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2007 SESSION

070836304
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 690
Offered January 10, 2007
Prefiled January 10, 2007
Establishing a joint subcommittee to study the future of Fort Monroe. Report.
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Patron-- Gear
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, Old Point Comfort has been regarded as an extraordinary place ever since Captain John Smith and the first permanent English settlers in America landed there in 1607 and afterward built Fort Algemoume to protect Jamestown, collect customs duties, and manage transatlantic commerce; and

WHEREAS, Virginia ceded jurisdiction of the site to the United States after the War of 1812 for construction of a great stone fortress, honoring President James Monroe, that would become the "Gibraltar of the Chesapeake" because it was strategically positioned to deny by access to our nation's capital; and

WHEREAS, Fort Monroe remained under Union control throughout the Civil War, and became known as "Freedom's Fortress" in 1861 after General Butler's "Contraband" ruling validated the decisions of three African-Americans, and later thousands, to free themselves and seek sanctuary there; and

WHEREAS, Fort Monroe, apart from its historic value, also features wetlands, green space, sand dunes, beaches, public access to the Chesapeake Bay, a bird sanctuary, a two-mile promenade along the shoreline, a deep water marina, and other natural resources; and

WHEREAS, the Army is scheduled to depart from Fort Monroe in September 2011, presenting the Commonwealth with a strategic opportunity; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That a joint subcommittee be established to study the future of Fort Monroe. The joint subcommittee shall have a total membership of 14 members that shall consist of eight legislative members and six nonlegislative citizen members. Members shall be appointed 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; three nonlegislative citizen members to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; and three nonlegislative citizen members to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules. Nonlegislative citizen members of the joint subcommittee shall be citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia and residents of the City of Hampton. 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 possible future uses of Fort Monroe for the benefit of the citizens of the Commonwealth. The joint subcommittee shall make such recommendations for the future use of Fort Monroe 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.  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 2007 interim, and the direct costs of this study shall not exceed $7,200 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, 2007, 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 2008 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 2007 interim.