Merit Institute Merit

The Virginia Government Transparency & Performance Act (VA-GT&P)

Virginia state companion to GT&P. Extends the Virginia Personnel Act (Va. Code Title 2.2 Ch. 29), VA FOIA (Va. Code Sec. 2.2-3700 et seq.), and the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act (Va. Code Sec. 8.01-216.1 et seq.).

THE VIRGINIA GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY & PERFORMANCE ACT (VA-GT&P)

Vehicle: State passage. Virginia General Assembly, regular session. Primary referral to House / Senate General Laws / Finance.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the “Virginia Government Transparency & Performance Act (VA-GT&P).”

SECTION 2. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT

The General Assembly finds that the Virginia Personnel Act operates under Va. Code Title 2.2 Ch. 29; that the Virginia Freedom of Information Act operates under Va. Code Sec. 2.2-3700 et seq.; that the Department of Planning and Budget operates under Va. Code Title 2.2 Ch. 15; that the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission operates under Va. Code Title 30 Ch. 14; and that Virginia enacted the Virginia Fraud Against Taxpayers Act under Va. Code Sec. 8.01-216.1 et seq. (general FCA). This Act extends these frameworks.

TITLE I — DEFINITIONS & COORDINATION WITH VIRGINIA LAW

Sec. 101. Definitions

  1. (a) “DPB” means the Department of Planning and Budget.
  2. (b) “Publicly visible outcome” means a metric published under Sec. 201.
  3. (c) “VFATA” means Va. Code Sec. 8.01-216.1 et seq.

Sec. 102. Coordination with Existing Virginia Law

  1. (a) Consistent with:
  • Va. Code Title 2.2 Ch. 29 (Virginia Personnel Act).
  • Va. Code Sec. 2.2-3700 et seq. (FOIA).
  • Va. Code Title 2.2 Ch. 15 (DPB).
  • Va. Code Sec. 8.01-216.1 et seq. (VFATA).

TITLE II — OUTCOME-BASED BUDGETING

Sec. 201. Outcome Metrics for Covered Programs

  1. (a) Each covered program in the Executive Budget shall publish at least three outcome metrics.
  2. (b) DPB shall publish the Virginia Outcome Dashboard in machine-readable form.

Sec. 202. Fiscal-Note Outcome Integration

  1. (a) JLARC and DPB fiscal analyses shall identify outcome metrics from Sec. 201.

TITLE III — CIVIL-SERVICE MERIT PROTECTIONS

Sec. 301. Codification of Performance-Standards Protections

  1. (a) Va. Code Title 2.2 Ch. 29 is amended so that nothing precludes policy-influencing-position classifications with publicly posted performance standards.
  2. (b) Consistent with Va. Code Sec. 2.2-2905 (exempt positions).

TITLE IV — VIRGINIA FRAUD AGAINST TAXPAYERS ACT AMENDMENT

Sec. 401. Credentialing and Outcome-Data Fraud

  1. (a) Va. Code Sec. 8.01-216.1 et seq. is amended to clarify that a person presenting a materially false or fraudulent claim involving VARMC, Federal FRAC, or VA-OBSA outcome data is liable to the Commonwealth for a civil penalty and treble damages.

Sec. 402. Whistleblower Award

  1. (a) A whistleblower whose information leads to recovery shall receive between 15 and 30 percent of the Commonwealth’s recovery under Va. Code Sec. 8.01-216.7, as determined by the Attorney General.

TITLE V — IMPLEMENTATION & GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 501. Severability

If any provision is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect the remainder.

Sec. 502. Effective Date

This Act shall take effect July 1 of the year following enactment.

Canonical federal version: GT&P. Other Virginia bills: VA-ACSA, VA-MEWRA, VA-AI-Workforce.