Terms Used In Virginia Code > Title 15.2 > Subtitle II > Chapter 15 - Local Government Personnel, Qualification for Office, Bonds, Dual Office Holding and Certain Local Government Officers

• Adult: means a person 18 years of age or more. See Virginia Code 1-203
• Age: means being an individual who is at least 40 years of age. See Virginia Code 15.2-1500.1
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Bequest: Property gifted by will.
• Board: means the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board. See Virginia Code 10.1-500
• Board: means the Board of Conservation and Recreation. See Virginia Code 10.1-400
• Board: means the Cave Board. See Virginia Code 10.1-1000
• Board of supervisors: means the governing body of a county. See Virginia Code 15.2-102
• Camping and recreational facilities: means camp sites, cabins, lodges, halls, tent camps, trailer camps, public and park lands, as well as equipment, structures and roads which are appurtenant to and useful in connection with state parks including, but not limited to sanitary and utility services, restaurants, cafeterias, stables, horses and riding equipment, bathing beaches, boathouses, boats, conference facilities, sightseeing facilities, sports facilities, bridges, access highways, and all incidental rights, easements, equipment and structures now under the control of the Department or acquired, constructed, enlarged or improved under the provisions of this chapter. See Virginia Code 10.1-300
• Caucus: From the Algonquian Indian language, a caucus meant "to meet together." An informal organization of members of the legislature that exists to discuss issues of mutual concern and possibly to perform legislative research and policy planning for its members. There are regional, political or ideological, ethnic, and economic-based caucuses.
• cave: includes or is synonymous with cavern, sinkhole, natural pit, grotto, and rock shelter. See Virginia Code 10.1-1000
• Cave life: means any rare or endangered animal or other life form which normally occurs in, uses, visits, or inhabits any cave or subterranean water system. See Virginia Code 10.1-1000
• Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
• City: includes all cities chartered under the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 10.1-500
• Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
• Collegial body: means a governmental entity whose power or authority is vested within its membership. See Virginia Code 1-209
• Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Conference committee: A temporary, ad hoc panel composed of conferees from both chamber of a legislature which is formed for the purpose of reconciling differences in legislation that has passed both chambers. Conference committees are usually convened to resolve bicameral differences on major and controversial legislation.
• Conservation easement: means a nonpossessory interest of a holder in real property, whether easement appurtenant or in gross, acquired through gift, purchase, devise, or bequest imposing limitations or affirmative obligations, the purposes of which include retaining or protecting natural or open-space values of real property, assuring its availability for agricultural, forestal, recreational, or open-space use, protecting natural resources, maintaining or enhancing air or water quality, or preserving the historical, architectural or archaeological aspects of real property. See Virginia Code 10.1-1009
• Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Council: means the governing body of a city or town. See Virginia Code 15.2-102
• County: includes towns. See Virginia Code 10.1-500
• County: means any existing county or such unit hereafter created. See Virginia Code 15.2-102
• Court: means any court vested with appropriate jurisdiction under the Constitution and laws of the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 19.2-5
• dam or other structure: means any structure extending from bank to bank of a river that will interfere with the normal movement of waterborne traffic, interfere with the normal movement of fish or wildlife, raise the water level on the upstream side of the structure, or lower the water level on the downstream side of the structure. See Virginia Code 10.1-407
• Department: means the Department of Conservation and Recreation. See Virginia Code 10.1-100
• Department: means the Department of Conservation and Recreation. See Virginia Code 10.1-400
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Director: means the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation. See Virginia Code 10.1-100
• Director: means the Director of the Department of Conservation and Recreation. See Virginia Code 10.1-400
• Enrolled bill: The final copy of a bill or joint resolution which has passed both chambers in identical form. It is printed on parchment paper, signed by appropriate officials, and submitted to the President/Governor for signature.
• farm: means any person that obtains at least 51 percent of its annual gross income from agricultural operations and produces the agricultural waste used as feedstock for the waste-to-energy technology, (ii) "agricultural waste" means biomass waste materials capable of decomposition that are produced from the raising of plants and animals during agricultural operations, including animal manures, bedding, plant stalks, hulls, and vegetable matter, and (iii) "waste-to-energy technology" means any technology, including but not limited to a methane digester, that converts agricultural waste into gas, steam, or heat that is used to generate electricity on-site. See Virginia Code 1-222.1
• Floor leaders: The Majority Leader and Minority Leader are elected by their respective party conferences to serve as the chief Senate spokesmen for their parties and to manage and schedule the legislative and executive business of the Senate. By custom, the Presiding Officer gives the floor leaders priority in obtaining recognition to speak on the floor of the Senate.
• Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
• Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
• Gate: means any structure or device located to limit or prohibit access or entry to any cave. See Virginia Code 10.1-1000
• Governing body: means the board of supervisors of a county, council of a city, or council of a town, as the context may require. See Virginia Code 15.2-102
• Holder: means a charitable corporation, charitable association, or charitable trust which has been declared exempt from taxation pursuant to 26 U. See Virginia Code 10.1-1009
• Includes: means includes, but not limited to. See Virginia Code 1-218
• Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
• Joint resolution: A legislative measure which requires the approval of both chambers.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Legislative session: That part of a chamber's daily session in which it considers legislative business (bills, resolutions, and actions related thereto).
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• local government: shall be construed to mean a county, city, or town as the context may require. See Virginia Code 15.2-102
• Material: means all or any part of any archaeological, paleontological, biological, or historical item including, but not limited to, any petroglyph, pictograph, basketry, human remains, tool, beads, pottery, projectile point, remains of historical mining activity or any other occupation found in any cave. See Virginia Code 10.1-1000
• Military status: means status as (i) a member of the uniformed forces, as defined in 10 U. See Virginia Code 15.2-1500.1
• Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
• Nonlegislative citizen member: means any natural person who is not a member of the General Assembly of Virginia. See Virginia Code 1-225
• Oath: A promise to tell the truth.
• Oath: includes affirmation. See Virginia Code 1-228
• Owner: means a person who owns title to land where a cave is located, including a person who owns title to a leasehold estate in such land, and including the Commonwealth and any of its agencies, departments, boards, bureaus, commissions, or authorities, as well as counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions of the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 10.1-1000
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Person: means any individual, partnership, firm, association, trust, or corporation or other legal entity. See Virginia Code 10.1-1000
• Plea: In a criminal case, the defendant's statement pleading "guilty" or "not guilty" in answer to the charges, a declaration made in open court.
• President pro tempore: A constitutionally recognized officer of the Senate who presides over the chamber in the absence of the Vice President. The President Pro Tempore (or, "president for a time") is elected by the Senate and is, by custom, the Senator of the majority party with the longest record of continuous service.
• Presiding officer: A majority-party Senator who presides over the Senate and is charged with maintaining order and decorum, recognizing Members to speak, and interpreting the Senate's rules, practices and precedents.
• Pro forma session: In the U.S. Congress, a brief meeting (sometimes only several seconds) in which no business is conducted. It is held usually to satisfy a constitutional obligation that neither chamber can adjourn for more than three days without the consent of the other.
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Public body: means any entity defined in § 10. See Virginia Code 10.1-1009
• Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
• Recess: A temporary interruption of the legislative business.
• Religion: includes any outward expression of religious faith, including adherence to religious dressing and grooming practices and the carrying or display of religious items or symbols. See Virginia Code 15.2-1500.1
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• River: means a flowing body of water, or a section or portion thereof. See Virginia Code 10.1-400
• Scenic river: means a river or section or portion of a river that has been designated a "scenic river" by an act of the General Assembly and that possesses superior natural and scenic beauty, fish and wildlife, and historic, recreational, geologic, cultural, and other assets. See Virginia Code 10.1-400
• Sinkhole: means a closed topographic depression or basin, generally draining underground, including, but not restricted to, a doline, uvala, blind valley, or sink. See Virginia Code 10.1-1000
• soil and water conservation district: means a political subdivision of this Commonwealth organized in accordance with the provisions of this chapter. See Virginia Code 10.1-500
• state agency: means the same as that term is defined in § 2. See Virginia Code 1-206
• Supervisor: means a member of the board of supervisors of a county. See Virginia Code 15.2-102
• sworn: means "affirm" or "affirmed. See Virginia Code 1-250
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Town: means any existing town or an incorporated community within one or more counties which became a town before noon, July one, nineteen hundred seventy-one, as provided by law or which has within defined boundaries a population of 1,000 or more and which has become a town as provided by law. See Virginia Code 15.2-102
• Town: means any existing town or an incorporated community within one or more counties which became a town before noon, July 1, 1971, as provided by law or which has within defined boundaries a population of 1,000 or more and which has become a town as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-254
• Trial: A hearing that takes place when the defendant pleads "not guilty" and witnesses are required to come to court to give evidence.
• User fees: Fees charged to users of goods or services provided by the government. In levying or authorizing these fees, the legislature determines whether the revenue should go into the treasury or should be available to the agency providing the goods or services.
• Virginia Scenic Rivers System: means those rivers or sections of rivers designated as a scenic river by an act of the General Assembly. See Virginia Code 10.1-400
• Writ of certiorari: An order issued by the Supreme Court directing the lower court to transmit records for a case for which it will hear on appeal.