{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/56-526.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/56-526.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/56-526.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/56-526.html"}],"law_id":81545,"edition_id":1,"section_id":81545,"structure_id":14707,"section_number":"56-526","catch_line":"Duty of Commonwealth’s attorneys and Attorney General; employment of special counsel","history":"1952, c. 696.","full_text":"It shall be the duty of every attorney for the Commonwealth to whom the Governor shall report any violation of \u00a7\u00a7 56-512, 56-515 or \u00a7 56-517 to cause proceedings to be prosecuted without delay for the fines and penalties in such cases. The Attorney General shall be charged with the duty of enforcing all other provisions of this chapter and shall represent the Governor in all matters arising thereunder. Whenever he shall deem it in the best interest of the Commonwealth the Attorney General may employ special counsel to assist him in carrying out the duties imposed by this section and the expenses so incurred shall be considered as an expense of operation of the utility and paid in accordance with the provisions of \u00a7 56-518.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":292077,"text":"It shall be the duty of every attorney for the Commonwealth to whom the Governor shall report any violation of \u00a7\u00a7 56-512, 56-515 or \u00a7 56-517 to cause proceedings to be prosecuted without delay for the fines and penalties in such cases. The Attorney General shall be charged with the duty of enforcing all other provisions of this chapter and shall represent the Governor in all matters arising thereunder. Whenever he shall deem it in the best interest of the Commonwealth the Attorney General may employ special counsel to assist him in carrying out the duties imposed by this section and the expenses so incurred shall be considered as an expense of operation of the utility and paid in accordance with the provisions of \u00a7 56-518.","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":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},"next_section":{"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},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/56-526\/","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":false,"refers_to":[{"id":67658,"section_number":"56-512","catch_line":"Employment of utility employees by Commonwealth; information to be furnished","order_by":null,"url":"\/56-512\/"},{"id":74359,"section_number":"56-515","catch_line":"Entry upon property of utility after proclamation of intention to take possession","order_by":null,"url":"\/56-515\/"},{"id":61416,"section_number":"56-517","catch_line":"Interference with or obstruction of Governor, state representative or agent","order_by":null,"url":"\/56-517\/"},{"id":79373,"section_number":"56-518","catch_line":"Expense of operation, etc.; payment of revenues, etc., into state treasury","order_by":null,"url":"\/56-518\/"}],"permalink":{"id":250319,"object_type":"law","relational_id":81545,"identifier":"56-526","token":"56\/17\/56-526","url":"\/56-526\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/56-526\/","token":"56\/17\/56-526","dublin_core":{"Title":"Duty of Commonwealth’s attorneys and Attorney General; employment of special counsel","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 56-526","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

It shall be the duty of every attorney for the Commonwealth to whom the Governor shall report any violation of \u00a7\u00a7 56-512<\/a>, 56-515<\/a> or \u00a7 56-517<\/a> to cause proceedings to be prosecuted without delay for the fines and penalties in such cases. The Attorney General<\/span> shall be charged with the duty of enforcing all other provisions of this chapter and shall represent the Governor in all matters arising thereunder. Whenever he shall deem it in the best interest of the Commonwealth the Attorney General<\/span> may employ special counsel<\/span> to assist him in carrying out the duties imposed by this section and the expenses so incurred shall be considered as an expense of operation of the utility and paid in accordance with the provisions of \u00a7 56-518<\/a>.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nDUTY OF COMMONWEALTH’S ATTORNEYS AND ATTORNEY GENERAL; EMPLOYMENT OF\nSPECIAL COUNSEL (\u00a7 56-526)\n\nIt shall be the duty of every attorney for the Commonwealth to whom the Governor\nshall report any violation of \u00a7\u00a7 56-512, 56-515 or \u00a7 56-517 to cause\nproceedings to be prosecuted without delay for the fines and penalties in such\ncases. The Attorney General shall be charged with the duty of enforcing all\nother provisions of this chapter and shall represent the Governor in all matters\narising thereunder. Whenever he shall deem it in the best interest of the\nCommonwealth the Attorney General may employ special counsel to assist him in\ncarrying out the duties imposed by this section and the expenses so incurred\nshall be considered as an expense of operation of the utility and paid in\naccordance with the provisions of \u00a7 56-518.\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}}