Virginia Law

Article 2. Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services.

Within the Department shall be created the Division of Consolidated Laboratory Services (the "Division"), which shall provide certain laboratory services, including research and scientific investigations, for various agencies of the Commonwealth in an efficient, effective and professional manner. The provisions of this article shall in no manner limit the authority and responsibilities of institutions of higher education from conducting laboratory services, research and scientific investigations independently of the Division.

Code 1950, § 32-31.1; 1972, c. 741; 1977, c. 672, § 2.1-426; 1990, c. 825; 2001, c. 844.

A. The Division shall provide, but is not limited to, the following specific laboratory, testing and analytical functions:

1. Maintain laboratories for the examination of clinical material and pathological specimens submitted by members of the medical profession of the Commonwealth and for which the Division may charge fees to recover full costs.

2. Provide laboratory services for the testing and analysis of various products, foods, drinks, economic poisons and other materials regulated or controlled by the Commonwealth.

3. Provide laboratory services for the analysis and examination of samples and materials related to environmental control.

4. Establish and conduct programs of inspection and certification of other laboratories in the Commonwealth as mandated by the federal Safe Drinking Water Act (P.L. 93-523) and state requirements pursuant to that Act.

B. No fee shall be charged for the analyses of water samples that are required by regulations of the Department of Health or for feed and fertilizer samples that are required by regulations of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

C. The Division may provide, upon request of any law-enforcement agency, chemical and microbiological testing and analytical functions related to any criminal investigation. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit or preclude the Department of Forensic Science from conducting all necessary testing and analytical functions associated with any criminal investigation.

D. Upon request of a bidder on any state contract that requires the Division to test or analyze the product being offered by the bidder, the Director of the Division of Purchases and Supply may allow such bidder or his representative to witness the test or analysis.

E. The Division shall provide for security and protection of evidence, official samples and all other samples submitted to the Division for analysis or examination.

1977, c. 672, §§ 2.1-429, 2.1-430; 1984, c. 275; 1986, c. 610; 1989, cc. 53, 409; 1990, c. 825; 1992, cc. 747, 873; 1996, c. 355; 2001, c. 844; 2005, cc. 868, 881.

A. The Division shall by regulation establish a program for the certification of laboratories conducting any tests, analyses, measurements, or monitoring required pursuant to Chapter 13 (§ 10.1-1300 et seq.) of Title 10.1, the Virginia Waste Management Act (§ 10.1-1400 et seq.), or the State Water Control Law (§ 62.1-44.2 et seq.). The program shall include, but need not be limited to, minimum criteria for (i) laboratory procedures, (ii) performance evaluations, (iii) supervisory and personnel requirements, (iv) facilities and equipment, (v) analytical quality control and quality assurance, (vi) certificate issuance and maintenance, (vii) recertification and decertification, and (viii) granting partial and full exemptions from the program based on compliance and performance. The regulations shall be promulgated only after adoption of national accreditation standards by the National Environmental Laboratory Accreditation Conference sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The purpose of the program shall be to ensure that laboratories provide accurate and consistent tests, analyses, measurements and monitoring so that the goals and requirements of Chapter 13 of Title 10.1, the Virginia Waste Management Act, and the State Water Control Law may be met.

B. Once the certification program has been established, laboratory certification shall be required before any tests, analyses, measurements or monitoring performed by a laboratory after the effective date of such program may be used for the purposes of Chapter 13 (§ 10.1-1300 et seq.) of Title 10.1, the Virginia Waste Management Act, and the State Water Control Law.

C. The Division shall by regulation establish a fee system to offset the costs of the certification program. The regulations shall establish fee categories based upon the types of substances for which tests, analyses, measurements or monitoring are performed. The fees shall be used solely for offsetting the costs of the laboratory certification program.

D. The Division shall develop procedures for determining the qualifications of laboratories located in jurisdictions outside of Virginia to conduct tests, analyses, measurements or monitoring for use in Virginia. Laboratories located outside of Virginia that are certified or accredited under a program determined by the Division to be equivalent to the program established under this section shall be deemed to meet the certification requirements.

E. In addition to any other penalty provided by law, laboratories found to be falsifying any data or providing false information to support certification shall be decertified or denied certification.

F. Any laboratory subject to this section may petition the Director of the Division for a reasonable variance from the requirements of the regulations promulgated under this section. The Division may grant a reasonable variance if the petitioner demonstrates to the Director's satisfaction that (i) the proposed variance will meet the goals and purposes of the provisions of this section or regulation promulgated under this section, and (ii) the variance does not conflict with federal or state law or regulations. Any petition submitted to the Director is subject to the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.).

G. The provisions of this section shall not apply to laboratories when performing tests, analyses, measurements, or monitoring, using protocols pursuant to § 10.1-104.2 to determine soil fertility, animal manure nutrient content, or plant tissue nutrient uptake for the purposes of nutrient management.

1997, c. 652, § 2.1-429.01; 2001, c. 844; 2003, c. 580; 2012, cc. 99, 753.

The Director of the Department may take in and absorb within the Division any laboratory activity that is owned and operated by a political subdivision of the Commonwealth that will conform to the duties and responsibilities of the Division. Any costs that may accrue to the Commonwealth as a result of the consolidation shall be paid out of funds specifically appropriated for this purpose by the appropriation act.

1987, c. 369, § 2.1-429.4; 1996, cc. 366, 447; 2001, c. 844.

Any material seized in a criminal investigation and deemed to be hazardous to health and safety, may be disposed of upon written application of the Division to the attorney for the Commonwealth in the city or county where the material is seized or where any criminal prosecution in which such material is proposed to be evidence is pending. Upon receipt, the attorney for the Commonwealth shall file the application in the circuit court of such county or city. A sworn analysis report signed by a person designated by the Director of the Division shall accompany the application for disposal and shall clearly identify and designate the material for disposal. The application shall state the nature and quantity of the hazardous materials, the location where seized, the person from whom the materials were seized, and the manner in which the material shall be destroyed. Where the ownership of the hazardous material is known, notice shall be given to the owner at least three days prior to any hearing relating to the destruction, and, if any criminal charge is pending in any court as a result of the seizure, notice shall be given to the accused if other than the owner. Upon receipt of the analysis report and the application, the court may order the destruction of all, or a part of, the material; however, a sufficient and representative quantity of the material shall be retained to permit an independent analysis when a criminal prosecution may result from the seizure. A return under oath, reporting the time, place and manner of destruction shall be made to the courts. Copies of the analysis report, application, order and return shall be made a part of the record of any criminal prosecution. The sworn analysis report shall be admissible as evidence to the same extent as the disposed-of material would have been admissible.

Code 1950, § 32-31.6:1; 1976, c. 576; 1977, c. 672, § 2.1-432; 1990, c. 825; 2001, c. 844.

Personal property, including drugs, not subject to be disposed of under § 2.2-1107, which has been submitted to the Division for analysis or examination and that has not been reclaimed by the agency submitting the property for analysis or examination, may be disposed of by the Division in accordance with this section if, after the expiration of 120 days after the receipt by the Division of the property, (i) the Director notifies the circuit court of the county or city from which the property was taken, in writing, that the analysis or examination has been completed and (ii) a report is given to the submitting agency that the property has not been reclaimed by the agency and the Division proposes to dispose of the property. The notice shall state the nature and quantity of the property, the location where seized, the name of the accused, if known, and the proposed method of disposing of the property. When the ownership of the property is known, a copy of the notice shall be sent simultaneously with the notice to the court to the owner, or, if any criminal charge is pending in any court relating to the property, the copy shall be sent to the accused at his last known address. Notice shall be by certified mail. The court, within thirty days after receipt of the notice, may direct that the property be disposed of by the Division by an alternative method designed to preserve the property, at the expense of the agency submitting the property to the Division. If the court does not so direct within such thirty-day period, then the Division may dispose of the property by the method set out in the notice. Copies of the analysis report and notice shall be made a part of the record of any criminal prosecution. The report, if sworn to, shall be admissible as evidence to the same extent as the disposed of property would have been admissible.

1978, c. 317, § 2.1-432.1; 1990, c. 825; 2001, c. 844.