Bill > HB346

This bill amends the Virginia Freedom of Information Act to exclude public utility account numbers from mandatory public disclosure, meaning these numbers will no longer automatically be available to the public. However, the custodian of these records can still choose to disclose them at their discretion, unless prohibited by other laws. This change specifically adds "public utility" to the existing exclusion for account numbers with financial institutions, clarifying that account numbers for services like electricity or water are now protected, similar to bank account numbers. The bill defines "public utility" as it is defined in state law, excluding companies that provide telephone service within the Commonwealth, and clarifies that a public body's telephone number is not considered an account number for the purposes of this exclusion.

Government Affairs, Justice

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB346