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2004 SESSION


CHAPTER 403
An Act to amend and reenact § 62.1-69.34 of the Code of Virginia, relating to membership of the Virginia Roanoke River Basin Advisory Committee.
[S 406]
Approved April 12, 2004

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 62.1-69.34 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 62.1-69.34. Virginia Roanoke River Basin Advisory Committee established; purpose; membership; terms; meetings.

A. The Virginia Roanoke River Basin Advisory Committee, hereinafter referred to as the "Committee," is hereby established in the executive branch of state government as an advisory committee to the Virginia delegation to the Roanoke River Basin Bi-State Commission. The Committee shall assist the delegation in fulfilling its duties and carrying out the objectives of the Commission, pursuant to § 62.1-69.39. The advisory committee shall be composed of 21 23 members that include six legislative members and 11 nonlegislative citizen members, and four ex officio members. Members shall be appointed as follows: two members of the Senate, whose districts include a part of the Virginia portion of the Roanoke River Basin, to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections Rules; four members of the House of Delegates, whose districts include a part of the Virginia portion of the Roanoke River Basin, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates in accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the Rules of the House of Delegates; one nonlegislative citizen member at large appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; one nonlegislative citizen member at large appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; 11 nonlegislative citizen members selected by the legislative members of the advisory committee such that two are chosen from recommendations of whom two each shall be members of the each of the following: the Central Virginia Planning District Commission and, the West Piedmont Planning District Commission, and one shall be a member of the New River Valley Planning District Commission, from among recommendations submitted by the respective planning district commissions, to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections; two each shall be members of the Southside Planning District Commission, the Piedmont Planning District Commission, and the Roanoke Valley Alleghany Planning District Commission, from among recommendations submitted by the respective planning district commissions, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; and one member selected by the legislative members of the advisory committee from among recommendations submitted by the New River Valley Planning District Commission; and the Virginia member of the United States House of Representatives, whose district includes the largest portion of the Basin, or his designee, and three representatives of the State of North Carolina appointed in a manner as the General Assembly of North Carolina may determine appropriate. Except for the representatives of North Carolina, all nonlegislative citizen members shall be citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Virginia member of the United States House of Representatives, the members of the Virginia General Assembly, and the representatives of North Carolina shall serve ex officio without voting privileges. Of the recommendations submitted by planning district commissions authorized to recommend two members, one member shall be a nonlegislative citizen who resides within the respective planning district. However, the New River Valley Planning District Commission may recommend either one nonlegislative citizen at large who resides within the planning district or one member, who at the time of the recommendation, is serving as an elected member or an employee of a local governing body, or one member of the board of directors or an employee of the planning district commission. All persons recommended by the planning district commissions to serve as members of the advisory committee shall reside within the Basin's watershed, represent the diversity of interests in the jurisdictions comprising the respective planning district commissions, and demonstrate interest, experience, or expertise in water-related Basin issues.

B. State and federal legislative members and local government officials appointed to the advisory committee shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office. Initial appointments of nonlegislative citizen members shall be staggered as follows: two members for a term of two years and three members for a term of one year appointed by the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections; and three members for a term of two years and three members for a term of one year appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates. Thereafter, nonlegislative citizen members shall be appointed for a. Nonlegislative citizen members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the House of Delegates to serve on the advisory committee, and ex officio members representing the State of North Carolina shall serve a term of two years. Initially, planning district commissions authorized to recommend two nonlegislative citizen members to the advisory committee shall recommend one member for a term of two years and one member for a term of one year. However, the nonlegislative citizen member recommended to serve on the advisory committee by the New River Valley Planning District Commission shall serve a term of one year. After the initial staggering of terms, the term of office of nonlegislative citizen members recommended by the planning district commissions shall be for two years. All members may be reappointed. Nonlegislative citizen members recommended by planning district commissions shall be eligible for reappointment, if such members shall have attended at least one-half of all meetings of the Commission during their current term of service. However, nomember recommended by a planning district commission Nonlegislative citizen members shall serve for no more than three consecutive two-year terms. Appointments to fill vacancies, other than by expiration of a term, shall be made for the unexpired terms. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. The remainder of any term to which a nonlegislative citizen member is appointed to fill shall not constitute a term in determining the member's eligibility for reappointment.

The advisory committee shall elect a chairman and a vice chairman from among its voting members. A majority of the voting members shall constitute a quorum. The meetings of the advisory committee shall be held at the call of the chairman or whenever the majority of the voting members so request.

2. That this act shall not be construed to affect existing appointment for which the terms have not expired. However, any new appointments made after the effective date of this act shall be made in accordance with the provisions of this act.