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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>54070</law_id><section_number>9.1-801</section_number><catch_line>Public safety officer defined</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>65.2-301.1</reference></referred_to_by><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="8">Commonwealth Public Safety Medal of Valor Act</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this chapter, the term &#x201C;public safety officer&#x201D; includes a <span class="dictionary">law</span>-enforcement officer of the Commonwealth or any of its political subdivisions; a correctional officer as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/53.1-1/">53.1-1</a>; a correctional officer employed at a juvenile correctional facility as the term is defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/66-25.3/">66-25.3</a>; a jail officer; a regional jail or jail farm superintendent; a member of any fire company or department or nonprofit or volunteer emergency medical services agency that has been recognized by an <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> or resolution of the governing body of any county, city, or town of the Commonwealth as an integral part of the official safety program of such county, city, or town; an <span class="dictionary">arson</span> investigator; a member of the Virginia National Guard or the Virginia Defense Force while such a member is serving in the Virginia National Guard or the Virginia Defense Force on official state duty or federal duty under Title 32 of the United States Code; any special agent of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority; any police agent appointed under the provisions of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Railroad company may appoint police agents" href="/56-353/">56-353</a>; any regular or special conservation police officer who receives compensation from a county, city, or town or from the Commonwealth appointed pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Appointment of conservation police officers" href="/29.1-200/">29.1-200</a>; any commissioned forest warden appointed pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Appointment and compensation of forest wardens; oath; powers" href="/10.1-1135/">10.1-1135</a>; any member or employee of the Virginia Marine Resources Commission granted the power to <span class="dictionary">arrest</span> pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Arrest with or without warrant; larceny; violations of boating laws and Title 62.1" href="/28.2-900/">28.2-900</a>; any Department of Emergency Management hazardous <span class="dictionary">materials</span> officer; any nonfirefighter regional hazardous <span class="dictionary">materials</span> emergency response team member; any investigator who is a full-time sworn member of the security division of the Virginia Lottery; any full-time sworn member of the enforcement division of the Department of Motor Vehicles meeting the Department of Criminal Justice Services qualifications, when fulfilling duties pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Enforcement of laws by Commissioner; authority of officers" href="/46.2-217/">46.2-217</a>; any campus police officer appointed under the provisions of Article 3 (&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Public institutions of higher education; establishment of campus police departments authorized; employment of officers" href="/23.1-809/">23.1-809</a> et seq.) of Chapter 8 of Title 23.1; and any conservation officer of the Department of Conservation and Recreation commissioned pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Appointment of conservation officers; qualifications; oath" href="/10.1-115/">10.1-115</a>.</p></section></text><history>2002, c. 150; 2007, c. 87; 2011, cc. 572, 586; 2014, c. 225; 2015, cc. 38, 502, 503, 730.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
