Virginia Law

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Aggregate data" means statistics that relate to broad classes, groups, or categories so that it is not possible to distinguish the properties of individuals within those classes, groups, or categories.

"Case-specific data" means nonaggregated data that provides information about individuals within a group.

"Coordinator of external research" means the department employee designated by the director to receive research proposals and data requests from external entities and to ensure that the proposals are reviewed in accordance with this chapter and related department procedures.

"De-identified data" means data with common identifiers, such as names, phone numbers, social security numbers, and addresses removed in order to eliminate the ability of an individual viewing the data to determine the identity of an individual.

"Department" means the Department of Juvenile Justice.

"Director" means the director of the department or the director's designee.

"External research" means research conducted at or using the resources of a facility, program, or organization that is owned, operated, or regulated by the department or the Board of Juvenile Justice by researchers who are not part of the department or under contract with the department, or who are not employees of another state agency conducting a study at the direction of the General Assembly.

"Human research" means a systematic investigation, including research development, testing, and evaluation, utilizing human subjects that is designed to develop or contribute to generalized knowledge. Human research shall not be deemed to include research exempt from federal research regulation pursuant to 45 CFR 46.101(b).

"Human Research Review Committee" or "HRRC" means the committee established by the department to oversee human research proposals and activities in accordance with 6VAC35-170-130 and § 32.1-162.19 of the Code of Virginia.

"Human subject" means an individual who is under the department's care, custody, or supervision; under the care, custody, or supervision of a facility or program regulated by the department or the Board of Juvenile Justice; or a member of the family of such an individual and who is, or who is proposed to be, a subject of human research. For purposes of this definition, human subject also means an individual who is employed in or provides contractual services to a juvenile correctional center or other facility or program regulated by the department or the Board of Juvenile Justice and who is or who is proposed to be a subject of human research.

"Informed consent" means the knowing and voluntary agreement without undue inducement or any element of force, fraud, deceit, duress, or other form of constraint or coercion of a person who is capable of exercising free choice. The basic elements necessary for informed consent regarding human research include:

1. A reasonable and comprehensible explanation to the person of the proposed procedures and protocols to be followed; their purposes, including descriptions of attendant discomforts; and the risks and benefits reasonably to be expected;

2. A disclosure of alternative procedures or therapies that might be helpful to the person;

3. An instruction that the person may withdraw his consent and stop participating in the human research at any time without prejudice to him;

4. An explanation of costs or compensation that may accrue to the person and whether third party reimbursement is available for the proposed procedures or protocols; and

5. An offer to answer, and answers to, questions by the person about the procedures and protocols.

"Internal committee" means the committee established by the department pursuant to 6VAC35-170-65 to oversee de-identified case specific data.

"Legally authorized representative" means the parent having custody of a prospective subject; the legal guardian of a prospective subject; or any person or judicial or other body authorized by law to consent on behalf of a prospective subject to such subject's participation in the particular human research, including an attorney in fact appointed under a durable power of attorney, provided the power grants the authority to make such a decision . For purposes of this chapter, "legally authorized representative" shall not include an official or employee of the institution or agency conducting or authorizing the research.

"Minimal risk" means that the risks of harm anticipated in the proposed research are not greater, considering probability and magnitude, than those ordinarily encountered in daily life or during the performance of routine physical or psychological examinations or tests.

"Nontherapeutic research" means human research in which there is no reasonable expectation of direct benefit to the physical or mental condition of the human subject.

"Organizational unit head" means the person in charge of a juvenile correctional center, court service unit, or other organizational unit of the department or a Board of Juvenile Justice-regulated facility, program, or service.

"Principal researcher" means the individual who is responsible for the research design, research implementation, supervision of research staff, and research findings.

"Research" means the systematic development of knowledge essential to effective planning and rational decision-making. It involves the assessment of current knowledge on conceptual problems selected, the statement of those problems in researchable format, the design of methodologies appropriate to the problems, and the application of statistical techniques to organize and analyze data.

"Researcher" means an individual conducting research.

"Research project" means the systematic collection of information, analysis of the data, and the preparation of a report of findings.

"Sensitive data" means data, the compromise of which, with respect to confidentiality, integrity, or availability, could have a material adverse effect on agency programs or the privacy to which individuals are entitled.

"Virginia Longitudinal Data System" or "VLDS" means a data system that provides de-identified case-specific data from participating agencies to qualified researchers through a process that involves submission of requests and approval or denial by each sponsoring agency from which data are sought in an effort to create usable information for policy and generate cross-agency research.

"Written" means the required information is communicated in writing either in hard copy or electronic form.