{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-json\/9.1-156.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-text\/9.1-156.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-xml\/9.1-156.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2025\/code-html\/9.1-156.html"}],"law_id":66402,"edition_id":1,"section_id":66402,"structure_id":15805,"section_number":"9.1-156","catch_line":"Inspection and copying of records by advocate; confidentiality of records","history":"1990, c. 752, \u00a7\u00a7 9-173.11, 9-173.12; 1995, c. 490; 2001, c. 844; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 177.","full_text":"A\n\nUpon presentation by the advocate of the order of his appointment and upon specific court order, any state or local agency, department, authority, or institution, and any hospital, school, physician, or other health or mental health care provider shall permit the advocate to inspect and copy, without the consent of the child or his parents, any records relating to the child involved in the case. Upon the advocate presenting to the mental health provider the order of the advocate’s appointment and, upon specific court order, in lieu of the advocate inspecting and copying any related records of the child involved, the mental health care provider shall be available within seventy-two hours to conduct for the advocate a review and an interpretation of the child’s treatment records which are specifically related to the investigation.B\n\nAn advocate shall not disclose the contents of any document or record to which he becomes privy, which is otherwise confidential pursuant to the provisions of this Code, except (i) upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction or (ii) if the advocate has been assigned pursuant to subsection C of § 9.1-153 to attend and participate in family partnership meetings as defined by the Department of Social Services or in meetings of family assessment and planning teams established pursuant to § 2.2-5208, multidisciplinary child sexual abuse response teams established pursuant to § 15.2-1627.5, individualized education program teams established pursuant to Article 2 (§ 22.1-213 et seq.) of Chapter 13 of Title 22.1, or multidisciplinary teams established pursuant to §§ 63.2-1503 and 63.2-1505, the advocate may verbally disclose any information contained in such document or record related to the child to which he is assigned at such meetings, provided that such information shall not be disclosed further.","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":241034,"text":"Upon presentation by the advocate of the order of his appointment and upon specific court order, any state or local agency, department, authority, or institution, and any hospital, school, physician, or other health or mental health care provider shall permit the advocate to inspect and copy, without the consent of the child or his parents, any records relating to the child involved in the case. Upon the advocate presenting to the mental health provider the order of the advocate’s appointment and, upon specific court order, in lieu of the advocate inspecting and copying any related records of the child involved, the mental health care provider shall be available within seventy-two hours to conduct for the advocate a review and an interpretation of the child’s treatment records which are specifically related to the investigation.","type":"section","prefixes":["A"],"prefix":"A","entire_prefix":"A","prefix_anchor":"A","level":1,"next_prefix":"B"},"1":{"id":241035,"text":"An advocate shall not disclose the contents of any document or record to which he becomes privy, which is otherwise confidential pursuant to the provisions of this Code, except (i) upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction or (ii) if the advocate has been assigned pursuant to subsection C of § 9.1-153 to attend and participate in family partnership meetings as defined by the Department of Social Services or in meetings of family assessment and planning teams established pursuant to § 2.2-5208, multidisciplinary child sexual abuse response teams established pursuant to § 15.2-1627.5, individualized education program teams established pursuant to Article 2 (§ 22.1-213 et seq.) of Chapter 13 of Title 22.1, or multidisciplinary teams established pursuant to §§ 63.2-1503 and 63.2-1505, the advocate may verbally disclose any information contained in such document or record related to the child to which he is assigned at such meetings, provided that such information shall not be disclosed further.","type":"section","prefixes":["B"],"prefix":"B","entire_prefix":"B","prefix_anchor":"B","level":1,"prior_prefix":"A"}},"ancestry":[{"id":15805,"edition_id":1,"name":"Court-Appointed Special Advocate Program","identifier":"5","label":"article","depth":3,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12897,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:59:48","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:59:48","permalink":{"id":284955,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":15805,"identifier":"5","token":"9.1\/1\/5","url":"\/9.1\/1\/5\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12897,"edition_id":1,"name":"Department of Criminal Justice Services","identifier":"1","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":1,"parent_id":12896,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:59","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:59","permalink":{"id":284489,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12897,"identifier":"1","token":"9.1\/1","url":"\/9.1\/1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":12896,"edition_id":1,"name":"Commonwealth Public Safety","identifier":"9.1","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":1,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{},"date_created":"2026-06-26 03:43:59","date_modified":"2026-06-26 03:43:59","permalink":{"id":284487,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":12896,"identifier":"9.1","token":"9.1","url":"\/9.1\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":83191,"structure_id":15805,"section_number":"9.1-151","catch_line":"Court-Appointed Special Advocate Program; appointment of advisory committee","url":"\/9.1-151\/","token":"9.1\/1\/5\/9.1-151","metadata":false},{"id":75710,"structure_id":15805,"section_number":"9.1-152","catch_line":"Local court-appointed special advocate programs; powers and duties","url":"\/9.1-152\/","token":"9.1\/1\/5\/9.1-152","metadata":false},{"id":71015,"structure_id":15805,"section_number":"9.1-153","catch_line":"Volunteer court-appointed special advocates; powers and duties; assignment; qualifications; training","url":"\/9.1-153\/","token":"9.1\/1\/5\/9.1-153","metadata":false},{"id":60937,"structure_id":15805,"section_number":"9.1-154","catch_line":"Immunity","url":"\/9.1-154\/","token":"9.1\/1\/5\/9.1-154","metadata":false},{"id":80988,"structure_id":15805,"section_number":"9.1-155","catch_line":"Notice of hearings and proceedings","url":"\/9.1-155\/","token":"9.1\/1\/5\/9.1-155","metadata":false},{"id":66402,"structure_id":15805,"section_number":"9.1-156","catch_line":"Inspection and copying of records by advocate; confidentiality of records","url":"\/9.1-156\/","token":"9.1\/1\/5\/9.1-156","metadata":false},{"id":70280,"structure_id":15805,"section_number":"9.1-157","catch_line":"Cooperation of state and local entities","url":"\/9.1-157\/","token":"9.1\/1\/5\/9.1-157","metadata":false}],"previous_section":{"id":80988,"structure_id":15805,"section_number":"9.1-155","catch_line":"Notice of hearings and proceedings","url":"\/9.1-155\/","token":"9.1\/1\/5\/9.1-155","metadata":false},"next_section":{"id":70280,"structure_id":15805,"section_number":"9.1-157","catch_line":"Cooperation of state and local entities","url":"\/9.1-157\/","token":"9.1\/1\/5\/9.1-157","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/9.1-156\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 1990. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapter 752 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 1990 \u201cActs\u201d aren\u2019t available online. It has been modified 2 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 1995, chapter 490<\/a>; in 2001, chapter 844<\/a>.<\/p>","references":[{"id":58930,"section_number":"32.1-127.1:03","catch_line":"Health records privacy","order_by":null,"url":"\/32.1-127.1_03\/"}],"refers_to":[{"id":79732,"section_number":"15.2-1627.5","catch_line":"Coordination of multidisciplinary response to child sexual abuse and the abuse, neglect, and exploitation of adults","order_by":null,"url":"\/15.2-1627.5\/"},{"id":84143,"section_number":"2.2-5208","catch_line":"Family assessment and planning team; powers and duties","order_by":null,"url":"\/2.2-5208\/"},{"id":86043,"section_number":"22.1-213","catch_line":"Definitions","order_by":null,"url":"\/22.1-213\/"},{"id":69022,"section_number":"63.2-1503","catch_line":"Local departments to establish child-protective services; duties","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1503\/"},{"id":73140,"section_number":"63.2-1505","catch_line":"Investigations by local departments","order_by":null,"url":"\/63.2-1505\/"},{"id":71015,"section_number":"9.1-153","catch_line":"Volunteer court-appointed special advocates; powers and duties; assignment; qualifications; training","order_by":null,"url":"\/9.1-153\/"}],"permalink":{"id":284977,"object_type":"law","relational_id":66402,"identifier":"9.1-156","token":"9.1\/1\/5\/9.1-156","url":"\/9.1-156\/","edition_id":1,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/9.1-156\/","token":"9.1\/1\/5\/9.1-156","dublin_core":{"Title":"Inspection and copying of records by advocate; confidentiality of records","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 9.1-156","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

A.<\/span> Upon presentation by the advocate of the order of his appointment and upon specific court order<\/span>, any state or local agency, department<\/span>, authority, or institution, and any hospital, school, physician, or other health or mental health care provider shall permit the advocate to inspect and copy, without the consent of the child or his parents, any records relating to the child involved in the case. Upon the advocate presenting to the mental health provider the order of the advocate’s appointment and, upon specific court order<\/span>, in lieu of the advocate inspecting and copying any related records of the child involved, the mental health care provider shall be available within seventy-two hours to conduct for the advocate a review and an interpretation of the child’s treatment records which are specifically related to the investigation. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

B.<\/span> An advocate shall not disclose the contents of any document or record to which he becomes privy, which is otherwise confidential pursuant to the provisions of this Code, except (i) upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction<\/span> or (ii) if the advocate has been assigned pursuant to subsection C of § 9.1-153<\/a> to attend and participate in family partnership meetings as defined by the Department<\/span> of Social Services or in meetings of family assessment and planning teams established pursuant to § 2.2-5208<\/a>, multidisciplinary child sexual abuse response teams established pursuant to § 15.2-1627.5<\/a>, individualized education program teams established pursuant to Article 2 (§ 22.1-213<\/a> et seq.) of Chapter 13 of Title 22.1, or multidisciplinary teams established pursuant to §§ 63.2-1503<\/a> and 63.2-1505<\/a>, the advocate may verbally disclose any information contained in such document or record related to the child to which he is assigned at such meetings, provided that such information shall not be disclosed further. <\/i><\/a><\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\nINSPECTION AND COPYING OF RECORDS BY ADVOCATE; CONFIDENTIALITY OF RECORDS (\u00a7\n9.1-156)\n\nA. Upon presentation by the advocate of the order of his appointment and upon\nspecific court order, any state or local agency, department, authority, or\ninstitution, and any hospital, school, physician, or other health or mental\nhealth care provider shall permit the advocate to inspect and copy, without the\nconsent of the child or his parents, any records relating to the child involved\nin the case. Upon the advocate presenting to the mental health provider the\norder of the advocate’s appointment and, upon specific court order, in\nlieu of the advocate inspecting and copying any related records of the child\ninvolved, the mental health care provider shall be available within seventy-two\nhours to conduct for the advocate a review and an interpretation of the\nchild’s treatment records which are specifically related to the\ninvestigation.\n\nB. An advocate shall not disclose the contents of any document or record to\nwhich he becomes privy, which is otherwise confidential pursuant to the\nprovisions of this Code, except (i) upon order of a court of competent\njurisdiction or (ii) if the advocate has been assigned pursuant to subsection C\nof § 9.1-153 to attend and participate in family partnership meetings as\ndefined by the Department of Social Services or in meetings of family assessment\nand planning teams established pursuant to § 2.2-5208, multidisciplinary\nchild sexual abuse response teams established pursuant to § 15.2-1627.5,\nindividualized education program teams established pursuant to Article 2 (§\n22.1-213 et seq.) of Chapter 13 of Title 22.1, or multidisciplinary teams\nestablished pursuant to §§ 63.2-1503 and 63.2-1505, the advocate may\nverbally disclose any information contained in such document or record related\nto the child to which he is assigned at such meetings, provided that such\ninformation shall not be disclosed further.\n\nHISTORY: 1990, c. 752, \u00a7\u00a7 9-173.11, 9-173.12; 1995, c. 490; 2001, c. 844;\n2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 177.","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}}