The Latest Word on Virginia's Administrative Code
by Rob Omberg, Esq.
On CD-ROM, The Virginia Administrative Code is still only available in a DOS format. The publisher, Lawyers Cooperative Publishing, has made production of a disc in a Windows format a priority for 1997, with a June shipment date as its goal. Those currently using the DOS version who wish to upgrade will be able to get a Windows version at no additional cost. One advantage of the Windows version is inclusion of the numerous charts, tables, and figures that are an integral part of the VAC. Unfortunately, the DOS version cannot deliver these types of graphics. While the news about the VAC on CD-ROM is still short of expectations, users of both the VAC and the Code of Virginia can now turn to the INTERNET's World Wide Web for access to both the laws and regulations of the Commonwealth. As mandated by Senate Bill 244 (1996), the public as well as the government can now view electronically the text of the Code of Virginia and the Virginia Administrative Code via the homepage of the Code Commission.
Besides links to the Code of Virginia and the VAC, The Code Commission homepage also offers information about ongoing Code Commission projects and about the Virginia Register. A web surfer may explore the Code of Virginia and VAC by entering word and phrase searches, or browse by "flipping" through the table of contents. Sections with cross references are linked as hyper-text for viewer convenience. Statutes and regulations are in their full text, but contractual provisions prevent publishing the annotations on the Web.