SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2005 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 747
Establishing a joint subcommittee to study relocating the Museum and White House of the Confederacy. Report.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 5, 2005
Agreed to by the Senate, February 24, 2005

 

WHEREAS, the Museum and White House of the Confederacy is the worldwide center for studying the role of the Confederacy in the American Civil War and is a self-sufficient, non-profit organization governed by the Confederate Memorial Literary Society and centered on the White House of the Confederacy; and

WHEREAS, the Museum serves as the preeminent center for the display, study, interpretation, commemoration, and preservation of the history and artifacts of the Confederate States of America; and

WHEREAS, the White House of the Confederacy, built at what we now refer to as the corner of 12th and Clay streets, was first occupied in 1818, and the Court End neighborhood that it anchored was then the new-home neighborhood of wealthy residents; and now, nearly two centuries later, the buildings on the streets surrounding the site of the Museum and White House of the Confederacy are almost entirely the property of the Virginia Commonwealth University's Health System; and

WHEREAS, The Medical College of Virginia, Health Sciences Division of Virginia Commonwealth University is preparing to build, as part of its "VCU 2020" master site plan, a 14-story hospital immediately to the east of the Museum building, beginning in January 2005; and, according to the plan, additional medical buildings will go up in the immediate vicinity over the next 15 years; and

WHEREAS, the Museum Board of Trustees believes that it is inevitable that the Museum will suffer an even greater decline in visitation and revenues during the upcoming three-year construction period for the adjoining hospital; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth assisted in the late 1980s in the restoration of the White House of the Confederacy, and now counts that restored mansion as one of its greatest educational and tourist attractions; and

WHEREAS, inaction regarding this growing incompatibility inevitably will risk the very survival of the non-profit society itself and necessitate that the responsibility for maintenance and operation of this historic treasure will fall to the City of Richmond, the Commonwealth, or both; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That a joint subcommittee be established to study relocating the Museum and White House of the Confederacy. The joint subcommittee shall have a total membership of 11 members that shall consist of eight legislative members and three nonlegislative citizen members as follows:  five members of the House of Delegates 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; three members of the Senate to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; one nonlegislative citizen member who shall represent Virginia Commonwealth University to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates upon consideration of the recommendation of the president of the University; the Executive Director of the Museum of the Confederacy or his designee; and the Mayor of the City of Richmond or his designee who shall serve ex officio with voting privileges. Nonlegislative citizen members of the joint subcommittee shall be citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Unless otherwise approved in writing by the chairman of the joint subcommittee and the respective Clerk, nonlegislative citizen members shall only be reimbursed for travel originating and ending within the Commonwealth of Virginia for the purpose of attending meetings. If a companion joint resolution of the other chamber is agreed to, written authorization of both Clerks shall be required. The joint subcommittee shall elect a chairman and vice chairman from among its membership, who shall be members of the General Assembly.

In conducting its study, the joint subcommittee shall examine the cost and feasibility of relocating the Museum and White House of the Confederacy and such other related issues as it deems appropriate.

Administrative staff support shall be provided by the Office of the Clerk of the House of Delegates. Legal, research, policy analysis, and other services as requested by the joint subcommittee shall be provided by the Division of Legislative Services. The Department of General Services shall provide technical assistance. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the joint subcommittee for this study, upon request.

The joint subcommittee shall be limited to four meetings for the 2005 interim, and the direct costs of this study shall not exceed $8,800 without approval as set out in this resolution. Approval for unbudgeted nonmember-related expenses shall require the written authorization of the chairman of the joint subcommittee and the respective Clerk. If a companion joint resolution of the other chamber is agreed to, written authorization of both Clerks shall be required.

No recommendation of the joint subcommittee shall be adopted if a majority of the House members or a majority of the Senate members appointed to the joint subcommittee (i) vote against the recommendation and (ii) vote for the recommendation to fail notwithstanding the majority vote of the joint subcommittee.

The joint subcommittee shall complete its meetings by November 30, 2005, and the chairman shall submit to the Division of Legislative Automated Systems an executive summary of its findings and recommendations no later than the first day of the 2006 Regular Session of the General Assembly. The executive summary shall state whether the joint subcommittee intends to submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a House or Senate document. The executive summary and the report shall be submitted as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly's website.

Implementation of this resolution is subject to subsequent approval and certification by the Joint Rules Committee. The Committee may approve or disapprove expenditures for this study, extend or delay the period for the conduct of the study, or authorize additional meetings during the 2005 interim.