{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/51.5-185.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/51.5-185.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/51.5-185.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/51.5-185.html"}],"law_id":79453,"edition_id":1,"section_id":79453,"structure_id":15459,"section_number":"51.5-185","catch_line":"Protection for representatives of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman; interference, retaliation, and reprisals","history":"2020, c. 728.","full_text":"A\n\nAny designated representative of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman who in good faith with reasonable cause and without malice performs the official duties of ombudsman, including acting to report, investigate, or cause any investigation to be made regarding a long-term care provider, shall be immune from any civil liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed as the result of making the report or investigation.B\n\nNo provider, entity, or person may interfere with, retaliate against, or subject to reprisals the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman or any of its representatives or designees for actions taken in fulfillment of its functions, responsibilities, or duties. The Commissioner shall promulgate regulations regarding the investigation of allegations of interference, retaliation, or reprisals and the implementation of sanctions with respect to such interference, retaliation, or reprisals as required under the Older Americans Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3001 et seq.C\n\nThe Department shall put in place mechanisms to ensure that the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman may (i) analyze, comment on, and monitor the development and implementation of federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies and actions related to long-term care services and providers or to the health, safety, welfare, and rights of individuals receiving long-term care services; (ii) recommend changes to such laws, regulations, and policies; and (iii) provide information, recommendations, and the position of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to public and private agencies, legislators, media, and other persons regarding concerns of individuals receiving long-term care services. Any comments, determinations, recommendations, and positions of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman shall be clearly labeled as those of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman and shall not be binding on the Department.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":284627,"text":"Any designated representative of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman who in good faith with reasonable cause and without malice performs the official duties of ombudsman, including acting to report, investigate, or cause any investigation to be made regarding a long-term care provider, shall be immune from any civil liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed as the result of making the report or investigation.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":284628,"text":"No provider, entity, or person may interfere with, retaliate against, or subject to reprisals the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman or any of its representatives or designees for actions taken in fulfillment of its functions, responsibilities, or duties. The Commissioner shall promulgate regulations regarding the investigation of allegations of interference, retaliation, or reprisals and the implementation of sanctions with respect to such interference, retaliation, or reprisals as required under the Older Americans Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3001 et seq.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A","next_prefix":"C"},"2":{"id":284629,"text":"The Department shall put in place mechanisms to ensure that the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman may (i) analyze, comment on, and monitor the development and implementation of federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies and actions related to long-term care services and providers or to the health, safety, welfare, and rights of individuals receiving long-term care services; (ii) recommend changes to such laws, regulations, and policies; and (iii) provide information, recommendations, and the position of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to public and private agencies, legislators, media, and other persons regarding concerns of individuals receiving long-term care services. Any comments, determinations, recommendations, and positions of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman shall be clearly labeled as those of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman and shall not be binding on the Department.","type":"section","prefixes":["C"],"prefix":"C","entire_prefix":"C","prefix_anchor":"C","level":1,"prior_prefix":"B"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15459,"edition_id":1,"name":"State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program","identifier":"13","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12945,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:55:11","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:55:11","permalink":{"id":236841,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15459,"identifier":"13","token":"51.5\/14\/13","url":"\/51.5\/14\/13\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12945,"edition_id":1,"name":"Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services","identifier":"14","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12761,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:44:03","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:44:03","permalink":{"id":236679,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12945,"identifier":"14","token":"51.5\/14","url":"\/51.5\/14\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12761,"edition_id":1,"name":"Persons With Disabilities","identifier":"51.5","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":236393,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12761,"identifier":"51.5","token":"51.5","url":"\/51.5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":58881,"structure_id":15459,"section_number":"51.5-182","catch_line":"Responsibility for complaints and investigations","url":"\/51.5-182\/","token":"51.5\/14\/13\/51.5-182","metadata":false},{"id":86242,"structure_id":15459,"section_number":"51.5-183","catch_line":"Access to clients, patients, individuals, providers, and records by Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman; interference, retaliation, and reprisals against complainants","url":"\/51.5-183\/","token":"51.5\/14\/13\/51.5-183","metadata":false},{"id":75641,"structure_id":15459,"section_number":"51.5-184","catch_line":"Confidentiality of records of Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman","url":"\/51.5-184\/","token":"51.5\/14\/13\/51.5-184","metadata":false},{"id":79453,"structure_id":15459,"section_number":"51.5-185","catch_line":"Protection for representatives of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman; interference, retaliation, and reprisals","url":"\/51.5-185\/","token":"51.5\/14\/13\/51.5-185","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":75641,"structure_id":15459,"section_number":"51.5-184","catch_line":"Confidentiality of records of Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman","url":"\/51.5-184\/","token":"51.5\/14\/13\/51.5-184","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/51.5-185\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2020. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 728<\/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":false,"permalink":{"id":236855,"object_type":"law","relational_id":79453,"identifier":"51.5-185","token":"51.5\/14\/13\/51.5-185","url":"\/51.5-185\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/51.5-185\/","token":"51.5\/14\/13\/51.5-185","dublin_core":{"Title":"Protection for representatives of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman; interference, retaliation, and reprisals","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 51.5-185","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Any designated representative of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman who in good faith with reasonable cause and without malice<\/span> performs the official duties of ombudsman, including acting to report, investigate, or cause any investigation to be made regarding a long-term care provider, shall be immune from any civil liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed as the result of making the report or investigation. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> No provider, entity, or person may interfere with, retaliate against, or subject to reprisals the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman or any of its representatives or designees for actions taken in fulfillment of its functions, responsibilities, or duties. The Commissioner<\/span> shall promulgate regulations regarding the investigation of allegations<\/span> of interference, retaliation, or reprisals and the implementation of sanctions<\/span> with respect to such interference, retaliation, or reprisals as required under the Older Americans Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3001 et seq. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

C.<\/span> The Department<\/span> shall put in place mechanisms to ensure that the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman may (i) analyze, comment on, and monitor the development and implementation of federal, state, and local laws<\/span>, regulations, and policies and actions related to long-term care services and providers or to the health, safety, welfare, and rights of individuals receiving long-term care services; (ii) recommend changes to such laws<\/span>, regulations, and policies; and (iii) provide information, recommendations, and the position of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to public and private agencies, legislators, media, and other persons regarding concerns of individuals receiving long-term care services. Any comments, determinations, recommendations, and positions of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman shall be clearly labeled as those of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman and shall not be binding on the Department<\/span>. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nPROTECTION FOR REPRESENTATIVES OF THE OFFICE OF THE STATE LONG-TERM CARE\nOMBUDSMAN; INTERFERENCE, RETALIATION, AND REPRISALS (\u00a7 51.5-185)\n\nA. Any designated representative of the Office of the State Long-Term Care\nOmbudsman who in good faith with reasonable cause and without malice performs\nthe official duties of ombudsman, including acting to report, investigate, or\ncause any investigation to be made regarding a long-term care provider, shall be\nimmune from any civil liability that might otherwise be incurred or imposed as\nthe result of making the report or investigation.\n\nB. No provider, entity, or person may interfere with, retaliate against, or\nsubject to reprisals the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman or any of\nits representatives or designees for actions taken in fulfillment of its\nfunctions, responsibilities, or duties. The Commissioner shall promulgate\nregulations regarding the investigation of allegations of interference,\nretaliation, or reprisals and the implementation of sanctions with respect to\nsuch interference, retaliation, or reprisals as required under the Older\nAmericans Act, 42 U.S.C. § 3001 et seq.\n\nC. The Department shall put in place mechanisms to ensure that the Office of the\nState Long-Term Care Ombudsman may (i) analyze, comment on, and monitor the\ndevelopment and implementation of federal, state, and local laws, regulations,\nand policies and actions related to long-term care services and providers or to\nthe health, safety, welfare, and rights of individuals receiving long-term care\nservices; (ii) recommend changes to such laws, regulations, and policies; and\n(iii) provide information, recommendations, and the position of the Office of\nthe State Long-Term Care Ombudsman to public and private agencies, legislators,\nmedia, and other persons regarding concerns of individuals receiving long-term\ncare services. Any comments, determinations, recommendations, and positions of\nthe Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman shall be clearly labeled as\nthose of the Office of the State Long-Term Care Ombudsman and shall not be\nbinding on the Department.\n\nHISTORY: 2020, c. 728.","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}}