CHAPTER 577
An Act to authorize the Virginia Information Technologies Agency to conduct an alternative dispute resolution pilot project.
Approved March 22, 2005
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. § 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of the Virginia Public Procurement Act (§ 2.2-4300 et seq.), the Virginia Information Technologies Agency is authorized to promulgate administrative rules allowing the use of alternative dispute resolution in procurement protests involving its procurement of information technology and telecommunications goods and services pursuant to § 2.2-2012. Such rules shall provide that deadlines specified in the Virginia Public Procurement Act for filing procurement protests are tolled during the use of alternative dispute resolution.
§ 2. Such rules shall not require the protesting party to exhaust all available administrative remedies prior to seeking judicial review.
§ 3. On or before July 1, 2006, and every July 1 thereafter until the expiration of this act, the Chief Information Officer of the Commonwealth shall submit a report to the Interagency Dispute Resolution Advisory Council (the Council) on the implementation of the provisions of this act. Pursuant to the Virginia Administrative Dispute Resolution Act (§ 2.2-4115 et seq.), the Council shall report on this pilot project and other council alternative dispute resolution programs to the chairs of the House and Senate Committees on General Laws, the House Committee on Science and Technology, and the Joint Commission on Technology and Science.
2. That the provisions of this act shall expire on July 1, 2008.