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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>54496</law_id><section_number>9.1-1502</section_number><catch_line>Proceedings for Enforcement of Chapter</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="9.1">Commonwealth Public Safety</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="15">Certifications for Victims of Qualifying Criminal Activity</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> A <span class="dictionary">certifying agency</span> or <span class="dictionary">certifying official</span> acting or failing to act in good faith in compliance with this chapter shall have immunity from civil or criminal liability that may otherwise occur as a result of so acting or failing to act, except for gross <span class="dictionary">negligence</span> or willful or wanton misconduct. <a id="paragraph-200104" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/9.1-1502/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> If a <span class="dictionary">certifying agency</span> fails to respond within the statutory timeframes or refuses to certify that an applicant was a <span class="dictionary">victim of <span class="dictionary">qualifying criminal activity</span></span>, the applicant may <span class="dictionary">petition</span> a <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> to review the determination of the <span class="dictionary">certifying agency</span> within 30 days of such determination or within 30 days of the expiration of the statutory timeframe in subsection D. The <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall conduct an evidentiary <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> on such <span class="dictionary">petition</span> within 30 days of the filing of the <span class="dictionary">petition</span>. Upon conducting a <span class="dictionary">hearing</span> and the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> being satisfied that the applicant having proven their eligibility for completion of a <span class="dictionary">certification form</span> by a <span class="dictionary">preponderance of the evidence</span> and the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> having found that the <span class="dictionary">certifying agency</span>&#x2019;s refusal to sign was unreasonable, a <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> <span class="dictionary">judge</span> may execute the <span class="dictionary">certification form</span>. In assessing the reasonableness of the <span class="dictionary">certifying agency</span>&#x2019;s decision or failure to respond, the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> may consider whether the applicant has complied with the terms of this section and whether circumstances exist that would justify a deferral of a decision including whether a certification would jeopardize an ongoing criminal investigation or <span class="dictionary">prosecution</span> or the safety of an individual, cause a suspect to flee or evade detection, result in the destruction of evidence, or the applicant&#x2019;s cooperation is not complete.
			Upon <span class="dictionary">finding</span> that the <span class="dictionary">certifying agency</span> denied the application without a factual or legal justification, or failed to respond to the applicant, the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall make an award of reasonable costs and attorney fees to a prevailing applicant. Such determination shall be without prejudice to any future proceeding premised upon a <span class="dictionary">material</span> change in circumstances. <a id="paragraph-200105" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/9.1-1502/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Any <span class="dictionary">petition</span> filed pursuant to subsection B, along with the record of all <span class="dictionary">hearings</span> and all other <span class="dictionary">pleadings</span> and papers filed, and <span class="dictionary">orders</span> entered in connection with such <span class="dictionary">petition</span> shall be kept under seal by the clerk unless otherwise ordered by the <span class="dictionary">court</span>. <a id="paragraph-200106" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/9.1-1502/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to alter or diminish the duties and requirements of a <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer, as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="(Effective July 1, 2026) Definitions" href="/9.1-101/">9.1-101</a>, the attorney for the Commonwealth, or the <span class="dictionary">Attorney General</span> from disclosing exculpatory information to a <span class="dictionary">defendant</span> in a criminal case. <a id="paragraph-200107" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/9.1-1502/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 468.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
