CHAPTER 554
An Act to amend and reenact §§ 13.1-559 and 13.1-563 of the Code of Virginia, relating to retail franchise agreements; governing law; competition restrictions.
[S 240]
Approved April 13, 2026
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §§ 13.1-559 and 13.1-563 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 13.1-559 . Definitions; applicability of chapter.
A. As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
"Commission" means the State Corporation Commission.
"Controlling person" means a natural person who is an officer, director, or partner, or who occupies a similar status or performs a similar function, of a franchisor organized as a corporation, partnership, or other entity, or any person who possesses, directly or indirectly, the power to direct or cause the direction of the management and policies of a franchisor, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract, or otherwise.
"Franchise" means a written contract or agreement between two or more persons, by which: