Terms Used In Virginia Code > Title 2.2 > Subtitle I > Part C > Chapter 6 > Article 2 - Implementation of Federal Mandates Act

• Abused or neglected child: means the same as that term is defined in § 63. See Virginia Code 2.2-438
• Administrative act: includes an action, omission, decision, recommendation, practice, or other procedure of the Department, a local department, or a child-placing agency with respect to a particular child related to adoption, foster care, or protective services. See Virginia Code 2.2-438
• 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.
• 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
• Central registry: means the system maintained at the Department of Social Services pursuant to § 63. See Virginia Code 2.2-438
• Child: means an individual under the age of 18. See Virginia Code 2.2-438
• Child-placing agency: means (i) any person who places children in foster homes, adoptive homes, or independent living arrangements pursuant to § 63. See Virginia Code 2.2-438
• Child-serving agency: means (i) a state agency that provides services to children, including the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, the Department of Education, the Department of Health, the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Social Services, and the Office of Children's Services, and (ii) a local entity that provides services to children and that receives funding from a state agency under clause (i). See Virginia Code 2.2-438
• City: means an independent incorporated community which became a city as provided by law before noon on July 1, 1971, or which has within defined boundaries a population of 5,000 or more and which has become a city as provided by law. See Virginia Code 1-208
• Complainant: means an individual who makes a complaint pursuant to § 2. See Virginia Code 2.2-438
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Department: means the Department of Social Services. See Virginia Code 2.2-438
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Federal statute: means a federal statute that is in accord with the United States Constitution imposing mandates on state or local governments, which may include, but is not limited to, the following:

  1. See Virginia Code 2.2-617

• Foster care: means care provided to a child by a foster parent, children's residential facility, or group home licensed or approved by the Department under Chapter 9 of Title 63. See Virginia Code 2.2-438
• Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. ^{Source: OCC}
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Law-enforcement agency: means any crime victim and witness assistance program whose funding is provided in whole or in part by grants administered by the Department of Criminal Justice Services pursuant to § 9. See Virginia Code 2.2-438
• Local department: means the local department of social services of any county or city in the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 2.2-438
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Office: means the Office of the Children's Ombudsman established under § 2. See Virginia Code 2.2-438
• Ombudsman: means the individual appointed to head the Office of the Children's Ombudsman under § 2. See Virginia Code 2.2-438
• 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: includes any individual, corporation, partnership, association, cooperative, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, government, political subdivision, or any other legal or commercial entity and any successor, representative, agent, agency, or instrumentality thereof. See Virginia Code 1-230
• State: when applied to a part of the United States, includes any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-245
• state agency: means the same as that term is defined in § 2. See Virginia Code 1-206
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• United States: includes the 50 states, the District of Columbia the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the United States Virgin Islands. See Virginia Code 1-255