Virginia § 2.2-3109.1 - Prohibited contracts; additional exclusions for contracts by officers and employees of hospital authorities

§ 2.2-3109.1. Prohibited contracts; additional exclusions for contracts by officers and employees of hospital authorities

A. As used in this section, "hospital authority" means a hospital authority established pursuant to Chapter 53 (§ 15.2-5300 et seq.) of Title 15.2 or an Act of Assembly.

B. The provisions of § 2.2-3109 shall not apply to:

1. The personal interest of an officer or employee of a hospital authority in additional contracts of employment with his own governmental agency that accrue to him because of a member of his immediate family, provided (i) the officer or employee and the immediate family member are licensed members of the medical profession or hold administrative support positions at the hospital authority, (ii) the governing board of the hospital authority finds that it is in the best interests of the hospital authority and the county, city, or town for such dual employment to exist, and (iii) after such finding, the governing board of the hospital authority ensures that neither the officer or employee, nor the immediate family member, has sole authority to supervise, evaluate, or make personnel decisions regarding the other;

2. Subject to approval by the governing board of the hospital authority, an officer or employee's personal interest in a contract between his hospital authority and a professional entity that operates a clinical practice at any medical facilities of such other hospital authority and of which such officer or employee is a member or employee;

3. Subject to approval by the relevant governing body, an officer or employee's personal interest in a contract for research and development or commercialization of intellectual property between the hospital authority and a business in which the employee has a personal interest, provided (i) the officer or employee's personal interest has been disclosed to and approved by the hospital authority prior to the time at which the contract is entered into; (ii) the officer or employee promptly files a disclosure statement pursuant to § 2.2-3117 and thereafter files such statement annually on or before January 15; (iii) the local hospital authority has established a formal policy regarding such contracts in conformity with any applicable federal regulations that has been approved by its governing body; and (iv) no later than December 31 of each year, the local hospital authority files an annual report with the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council disclosing each open contract entered into subject to this provision, the names of the parties to each contract, the date each contract was executed and its term, the subject of each contractual arrangement, the nature of the conflict of interest, the hospital authority's employee responsible for administering each contract, the details of such hospital authority's commitment or investment of resources or finances for each contract, and any other information requested by the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council; or

4. Subject to approval by the relevant governing body, an officer or employee's personal interest in a contract between the hospital authority and a business in which the officer or employee has a personal interest, provided (i) the personal interest has been disclosed to the hospital authority prior to the time the contract is entered into; (ii) the officer or employee files a disclosure statement pursuant to § 2.2-3117 and thereafter annually on or before January 15; (iii) the officer or employee does not participate in the hospital authority's decision to contract; (iv) the president or chief executive officer of the hospital authority finds and certifies in writing that the contract is for goods and services needed for quality patient care, including related medical education or research, by any of the hospital authority's medical facilities or any of its affiliated organizations, or is otherwise necessary for the fulfillment of its mission, including but not limited to the acquisition of drugs, therapies, and medical technologies; and (v) no later than December 31 of each year, the hospital authority files an annual report with the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council disclosing each open contract entered into subject to this provision, the names of the parties to each contract, the date each contract was executed and its term, the subject of each contractual arrangement, the nature of the conflict of interest, the hospital authority's employee responsible for administering each contract, the details of the hospital authority's commitment or investment of resources or finances for each contract, and any other information requested by the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council.

C. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivisions B 3 and B 4, if the research and development or commercialization of intellectual property or the officer or employee's personal interest in a contract with a business is subject to policies and regulations governing conflicts of interest promulgated by any agency of the United States government, including the adoption of policies requiring the disclosure and management of such conflicts of interest, the policies established by the hospital authority pursuant to such federal requirements shall constitute compliance with subdivisions B 3 and B 4, upon notification by the hospital authority to the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council by January 31 of each year of evidence of its compliance with such federal policies and regulations.

D. The governing body may delegate the authority granted under subdivision B 2 to the president or chief executive officer of hospital authority. If the board elects to delegate such authority, the board shall include this delegation of authority in the formal policy required by clause (iii) of subdivision B 3. In those instances where the board has delegated such authority, on or before December 1 of each year, the president or chief executive officer of the hospital authority shall file a report with the relevant governing body disclosing each open contract entered into subject to this provision, the names of the parties to each contract, the date each contract was executed and its term, the subject of each contractual arrangement, the nature of the conflict of interest, the hospital authority's employee responsible for administering each contract, the details of the hospital authority's commitment or investment of resources or finances for each contract, the details of how revenues are to be dispersed, and any other information requested by the governing body.

2015, c. 699; 2016, cc. 773, 774.