Virginia Law

A. For the purposes of this section:

"Business screening service" means a person engaged in the business of collecting, assembling, evaluating, or disseminating Virginia criminal history records or traffic history records on individuals.

"Business screening service" does not include any government entity or the news media.

"Criminal history record" means any information collected by a business screening service on individuals containing any personal identifying information, photograph, or other identifiable descriptions pertaining to an individual and any information regarding arrests, detentions, indictments, or other formal criminal charges, and any disposition arising therefrom, including acquittal, sentencing, correctional supervision, or release.

"Delete" means that a criminal history record shall not be disseminated in any manner, except to any entity authorized to receive and use such information pursuant to § 19.2-392.13 and pursuant to the rules and regulations adopted pursuant to § 9.1-128 and the procedures adopted pursuant to § 9.1-134, but may be retained in order to resolve any disputes relating to this section, the accuracy of the record consistent with the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq., or the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, 15 U.S.C. § 6801 et seq.

"Sealed record" means a Virginia criminal history record or a traffic history record that has been sealed pursuant to § 19.2-392.7, 19.2-392.10, 19.2-392.11, or 19.2-392.12.

"Traffic history record" means any information collected by a business screening service on individuals containing any personal identifying information, photograph, or other identifiable descriptions pertaining to an individual and any information regarding arrests, detentions, indictments, or other formal traffic infraction charges, and any disposition arising therefrom.

B. If a business screening service knows that a criminal history record or a traffic history record has been sealed, the business screening service shall promptly delete the record.

C. A business screening service shall register with the Department of State Police to electronically receive copies of orders of sealing provided to the Department of State Police pursuant to §§ 19.2-392.7, 19.2-392.10, 19.2-392.11, and 19.2-392.12. The Department of State Police may charge an annual licensing fee to the business screening service for accessing such information, with a portion of such fee to be used to cover the cost of providing such records and the remainder of such fee to be deposited into the Sealing Fee Fund pursuant to § 17.1-205.1. The contract between the Department of State Police and the business screening service shall prohibit dissemination of the orders of sealing and shall require compliance by the business screening service with the provisions of subsections D, E, and F. The orders of sealing received by the business screening service shall remain confidential and shall not be disseminated or resold. The orders of sealing shall be used for the sole purpose of deleting criminal history records that have been sealed. The business screening service shall destroy the copies of the orders of sealing after deleting the information contained in such orders from sealed records. The Department of State Police shall require that the business screening service seeking access to the information identify themselves, certify the purposes for which the information is sought, and certify that the information will be used for no other purpose. The Department of State Police shall further require that a business screening service acknowledge receipt of all electronic copies of orders of sealing provided by the Department of State Police. The Department of State Police shall maintain a public list within its website identifying the business screening services that are licensed to receive such records.

D. A business screening service that disseminates a criminal history record or a traffic history record on or after the effective date of this section shall include the date when the record was collected by the business screening service and a notice that the information may include records that have been sealed since that date.

E. A business screening service shall implement and follow reasonable procedures to assure that it does not maintain or sell criminal history records or traffic history records that are inaccurate or incomplete. If the completeness or accuracy of a criminal history record or traffic history record maintained by a business screening service is disputed by the individual who is the subject of the record, the business screening service shall, without charge, investigate the disputed record. If, upon investigation, the business screening service determines that the record does not accurately reflect the content of the official record, the business screening service shall correct the disputed record so as to accurately reflect the content of the official record. If the disputed record is found to have been sealed pursuant to § 19.2-392.7, 19.2-392.10, 19.2-392.11, or 19.2-392.12, the business screening service shall promptly delete the record. A business screening service may terminate an investigation of a disputed record if the business screening service reasonably determines that the dispute is frivolous, which may be based on the failure of the subject of the record to provide sufficient information to investigate the disputed record. Upon making a determination that the dispute is frivolous, the business screening service shall inform the subject of the record of the specific reasons why it has determined that the dispute is frivolous and shall provide a description of any information required to investigate the disputed record. The business screening service shall notify the subject of the disputed record of the correction or deletion of the record or of the termination or completion of the investigation related to the record within 30 days of the date when the business screening service receives notice of the dispute from the subject of the record.

F. A business screening service shall implement procedures for individuals to submit a request to obtain their own criminal history record and traffic history record information maintained by the business screening service and any other information that may be sold to another entity by the business screening service regarding the individual.

G. A business screening service that violates this section is liable to the person who is the subject of the criminal history record or traffic history record for a penalty of $1,000 or actual damages caused by the violation, whichever is greater, plus costs and reasonable attorney fees. Within 10 days of service of any suit by an individual, the business screening service may make a cure offer in writing to the individual claiming to have suffered a loss as a result of a violation of this section. Such offer shall be in writing and include one or more things of value, including the payment of money. A cure offer shall be reasonably calculated to remedy a loss claimed by the individual, as well as any attorney fees or other fees, expenses, or other costs of any kind that such individual may incur in relation to such loss. No cure offer shall be admissible in any proceeding initiated under this section, unless the cure offer is delivered by the business screening service to the individual claiming loss or to any attorney representing such individual prior to the filing of the business screening service's initial responsive pleading in such proceeding. The business screening service shall not be liable for such individual's attorney fees and court costs incurred following delivery of the cure offer unless the actual damages found to have been sustained and awarded, without consideration of attorney fees and court costs, exceed the value of the cure offer.

H. The Attorney General may file a civil action to enforce this section. If the court finds that a business screening service has willfully engaged in an act or practice in violation of this section, the Attorney General may recover for the Literary Fund, upon petition to the court, a civil penalty of not more than $2,500 per violation. For the purposes of this section, prima facie evidence of a willful violation may be shown when the Attorney General notifies the alleged violator by certified mail that an act or practice is a violation of this section and the alleged violator, after receipt of said notice, continues to engage in the act or practice. In any civil action pursuant to this subsection, in addition to any civil penalty awarded, the Attorney General may also recover any costs and reasonable expenses incurred by the state in investigating and preparing the case, not to exceed $1,000 per violation, and attorney fees. Such additional costs and expenses shall be paid into the general fund of the Commonwealth.

I. A business screening service that disseminates criminal history records or traffic history records in the Commonwealth is deemed to have consented to service of process in the Commonwealth and to the jurisdiction of courts of the Commonwealth for actions involving a violation of this section or for the recovery of remedies under this section.

J. A business screening service that is a consumer reporting agency and that is in compliance with the applicable provisions of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq., or the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, 15 U.S.C. § 6801 et seq., is considered to be in compliance with the comparable provisions of this section. A business screening service is subject to the state remedies under this section if its actions would violate this section and federal law.

K. Any business screening service or person who engages in the conduct of a business screening service, as set forth this this section, that fails to register with the Department of State Police as required by subsection C and that disseminates criminal history records or traffic history records in the Commonwealth may be subject to (i) suit by any person injured by such dissemination and (ii) enforcement actions by the Attorney General as set forth in subsection H.

2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 524, 542.