{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/56-517.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/56-517.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/56-517.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/56-517.html"}],"law_id":61416,"edition_id":1,"section_id":61416,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-517","catch_line":"Interference with or obstruction of Governor, state representative or agent","history":"1952, c. 696.","full_text":"No person, organization or association or any bargaining representative of the employees or any representative or agent of the management of the utility shall interfere with or obstruct the Governor, or any state representative or agent designated by him, in his efforts to secure or contract for the services of the officers and employees of the utility or of any person to engage in or continue the operation of the utility, or shall encourage or solicit any such persons not to render such services or shall interfere in or obstruct the training of prospective employees in the operation of the utility by the Governor or by the designated state representatives. Upon seizure of any utility as provided herein the establishment or conduct of a picket line near or adjacent to any work engaged in or proposed to be engaged in by any such persons employed or sought to be employed by the Commonwealth in its operation of such utility shall be deemed an unlawful obstruction of the exercise of an essential function of the state government and a violation of this section; and all persons ordering, directing, encouraging or participating in any such picketing shall be guilty of violating this section.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":224341,"text":"No person, organization or association or any bargaining representative of the employees or any representative or agent of the management of the utility shall interfere with or obstruct the Governor, or any state representative or agent designated by him, in his efforts to secure or contract for the services of the officers and employees of the utility or of any person to engage in or continue the operation of the utility, or shall encourage or solicit any such persons not to render such services or shall interfere in or obstruct the training of prospective employees in the operation of the utility by the Governor or by the designated state representatives. Upon seizure of any utility as provided herein the establishment or conduct of a picket line near or adjacent to any work engaged in or proposed to be engaged in by any such persons employed or sought to be employed by the Commonwealth in its operation of such utility shall be deemed an unlawful obstruction of the exercise of an essential function of the state government and a violation of this section; and all persons ordering, directing, encouraging or participating in any such picketing shall be guilty of violating this section.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1}},"ancestry":[{"id":14707,"edition_id":1,"name":"State Operation of Public Utilities","identifier":"17","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12881,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:49:26","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:49:26","permalink":{"id":250249,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":14707,"identifier":"17","token":"56\/17","url":"\/56\/17\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12881,"edition_id":1,"name":"Public Service Companies","identifier":"56","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:58","permalink":{"id":248473,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12881,"identifier":"56","token":"56","url":"\/56\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":56358,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-509","catch_line":"Uninterrupted functioning and operation of essential public utilities","url":"\/56-509\/","token":"56\/17\/56-509","metadata":false},{"id":73501,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-510","catch_line":"Duty of Governor when there is threat of curtailment, interruption, etc., of operation","url":"\/56-510\/","token":"56\/17\/56-510","metadata":false},{"id":61223,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-511","catch_line":"Power of Governor to possess and operate utility","url":"\/56-511\/","token":"56\/17\/56-511","metadata":false},{"id":67658,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-512","catch_line":"Employment of utility employees by Commonwealth; information to be furnished","url":"\/56-512\/","token":"56\/17\/56-512","metadata":false},{"id":82132,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-513","catch_line":"Replacement of utility employees unwilling to work for Commonwealth","url":"\/56-513\/","token":"56\/17\/56-513","metadata":false},{"id":85186,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-514","catch_line":"Status as employee of utility unaffected by acceptance or refusal of employment by Commonwealth","url":"\/56-514\/","token":"56\/17\/56-514","metadata":false},{"id":74359,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-515","catch_line":"Entry upon property of utility after proclamation of intention to take possession","url":"\/56-515\/","token":"56\/17\/56-515","metadata":false},{"id":78487,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-516","catch_line":"When possession of utility to be delivered; procedure upon refusal of possession","url":"\/56-516\/","token":"56\/17\/56-516","metadata":false},{"id":61416,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-517","catch_line":"Interference with or obstruction of Governor, state representative or agent","url":"\/56-517\/","token":"56\/17\/56-517","metadata":false},{"id":79373,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-518","catch_line":"Expense of operation, etc.; payment of revenues, etc., into state treasury","url":"\/56-518\/","token":"56\/17\/56-518","metadata":false},{"id":73986,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-519","catch_line":"Previously established salaries, wages, conditions of employment, etc., to be observed; collective bargaining","url":"\/56-519\/","token":"56\/17\/56-519","metadata":false},{"id":69360,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-520","catch_line":"Collection and disposition of revenues accruing from utility","url":"\/56-520\/","token":"56\/17\/56-520","metadata":false},{"id":81570,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-521","catch_line":"Restoring possession to utility","url":"\/56-521\/","token":"56\/17\/56-521","metadata":false},{"id":64051,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-522","catch_line":"Compensation to utility","url":"\/56-522\/","token":"56\/17\/56-522","metadata":false},{"id":86625,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-523","catch_line":"Definitions","url":"\/56-523\/","token":"56\/17\/56-523","metadata":false},{"id":73606,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-524","catch_line":"Penalties","url":"\/56-524\/","token":"56\/17\/56-524","metadata":false},{"id":62983,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-525","catch_line":"Injunction against violation of chapter","url":"\/56-525\/","token":"56\/17\/56-525","metadata":false},{"id":81545,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-526","catch_line":"Duty of Commonwealth's attorneys and Attorney General; employment of special counsel","url":"\/56-526\/","token":"56\/17\/56-526","metadata":false},{"id":86351,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-527","catch_line":"Chapter not applicable to certain carriers","url":"\/56-527\/","token":"56\/17\/56-527","metadata":false},{"id":64842,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-528","catch_line":"Governor's powers as commander in chief not impaired","url":"\/56-528\/","token":"56\/17\/56-528","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":78487,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-516","catch_line":"When possession of utility to be delivered; procedure upon refusal of possession","url":"\/56-516\/","token":"56\/17\/56-516","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":79373,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-518","catch_line":"Expense of operation, etc.; payment of revenues, etc., into state treasury","url":"\/56-518\/","token":"56\/17\/56-518","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/56-517\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1952. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 696 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 1952 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online.<\/p>","references":[{"id":73606,"section_number":"56-524","catch_line":"Penalties","order_by":null,"url":"\/56-524\/"},{"id":81545,"section_number":"56-526","catch_line":"Duty of Commonwealth's attorneys and Attorney General; employment of special counsel","order_by":null,"url":"\/56-526\/"}],"refers_to":false,"permalink":{"id":250283,"object_type":"law","relational_id":61416,"identifier":"56-517","token":"56\/17\/56-517","url":"\/56-517\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/56-517\/","token":"56\/17\/56-517","dublin_core":{"Title":"Interference with or obstruction of Governor, state representative or agent","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 56-517","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

No person<\/span>, organization or association or any bargaining representative of the employees or any representative or agent of the management of the utility shall interfere with or obstruct the Governor, or any state representative or agent designated by him, in his efforts to secure or contract<\/span> for the services of the officers and employees of the utility or of any person<\/span> to engage in or continue the operation of the utility, or shall encourage or solicit any such persons<\/span> not to render such services or shall interfere in or obstruct the training of prospective employees in the operation of the utility by the Governor or by the designated state representatives. Upon seizure of any utility as provided herein the establishment or conduct of a picket line near or adjacent to any work engaged in or proposed to be engaged in by any such persons<\/span> employed or sought to be employed by the Commonwealth in its operation of such utility shall be deemed an unlawful obstruction of the exercise of an essential function of the state government and a violation of this section; and all persons<\/span> ordering, directing, encouraging or participating in any such picketing shall be guilty of violating this section.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nINTERFERENCE WITH OR OBSTRUCTION OF GOVERNOR, STATE REPRESENTATIVE OR AGENT (\u00a7\n56-517)\n\nNo person, organization or association or any bargaining representative of the\nemployees or any representative or agent of the management of the utility shall\ninterfere with or obstruct the Governor, or any state representative or agent\ndesignated by him, in his efforts to secure or contract for the services of the\nofficers and employees of the utility or of any person to engage in or continue\nthe operation of the utility, or shall encourage or solicit any such persons not\nto render such services or shall interfere in or obstruct the training of\nprospective employees in the operation of the utility by the Governor or by the\ndesignated state representatives. Upon seizure of any utility as provided herein\nthe establishment or conduct of a picket line near or adjacent to any work\nengaged in or proposed to be engaged in by any such persons employed or sought\nto be employed by the Commonwealth in its operation of such utility shall be\ndeemed an unlawful obstruction of the exercise of an essential function of the\nstate government and a violation of this section; and all persons ordering,\ndirecting, encouraging or participating in any such picketing shall be guilty of\nviolating this section.\n\nHISTORY: 1952, c. 696.","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}}