VirginiaSB8162026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

Employees of state government; personal interest in certain contracts prohibited.

Sponsored By: Christopher T. Head (Republican)

Became Law

Summary

Employees of state government; personal interest in certain contracts prohibited; certain exception for certain employees of the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind. Excludes from the prohibition against any officer or employee of any governmental agency of state government having a personal interest in a contract with the governmental agency of which he is an officer or employee, other than his own contract of employment, the personal interest of an employee of the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind in a contract between the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind and a publisher or wholesaler of textbooks or other educational materials for students that accrues to him solely because he has authored or otherwise created such textbooks or materials. This bill is identical to HB 1311.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

6 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.

Faculty can earn from books and collections

If you wrote textbooks or other course materials, you can receive royalties when your school contracts with a publisher or wholesaler. Your public college may also buy your manuscripts, art, or other scholarly works when the president approves the purchase as serving the school’s teaching, research, or service mission.

Family hires allowed with guardrails

The law lets you have a personal interest in extra employment that comes from an immediate family member working at your agency, but only if you do not control or influence their job. At public colleges, this is allowed when both of you work in teaching, research, or support, the board finds it is in the school’s and the Commonwealth’s best interest, and neither person can be the sole supervisor or decision-maker for the other.

Jobs at other agencies, public-price sales allowed

You may have a personal interest in a job with another Virginia state agency. Contracts for sales by a government agency at prices offered to everyone are also allowed, even if an employee has a personal interest. This keeps routine employment and public-price sales in place.

Medical schools: patient-care deals with safeguards

If you work at a medical or dental school, you can have a personal interest in certain contracts tied to patient care. For goods or services needed for quality patient care (including related education or research), you must disclose the interest before the deal, file a conflict form each year by February 1, not join the contracting decision, and the president must certify in writing that the deal is needed. For contracts with a nonprofit clinical practice you work for, the board of visitors must approve. The school must report open contracts to the Secretary of the Commonwealth by December 31 each year. The Eastern Virginia Health Sciences Center at Old Dominion University may follow federal conflict rules for these arrangements if it adopts them and notifies the Secretary by January 31 each year.

Research and IP deals with oversight

You may have a personal interest in research, development, or intellectual property deals with your public college if the school approves it before signing. You must file a conflict-of-interest disclosure and update it each year by February 1. The school must have a policy approved by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and report open contracts to the Secretary of the Commonwealth by December 31 each year. A board of visitors may let the president approve these deals; if so, the president must report each open contract to the board by December 1 each year with key details.

Stricter contract conflicts for state employees

If you work for a Virginia state agency, you cannot have a personal financial stake in a contract with your own agency. Your own job contract is still allowed. You also cannot have a personal interest in contracts with other state agencies unless the deal is won through competitive sealed bidding or negotiation, or the agency head puts in writing that competition is against the public interest.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Christopher T. Head

    Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 245 • No: 0

House vote 2/27/2026

Passed House Block Vote

Yes: 96 • No: 0

House vote 2/24/2026

Reported from General Laws

Yes: 20 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/16/2026

Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)

Yes: 0 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/16/2026

Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading)

Yes: 39 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/16/2026

Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote

Yes: 39 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/13/2026

Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading)

Yes: 36 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/13/2026

Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

Yes: 0 • No: 0

Senate vote 2/11/2026

Reported from General Laws and Technology

Yes: 15 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0293)

    4/6/2026Governor
  2. Approved by Governor-Chapter 293 (effective 7/1/2026)

    4/6/2026Governor
  3. Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

    3/10/2026Governor
  4. Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026

    3/10/2026Senate
  5. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB816)

    3/9/2026Senate
  6. Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB816ER)

    3/4/2026Senate
  7. Enrolled

    3/4/2026Senate
  8. Signed by President

    3/4/2026Senate
  9. Signed by Speaker

    3/4/2026House
  10. Passed House Block Vote (96-Y 0-N 0-A)

    2/27/2026House
  11. Read third time

    2/27/2026House
  12. Read second time

    2/26/2026House
  13. Reported from General Laws (20-Y 0-N)

    2/24/2026House
  14. Read first time

    2/20/2026House
  15. Referred to Committee on General Laws

    2/20/2026House
  16. Placed on Calendar

    2/20/2026House
  17. Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

    2/16/2026Senate
  18. Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

    2/16/2026Senate
  19. Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)

    2/16/2026Senate
  20. Blank Action

    2/16/2026Senate
  21. Rules suspended

    2/16/2026Senate
  22. Read second time

    2/16/2026Senate
  23. Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

    2/13/2026Senate
  24. Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (36-Y 0-N 0-A)

    2/13/2026Senate
  25. Rules suspended

    2/13/2026Senate

Bill Text

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