                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

VIRGINIA ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONTROL AUTHORITY CREATED; PUBLIC PURPOSE (§
4.1-101)

A. The General Assembly has determined that there exists in the Commonwealth a
need to control the possession, sale, transportation, distribution, and delivery
of alcoholic beverages in the Commonwealth. Further, the General Assembly
determines that the creation of an authority for this purpose is in the public
interest, serves a public purpose, and will promote the health, safety, welfare,
convenience, and prosperity of the people of the Commonwealth. To achieve this
objective, there is hereby created an independent political subdivision of the
Commonwealth, exclusive of the legislative, executive, or judicial branches of
state government, to be known as the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control
Authority. The Authority&#8217;s exercise of powers and duties conferred by this
subtitle shall be deemed the performance of an essential governmental function
and a matter of public necessity for which public moneys may be spent. The Board
of Directors of the Authority is vested with control of the possession, sale,
transportation, distribution, and delivery of alcoholic beverages in the
Commonwealth, with plenary power to prescribe and enforce regulations and
conditions under which alcoholic beverages are possessed, sold, transported,
distributed, and delivered, so as to prevent any corrupt, incompetent,
dishonest, or unprincipled practices and to promote the health, safety, welfare,
convenience, and prosperity of the people of the Commonwealth. The exercise of
the powers granted by this subtitle shall be in all respects for the benefit of
the citizens of the Commonwealth and for the promotion of their safety, health,
welfare, and convenience. No part of the assets or net earnings of the Authority
shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, any private individual,
except that reasonable compensation may be paid for services rendered to or for
the Authority affecting one or more of its purposes, and benefits may be
conferred that are in conformity with said purposes, and no private individual
shall be entitled to share in the distribution of any of the corporate assets on
dissolution of the Authority.

B. The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority shall consist of the
Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Board of Directors, the Chief Executive
Officer, and the agents and employees of the Authority. The Virginia Alcoholic
Beverage Control Authority shall be deemed successor in interest to the
Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control and the Alcoholic Beverage Control
Board.

C. Nothing contained in this subtitle shall be construed as a restriction or
limitation upon any powers that the Board of Directors of the Authority might
otherwise have under any other law of the Commonwealth.

HISTORY: Code 1950, § 4-6; 1976, c. 64; 1993, c. 866; 2015, cc. 38, 730.