If any highway contractors' association, whether domiciled in Virginia or not, on application of any person authorized by this article to examine and inspect its records, refuses to permit such examination and inspection of its papers, accounts, and records, or fails to produce at its principal office for examination and inspection any of its papers, accounts, or records when requested so to do, or knowingly withholds from examination and inspection any of its papers, accounts, and records, for the purpose of secreting any of its acts or activities or the amount or sources of or the use made of its revenue, the person requesting or making such examination and inspection shall report the fact to the Governor, who shall certify the fact to the Commissioner of Highways.

No contract for highway or highway bridge construction, repair, or maintenance or for the supplying of any labor, materials, or supplies for such construction, repair, or maintenance shall be thereafter let to any member of such association until the Governor has certified to the Board that a full examination and inspection of the papers, accounts, and records of such association has been made with the free consent and cooperation of such association and that such examination and inspection discloses nothing in the purposes, methods, or activities of such association detrimental to the public interest or tending to prevent competition in or increase the cost of highway and highway bridge construction, repair, or maintenance in the Commonwealth and that none of its revenue has been used for political purposes.

Code 1950, § 33-274; 1970, c. 322, § 33.1-340; 2014, c. 805.