Virginia General Assembly

Internet Privacy Policy Statement and Disclaimer

(Last updated on April 28, 2003)

Privacy Information

It is the policy of the Commonwealth of Virginia that personal information about citizens will be collected only to the extent necessary to provide the service or benefit desired; that only appropriate information will be collected; that the citizen shall understand the reason the information is collected and be able to examine their personal record which is maintained by the Virginia General Assembly.

This document explains how the Virginia General Assembly gathers information on its web site (http://legis.state.va.us), and with whom and under what conditions it shares this information. The following is intended to explain current Internet privacy practices but shall not be construed as a contractual promise.  The Virginia General Assembly reserves the right to amend its Internet Privacy Policy Statement at any time without notice.

Information Collection

Virginia law requires that state bodies not collect personal information about citizens unless it is required to provide services for the citizen. When personal information is collected, it must be protected from unauthorized access, use or disclosure, and Virginia General Assembly is required to provide a prescribed procedure by which you may learn the purpose for which information has been recorded and how it will be used and disseminated.

In General

The Virginia General Assembly does not capture personal information about any visitor to its site without their permission. When you browse the web site without logging on to any of the interactive online services, you do so anonymously. Personal information, such as your name, address, phone number, or e-mail address, is not collected as you browse. Information, such as your domain name, Internet Protocol number, browser type, and date and time of your visit, is collected, but not tied to your personal identity.  The Virginia General Assembly uses this information to track the number of customers who visit the site and identify the most popular pages in order to improve site content and accessibility.

Online Transactions

Though personal information may be required either by law or in order for the Virginia General Assembly to provide a requested service, in doing so it is subject to the requirements for administering information systems as established in the Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act, Chapter 38 of Title 2.2 of the Code of Virginia.  A different agency or entity, whose practices are not under the control of the Virginia General Assembly, may regulate pages that appear after you click on a link.  When you log on to one of the current online services, such as the “Lobbyist-In-A-Box” service, personal information that you submit is captured to enable you to conduct business with the Virginia General Assembly. In addition, the following information is collected about your visit: Internet Protocol address, browser type, the name of the domain from which you access the Internet, and the date and time of your visit.  This additional information is used to track the number of customers who visit the site and identify the most popular pages to improve site content and accessibility. The personal information you provide is required to enable you to complete various online transactions and for the Virginia General Assembly to deliver the requested services. Once registered with the Virginia General Assembly, you are eligible to request additional services that may require you to provide additional personal information. The Virginia General Assembly only collects, retains and uses personal information when it believes it is essential, and allowed by law, to conduct business and provide products and services. Should you not desire to provide the requested personal information, the Virginia General Assembly will not be able to provide you with online services.

Personal information that you provide is safeguarded according to the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Information that you provide on the online surveys is used to improve the online services that are offered and to determine your level of satisfaction with the Virginia General Assembly site and services. This information is not stored with any other records of the Virginia General Assembly.

Contacting Us

When visiting the site, the Virginia General Assembly encourages you to contact us if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, or would like a return call.  The Virginia General Assembly will request your name, the subject of your question or comment, and your e-mail address or telephone number. This information is used solely to respond to your inquiry. If you would like materials mailed to you , the Virginia General Assembly will request your mailing address so that it may provide the appropriate materials.  Personal information that you provide to the Virginia General Assembly is safeguarded according to the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Information Access

Any personal information that is collected and retained by the Virginia General Assembly is maintained in compliance with the Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act, Chapter 38 of Title 2.2. E-mail addresses, information collected on surveys or any other information about its online customers are not shared, sold or traded to any entity except as provided for or required by the Code of Virginia, Title 2.2, Chapter 38, the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), or other law. Under FOIA, any records in the Virginia General Assembly’s possession at the time of a Freedom of Information Request might be subject to being inspected by or disclosed to members of the public. If necessary, the Virginia General Assembly may disclose user information if it has reason to believe that disclosing such information is necessary to identify, contact, or bring legal action against an individual who attempts, even unintentionally, to unauthorized access to Virginia General Assembly information or to disrupt our web site.

Use of "Cookies"

 In certain applications, user information is stored as "cookies," which are then sent back and stored on your hard drive. Cookies allow information to be saved that you input while progressing through an online transaction. If your browser is not configured to accept cookies, you will still be able to access the information on the web site, but you may not be able to complete many of the online transactions. No user information is gathered through cookies except for that needed to run the specific application. Any application or web page that uses cookies will identify itself as such.

Security

The Virginia General Assembly maintains security standards and procedures regarding unauthorized access to customer information to prevent unauthorized removal or alteration of data. When you browse public areas of the Virginia General Assembly web site, none of your personal information is captured or stored. The Virginia General Assembly protects its records in accordance with its obligations as defined by applicable Virginia statues, including, but not limited to, the Government Data Collection and Dissemination Practices Act, Chapter 38 of Title 2.2, the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, and by any applicable U.S. federal laws.

Information Accuracy and Your Rights

The Virginia General Assembly has established procedures to ensure that information is as accurate and current as is practical to enable us to conduct business with you. It also responds to requests to correct inaccurate information in a timely manner. You have the right to review the record that the Virginia General Assembly maintains about you in order to verify its accuracy. You may do this by contacting the individual listed below. If you find errors in your personal record, or desire that your data be purged, you must contact the individual listed below. Virginia General Assembly employee access to personally identifiable information is restricted to only those employees who need access in order to perform their assigned duties.

Contact Us

The Virginia General Assembly welcomes your comments and invites you to contact us if you have any questions or concerns:

Disclaimer

The Virginia General Assembly provides links to web sites that are not controlled, maintained, or regulated by the Virginia General Assembly or any organization affiliated with the Virginia General Assembly, and as such the Virginia General Assembly is NOT responsible for the content of those web sites. Use of information obtained from those web sites is voluntary, and reliance on that information should only be undertaken after an independent review of its accuracy. Reference at those web sites to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, or otherwise DOES NOT constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or preference by the Virginia General Assembly. All sites included on its web site are screened, but the content they possess cannot be controlled.  Any inappropriate information or links they have on their site that pertains to the Virginia General Assembly, or related activities, should be reported to the Virginia General Assembly and can be emailed to BWilson@leg.state.va.us.