, the director of every agency and department in the executive branch of state government, including those appointed by their respective boards or the Board of Education, shall be responsible for securing the electronic data held by his agency or department and shall comply with the requirements of the Commonwealth’s information technology security and risk-management program as set forth in § 2.2-2009.G\n\nThe director of every department in the executive branch of state government shall have the power and duty to comply with the provisions of § 2.2-1209.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":213758,"text":"Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the agency director of each agency in the executive branch of state government shall have the power and duty to (i) supervise and manage the department or agency and (ii) prepare, approve, and submit to the Governor all requests for appropriations and to be responsible for all expenditures pursuant to appropriations.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":213759,"text":"The director of each agency in the executive branch of state government, except those that by law are appointed by their respective boards, shall not proscribe any agency employee from discussing the functions and policies of the agency, without prior approval from his supervisor or superior, with any person unless the information to be discussed is protected from disclosure by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.) or any other provision of state or federal law.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":213760,"text":"Subsection A shall not be construed to restrict any other specific or general powers and duties of executive branch boards granted by law.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B","next_prefix":"D"},"3":{"id":213761,"text":"This section shall not apply to those agency directors that are appointed by their respective boards or by the Board of Education. Directors appointed in this manner shall have the powers and duties assigned by law or by the board.","type":"section","prefixes":["D"],"prefix":"D","entire_prefix":"D","prefix_anchor":"D","level":1,"prior_prefix":"C","next_prefix":"E"},"4":{"id":213762,"text":"In addition to the requirements of subsection C of § 2.2-619, the director of each agency in any branch of state government shall, at the end of each fiscal year, report to (i) the Secretary of Finance and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations a listing and general description of any federal contract, grant, or money in excess of $1 million for which the agency was eligible, whether or not the agency applied for, accepted, and received such contract, grant, or money, and, if not, the reasons therefore and the dollar amount and corresponding percentage of the agency’s total annual budget that was supplied by funds from the federal government and (ii) the Chairmen of the House Committees on Appropriations and Finance, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations any amounts owed to the agency from any source that are more than six months delinquent, the length of such delinquencies, and the total of all such delinquent amounts in each six-month interval. Clause (i) shall not be required of public institutions of higher education.","type":"section","prefixes":["E"],"prefix":"E","entire_prefix":"E","prefix_anchor":"E","level":1,"prior_prefix":"D","next_prefix":"F"},"5":{"id":213763,"text":"Notwithstanding subsection D, the director of every agency and department in the executive branch of state government, including those appointed by their respective boards or the Board of Education, shall be responsible for securing the electronic data held by his agency or department and shall comply with the requirements of the Commonwealth’s information technology security and risk-management program as set forth in § 2.2-2009.","type":"section","prefixes":["F"],"prefix":"F","entire_prefix":"F","prefix_anchor":"F","level":1,"prior_prefix":"E","next_prefix":"G"},"6":{"id":213764,"text":"The director of every department in the executive branch of state government shall have the power and duty to comply with the provisions of § 2.2-1209.","type":"section","prefixes":["G"],"prefix":"G","entire_prefix":"G","prefix_anchor":"G","level":1,"prior_prefix":"F"}},"ancestry":[{"id":14818,"edition_id":1,"name":"In General","identifier":"1","label":"article","depth":5,"order_by":1,"parent_id":14817,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:50:07","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:50:07","permalink":{"id":173673,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14818,"identifier":"1","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1","url":"\/2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":14817,"edition_id":1,"name":"General Provisions","identifier":"6","label":"chapter","depth":4,"order_by":1,"parent_id":13092,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:50:07","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:50:07","permalink":{"id":173671,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14817,"identifier":"6","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6","url":"\/2.2\/I\/C\/6\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":13092,"edition_id":1,"name":"State Agencies Related to the General Operation of Government","identifier":"C","label":"part","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12784,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:16","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:16","permalink":{"id":172453,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":13092,"identifier":"C","token":"2.2\/I\/C","url":"\/2.2\/I\/C\/","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":79827,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-600","catch_line":"Standard nomenclature to be employed","url":"\/2.2-600\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-600","metadata":false},{"id":84713,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-601","catch_line":"General powers of the departments established in this title","url":"\/2.2-601\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-601","metadata":false},{"id":83408,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-601.1","catch_line":"Certified mail; subsequent, identical mail or notices may be sent by regular mail","url":"\/2.2-601.1\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-601.1","metadata":false},{"id":74902,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-602","catch_line":"Duties of agencies and their appointing authorities; establishment of personnel standards; diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic plans","url":"\/2.2-602\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-602","metadata":false},{"id":58373,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-603","catch_line":"Authority of agency directors","url":"\/2.2-603\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-603","metadata":false},{"id":71814,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-604","catch_line":"Performance of duties assigned to an agency","url":"\/2.2-604\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-604","metadata":false},{"id":65909,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-604.1","catch_line":"Designation of officials; interests of senior citizens and adults with disabilities","url":"\/2.2-604.1\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-604.1","metadata":false},{"id":84809,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-604.2","catch_line":" Designation of officials; 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application of funds","url":"\/2.2-611\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-611","metadata":false},{"id":67578,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-612","catch_line":"Notification to localities of reduction or discontinuation of service","url":"\/2.2-612\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-612","metadata":false},{"id":84711,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-613","catch_line":"Repealed","url":"\/2.2-613\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-613","metadata":false},{"id":66331,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-614","catch_line":"Purebred livestock raised by state institutions and agencies may be sold instead of slaughtered","url":"\/2.2-614\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-614","metadata":false},{"id":77548,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-614.1","catch_line":"Authority to accept revenue by commercially acceptable means; service charge; bad check charge","url":"\/2.2-614.1\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-614.1","metadata":false},{"id":82324,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-614.2","catch_line":"Participation in the REAL ID Act of 2005","url":"\/2.2-614.2\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-614.2","metadata":false},{"id":85609,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-614.2:1","catch_line":"Assisting U.S. armed forces in detention of citizen","url":"\/2.2-614.2_1\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-614.2_1","metadata":false},{"id":75223,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-614.3","catch_line":"Charitable organization; certain government action prohibited","url":"\/2.2-614.3\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-614.3","metadata":false},{"id":74580,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-614.4","catch_line":"Commercial activities list; publication of notice; opportunity to comment","url":"\/2.2-614.4\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-614.4","metadata":false},{"id":72111,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-614.5","catch_line":"Electric vehicle charging stations","url":"\/2.2-614.5\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-614.5","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":74902,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-602","catch_line":"Duties of agencies and their appointing authorities; establishment of personnel standards; diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic plans","url":"\/2.2-602\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-602","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":71814,"structure_id":14818,"section_number":"2.2-604","catch_line":"Performance of duties assigned to an agency","url":"\/2.2-604\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-604","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/2.2-603\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1985. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 212 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. Unfortunately, the 1985 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 10 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 1992, chapter 672; in 1995, chapter 219<\/a>; in 1996, chapter 98<\/a>; in 1997, chapter 491<\/a>; in 1999, chapters 70<\/a> and 892<\/a>; in 2001, chapter 844<\/a>; in 2004, chapters 488<\/a> and 638<\/a>; in 2015, chapters 261<\/a> and 768<\/a>; in 2017, chapter 527<\/a>; in 2022, chapters 626<\/a> and 627<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":87418,"section_number":"2.2-1209","catch_line":"Agency director human resource training and agency succession planning","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-1209\/"},{"id":55569,"section_number":"2.2-3700","catch_line":"Short title; policy","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-3700\/"},{"id":83627,"section_number":"2.2-619","catch_line":"Governor to report to the General Assembly","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-619\/"}],"permalink":{"id":173691,"object_type":"law","relational_id":58373,"identifier":"2.2-603","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-603","url":"\/2.2-603\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/2.2-603\/","token":"2.2\/I\/C\/6\/1\/2.2-603","dublin_core":{"Title":"Authority of agency directors","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 2.2-603","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Notwithstanding any provision of law<\/span> to the contrary, the agency director of each agency in the executive branch of state government shall have the power and duty to (i) supervise and manage the department or agency and (ii) prepare, approve, and submit to the Governor all requests for appropriations and to be responsible for all expenditures pursuant to appropriations. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> The director of each agency in the executive branch of state government, except those that by law<\/span> are appointed by their respective boards, shall not proscribe any agency employee from discussing the functions and policies of the agency, without prior approval from his supervisor or superior, with any person unless the information to be discussed is protected from disclosure by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700<\/a> et seq.) or any other provision of state or federal law<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> Subsection A shall not be construed to restrict any other specific or general powers and duties of executive branch boards granted by law<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

D.<\/span> This section shall not apply to those agency directors that are appointed by their respective boards or by the Board of Education. Directors appointed in this manner shall have the powers and duties assigned by law<\/span> or by the board. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

E.<\/span> In addition to the requirements of subsection C of § 2.2-619<\/a>, the director of each agency in any branch of state government shall, at the end of each fiscal year, report to (i) the Secretary of Finance and the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations a listing and general description of any federal contract<\/span>, grant, or money in excess of $1 million for which the agency was eligible, whether or not the agency applied for, accepted, and received such contract<\/span>, grant, or money, and, if not, the reasons therefore and the dollar amount and corresponding percentage of the agency’s total annual budget that was supplied by funds from the federal government and (ii) the Chairmen of the House Committees on Appropriations and Finance, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations any amounts owed to the agency from any source that are more than six months delinquent, the length of such delinquencies, and the total of all such delinquent amounts in each six-month interval. Clause (i) shall not be required of public institutions of higher education. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

F.<\/span> Notwithstanding subsection D, the director of every agency and department in the executive branch of state government, including those appointed by their respective boards or the Board of Education, shall be responsible for securing the electronic data held by his agency or department and shall comply with the requirements of the Commonwealth’s information technology security and risk-management program as set forth in § 2.2-2009<\/a>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

G.<\/span> The director of every department in the executive branch of state government shall have the power and duty to comply with the provisions of § 2.2-1209<\/a>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nAUTHORITY OF AGENCY DIRECTORS (\u00a7 2.2-603)\n\nA. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the agency director of\neach agency in the executive branch of state government shall have the power and\nduty to (i) supervise and manage the department or agency and (ii) prepare,\napprove, and submit to the Governor all requests for appropriations and to be\nresponsible for all expenditures pursuant to appropriations.\n\nB. The director of each agency in the executive branch of state government,\nexcept those that by law are appointed by their respective boards, shall not\nproscribe any agency employee from discussing the functions and policies of the\nagency, without prior approval from his supervisor or superior, with any person\nunless the information to be discussed is protected from disclosure by the\nVirginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.) or any other\nprovision of state or federal law.\n\nC. Subsection A shall not be construed to restrict any other specific or general\npowers and duties of executive branch boards granted by law.\n\nD. This section shall not apply to those agency directors that are appointed by\ntheir respective boards or by the Board of Education. Directors appointed in\nthis manner shall have the powers and duties assigned by law or by the board.\n\nE. In addition to the requirements of subsection C of § 2.2-619, the\ndirector of each agency in any branch of state government shall, at the end of\neach fiscal year, report to (i) the Secretary of Finance and the Chairmen of the\nHouse Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance and\nAppropriations a listing and general description of any federal contract, grant,\nor money in excess of $1 million for which the agency was eligible, whether or\nnot the agency applied for, accepted, and received such contract, grant, or\nmoney, and, if not, the reasons therefore and the dollar amount and\ncorresponding percentage of the agency’s total annual budget that was\nsupplied by funds from the federal government and (ii) the Chairmen of the House\nCommittees on Appropriations and Finance, and the Senate Committee on Finance\nand Appropriations any amounts owed to the agency from any source that are more\nthan six months delinquent, the length of such delinquencies, and the total of\nall such delinquent amounts in each six-month interval. Clause (i) shall not be\nrequired of public institutions of higher education.\n\nF. Notwithstanding subsection D, the director of every agency and department in\nthe executive branch of state government, including those appointed by their\nrespective boards or the Board of Education, shall be responsible for securing\nthe electronic data held by his agency or department and shall comply with the\nrequirements of the Commonwealth’s information technology security and\nrisk-management program as set forth in § 2.2-2009.\n\nG. The director of every department in the executive branch of state government\nshall have the power and duty to comply with the provisions of § 2.2-1209.\n\nHISTORY: 1985, c. 212, \u00a7 2.1-20.01:1; 1992, c. 672; 1995, c. 219; 1996, c. 98;\n1997, c. 491; 1999, cc. 70, 892; 2001, c. 844; 2004, cc. 488, 638; 2015, cc.\n261, 768; 2017, c. 527; 2022, cc. 626, 627.","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}}