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2004 SESSION

041745436
HOUSE BILL NO. 708
Offered January 14, 2004
Prefiled January 13, 2004
A BILL to amend and reenact § 2.2-2238 of the Code of Virginia, relating to duties of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership Authority.
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Patron-- Nutter
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Referred to Committee on General Laws
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 2.2-2238 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 2.2-2238. Economic development services.

A. It shall be the duty of the Authority to encourage, stimulate, and support the development and expansion of the economy of the Commonwealth. The Authority is charged with the following duties and responsibilities to:

1. See that there are prepared and carried out effective economic development marketing and promotional programs;

2. Make available, in conjunction and cooperation with localities, chambers of commerce, industrial authorities, and other public and private groups, to prospective new businesses basic information and pertinent factors of interest and concern to such businesses;

3. Formulate, promulgate, and advance programs throughout the Commonwealth for encouraging the location of new businesses in the Commonwealth and the retention and growth of existing businesses;

4. Encourage and solicit private sector involvement, support, and funding for economic development in the Commonwealth;

5. Encourage the coordination of the economic development efforts of public institutions, regions, communities, and private industry and collect and maintain data on the development and utilization of economic development capabilities;

6. Establish such offices within and without the Commonwealth that are necessary to the expansion and development of industries and trade;

7. Encourage the export of products and services from the Commonwealth to international markets; and

8. Advise, upon request, the State Board for Community Colleges in designating technical training programs in Virginia's comprehensive community colleges for the Community College Incentive Scholarship Program pursuant to § 23-220.4.

9. Upon request, to advise the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia in designating certain collegiate programs for the Virginia Undergraduate Career and Technical Education Incentive Scholarship Program pursuant to Article 3 (§ 23-38.19:3 et seq.) of Chapter 4.1 of Title 23.

B. The Authority shall prepare a specific plan annually that shall serve as the basis for marketing high unemployment areas of Virginia. This plan shall be submitted to the Governor and General Assembly annually on or before November 1 of each year. The report shall contain the plan and activities conducted by the Authority to market these high unemployment areas. The annual report shall be part of the report required by § 2.2-2242 and shall be distributed in accordance with § 2.2-1127.

C. Whenever a business proposing to locate or expand within the Commonwealth that was referred to a local or regional economic development authority or organization by the Authority rejects a Virginia location considered by such business following a site visit, the Authority shall conduct a post-rejection audit to determine the factors that contributed to the rejection. The post-rejection audit shall include, but not be limited to, operational costs, labor force needs, technology and other infrastructure needs, transportation access, and incentives offered. Copies of the post-rejection audit shall be provided to the director of the affected local or regional economic development authority or organization within 30 days of the rejection.