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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>67731</law_id><section_number>2.2-4354</section_number><catch_line>Payment clauses to be included in contracts</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>2.2-2244</reference><reference>2.2-2325</reference><reference>2.2-2364</reference><reference>2.2-4807</reference><reference>23.1-1017</reference><reference>23.1-2213</reference><reference>23.1-3138</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="2.2">Administration of Government</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Administration of State Government</unit><unit label="part" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="B">Transaction of Public Business</unit><unit label="chapter" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="43">Virginia Public Procurement Act</unit><unit label="article" level="5" order_by="1" identifier="4">Prompt Payment</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>Any <span class="dictionary">contract</span> awarded by any <span class="dictionary">state agency</span>, or any <span class="dictionary">contract</span> awarded by any agency of local government in accordance with &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Prompt payment of bills by localities" href="/2.2-4352/">2.2-4352</a>, shall include:</p></section>
						<section id="1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> A payment clause that obligates the <span class="dictionary">contractor</span> on a <span class="dictionary">construction contract</span>, in the event that the <span class="dictionary">contractor</span> has not received payment from the <span class="dictionary">state agency</span> or local government for work performed by a <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span> under such contract, to be liable for the entire amount owed to such <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span> and to pay such <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span> within 60 days of the receipt of an invoice following satisfactory completion of the work for which the <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span> has invoiced. Such <span class="dictionary">contractor</span> shall not be liable for amounts otherwise reducible due to the <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span>&#x2019;s noncompliance with the terms of the contract. However, in the event that the <span class="dictionary">contractor</span> withholds all or a part of the amount invoiced by the <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span> under the terms of the contract, the <span class="dictionary">contractor</span> shall notify the <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span> within 50 days of the receipt of such invoice, in writing, of his intention to withhold all or a part of the <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span>&#x2019;s payment with the reason for nonpayment, specifically identifying the contractual noncompliance, the dollar amount being withheld, and the lower-tier <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span> responsible for the contractual noncompliance. Payment by the <span class="dictionary">party</span> contracting with the <span class="dictionary">contractor</span> shall not be a condition <span class="dictionary">precedent</span> to payment to any lower-tier <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span>, regardless of that <span class="dictionary">contractor</span>&#x2019;s receiving payment for amounts owed to that <span class="dictionary">contractor</span>. Any provision in a <span class="dictionary">construction contract</span> contrary to this section shall be unenforceable. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to (i) apply to or prohibit the inclusion of any retainage provisions in a <span class="dictionary">construction contract</span> or (ii) apply to <span class="dictionary">contracts</span> awarded solely for <span class="dictionary">professional services</span> as that term is defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/2.2-4301/">2.2-4301</a> where the <span class="dictionary">public body</span> is contracting directly with an architectural and engineering firm. <a id="paragraph-245347" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/2.2-4354/#1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="2"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> A payment clause that obligates the <span class="dictionary">contractor</span> to take one of the two following actions within seven days after receipt of amounts paid to the <span class="dictionary">contractor</span> by the <span class="dictionary">state agency</span> or local government for work performed by the <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span> under that contract:
			a. Pay the <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span> for the proportionate share of the total payment received from the agency attributable to the work performed by the <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span> under that contract; or
			b. Notify the agency and <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span>, in writing, of his intention to withhold all or a part of the <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span>&#x2019;s payment with the reason for nonpayment. <a id="paragraph-245348" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/2.2-4354/#2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="3"><p><span class="prefix-number">3.</span> A payment clause that requires (i) individual <span class="dictionary">contractors</span> to provide their social security numbers and (ii) proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations to provide their federal employer identification numbers. <a id="paragraph-245349" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/2.2-4354/#3"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="4"><p><span class="prefix-number">4.</span> An interest clause that obligates the <span class="dictionary">contractor</span> to pay interest to the <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span> on all amounts owed by the <span class="dictionary">contractor</span> that remain unpaid after seven days following receipt by the <span class="dictionary">contractor</span> of payment from the <span class="dictionary">state agency</span> or agency of local government for work performed by the <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span> under that contract, except for amounts withheld as allowed in subdivision 2. <a id="paragraph-245350" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/2.2-4354/#4"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="5"><p><span class="prefix-number">5.</span> An interest rate clause stating, &#x201C;Unless otherwise provided under the terms of this contract, interest shall accrue at the rate of one percent per month.&#x201D;
			Any such contract awarded shall further require the <span class="dictionary">contractor</span> to include in each of its subcontracts a provision requiring each <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span> to include or otherwise be subject to the same payment and interest requirements with respect to each lower-tier <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span>.
			A <span class="dictionary">contractor</span>&#x2019;s obligation to pay an interest charge to a <span class="dictionary">subcontractor</span> pursuant to the payment clause in this section shall not be construed to be an obligation of the <span class="dictionary">state agency</span> or agency of local government. A contract modification shall not be made for the purpose of providing reimbursement for the interest charge. A cost reimbursement claim shall not include any amount for reimbursement for the interest charge. <a id="paragraph-245351" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/2.2-4354/#5"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>1990, c. 824, &#xA7; 11-62.11; 1992, c. 110; 2001, c. 844; 2022, c. 727; 2023, cc. 675, 676.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
