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2008 SESSION

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Senate Committee on Rules

Chairman: Mary Margaret Whipple

Clerk: Susan Clarke Schaar/Patty Lung
Staff: Cheryl Jackson, Brenda Edwards
Date of Meeting: February 1, 2008
Time and Place: 10:00 a.m. -- Senate Room A

S.B. 464

Patron: Whipple

Virginia Commission on Energy.  Establishes the Virginia Commission on Energy as a legislative commission. Its purposes include reviewing and recommending steps to implement the Virginia Energy Plan; promoting energy efficiency and energy conservation; securing reliable supplies of energy; promoting research and development in the field of alternative and renewable energy sources; reviewing state building standards; and recommending measures to secure Virginia's energy future.

S.B. 575

Patrons: Saslaw, Norment

Commission on Electric Utility Regulation.  Renames the Commission on Electric Utility Restructuring as the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation, extends its scheduled expiration from July 1, 2008, until July 1, 2010, and states that its purposes is to work collaboratively with the State Corporation Commission in conjunction with the implementation of the Virginia Electric Utility Restructuring Act.

S.B. 627

Patron: Ticer

Commission on Climate Change; report. Establishes a Climate Change Commission in the executive branch to develop a Climate Change Action Plan that: (i) calculates the size of and contributors to Virginia's carbon footprint; (ii) addresses the effects of increasing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations on the state; (iii) identifies what the Commonwealth needs to do to prepare for the likely consequences of climate change; and (iv) identifies actions that are needed to meet goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In its development of the Climate Change Action Plan, the Commission shall consider demand-side energy conservation by utilities and consumers; expanding renewable energy portfolios; rate decoupling; time-of-use pricing; and transportation demand management. The Commission will also consult with the Superintendent of Public Instruction to establish and supervise the High School Climate Change Leadership Awards Program and with the State Council of Higher Education to require that a state-supported institution of higher education organize and host a 2009 Mid-Atlantic Regional Climate Change Leadership Consortium.

S.B. 653

Patron: Wampler

Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Commission. Creates the Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Commission to encourage the economic development of Southwest Virginia through the expansion of cultural heritage ventures and initiatives related to tourism and other asset-based enterprises, including the Southwest Virginia Artisan Center, the Crooked Road, Round The Mountain, and related cultural heritage organizations and venues that promote entrepreneurial and employment opportunities. The bill sets out the membership of the Commission and its powers and duties. The bill contains technical amendments.

S.B. 747

Patron: Stolle

Special Commission on State Police Staffing.  Establishes the Special Commission on the State Police Staffing to advise the Governor and the General Assembly on the adequate staffing level for the Department of State Police.

S.B. 787

Patron: Herring

Virginia Commission on Bioscience and Biotechnology. Establishes the Virginia Commission on Bioscience and Biotechnology within the legislative branch of state government for the purpose of studying and advancing the development and enhancement of the biosciences and biotechnology in the Commonwealth, and reviewing and implementing appropriate and efficacious recommendations of recent state and national research investigations in these disciplines, including the Governor’s Commission on Biotechnology. The Commission is also charged, among other things, to review, continue, and expand the work of the Governor’s Commission on Biotechnology, and to develop a strategic plan that will foster bioscience and biotechnology research in the Commonwealth and establish Virginia as a national and global leader in the field.

S.J.R. 17

Patron: Deeds

Comprehensive information system to replace or revise the Service Fee Directory. Requests that the Office of Comprehensive Services develop a comprehensive information system that would replace or revise the Service Fee Directory to capture and track, on an ongoing basis, key compliance, performance, and financial information, including rates, about residential services.

S.J.R. 28

Patron: Marsh

Study; enhanced punishment for crimes committed in the presence of children; report.  Requests the Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission to study the use of and need for enhanced punishment for crimes committed in the presence of children. In conducting its study, the Commission shall examine the number of convictions for crimes, and the nature of these crimes, that were committed in the presence of children and whether the presence of such children during the commission of a crime was taken into account during sentencing.

S.J.R. 31

Patron: Puller

Study; uniform risk assessment tool for parole determinations; report.  Requests that the Department of Corrections study the fiscal and administrative impacts of implementing a uniform risk assessment tool for parole determinations.

S.J.R. 32

Patron: Puller

Study; options for energy efficient office buildings and public buildings.  Establishes a joint subcommittee to study options for energy efficient office buildings and public buildings. The joint subcommittee is directed to propose amendments to the Statewide Building Code and to public building procurement requirements that will make such buildings more energy efficient, at costs that are recoverable through savings in energy usage.

S.J.R. 42

Patron: Lucas

Study; mental health; report.  Establishes a joint subcommittee to receive and review recommendations of the Chief Justice's Commission on Mental Health Law Reform, the Virginia Tech Review Panel, the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services, and any other committee, commission, group, or individual with recommendations for, and any legislation submitted to the General Assembly related to, the reform of the Commonwealth's process for involuntary commitment specifically and the system of mental health services generally.

S.J.R. 45

Patron: Locke

Study; juvenile transfers; report.  Requests the Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice to study the process of determining whether a juvenile should be tried as an adult.

S.J.R. 50

Patron: Lucas

Study; Craney Island Dredged Materials Management Area; report. Requests the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study the impact of increased elevations at the Craney Island Dredged Materials Management Area. The Commission will study the efficiencies of ocean dumping compared to continued dumping on Craney Island; the stability of the dredged materials during and after a natural disaster; the risks of dike breaches; impacts on the harbor infrastructure and the environment; and reduced utility of the area after dredging has ceased.

S.J.R. 62

Patron: Barker

Study; unforeseen circumstances that prevent a local governing body from convening a quorum for conducting business; report.  Establishes a joint subcommittee to study methods to alleviate the instances when unforeseen circumstances prevent a local governing body from convening a quorum for conducting business.

S.J.R. 66

Patron: Blevins

Study; fiscal autonomy for elected school boards; report.  Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study implications of granting fiscal autonomy to elected school boards in the Commonwealth. In conducting its study, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission shall (i) examine state constitutional and statutory issues regarding school board supervisory authority, (ii) study the respective roles of local school boards and the relevant local governing body in delivering and funding public education, (iii) examine fiscal authority models in other states, and (iv) consider such other issues as it deems appropriate.

The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission must submit an executive summary of its findings and recommendations to the 2009 Session of the General Assembly.

S.J.R. 74

Patron: Hanger

Study; increasing the number of foster families in the Commonwealth; report.  Requests the Department of Social Services to study ways of increasing the number of foster families in the Commonwealth.

S.J.R. 76

Patron: Hanger

Study; continues the Joint Subcommittee Studying Long-Term Funding for the Purchase of Development Rights to Preserve Open-Space and Farmlands; report. Continues for an additional year the Joint Subcommittee Studying Long-Term Funding Sources for the Purchase of Development Rights to Preserve Open-Space Land and Farmlands. In conducting the study, the joint subcommittee would study alternative options for cost-sharing arrangements with local governments to provide funding for land preservation and new parks, the effectiveness and efficiency of local purchase of development rights programs as a tool for land preservation, the future needs of the Commonwealth for open-space land and parks, and sources of dedicated funds for long-term funding of land preservation and new parks.

S.J.R. 77

Patron: Hanger

Study; substance abuse and prevention programs. Creates a joint subcommittee to study strategies and models for substance abuse prevention and treatment that effectively reduce the costly service demands created by substance abuse. In conducting its study, the joint subcommittee shall (i) identify and characterize the nature of substance abuse in the Commonwealth; (ii) identify current state policies and programs targeting substance abuse prevention and treatment; (iii) examine the cost of such policies and programs to the Commonwealth; (iv) identify and examine policies and prevention programs from other leading states in the field of substance abuse and prevention; and (v) benchmark the Commonwealth's substance abuse prevention and treatment programs and policies against those of the leading states.

S.J.R. 83

Patron: Barker

Study; mass transit options for Northern Virginia; report.  Requests the Department of Rail and Public Transportation to study mass transit options and potential improvements for Northern Virginia.

S.J.R. 89

Patron: Obenshain

Study; Department of Treasury; Virginia Unclaimed Property Act; report. Requests the Department of Treasury to study the reporting requirements established by the Virginia Unclaimed Property Act. In reviewing the Act, the Department shall study the feasibility of establishing a minimum threshold amount for reporting and transferring unclaimed property to the state.

S.J.R. 98

Patron: Ticer

Study; Department of Social Services to study foster care code of ethics; report.  Requests the Department of Social Services to study and develop a statewide foster care code of ethics and responsibility agreement. In conducting its study, the Department shall: (i) identify mutual responsibilities of foster parents, foster care workers, and directors of child-placing agencies, including local departments; (ii) develop a foster care code of ethics and responsibilities agreement to be signed by each foster care parent and worker, as well as the local department of social services' or child-placing agency's chief executive officer; and (iii) develop a grievance procedure to be used for violations of the code of ethics.

S.J.R. 100

Patron: Cuccinelli

Study; nuclear power; report.  Establishes a joint subcommittee to study nuclear power within the Commonwealth. The joint subcommittee shall (i) address all aspects of the production of nuclear power, including the mining of uranium the impact of the new nuclear plants on electricity rates; (ii) examine the economic development potential of nuclear power; (iii) consider whether the General Assembly should take action to support the development of additional nuclear power facilities in the Commonwealth; and (v) examine the advisability of permitting the mining of uranium in Virginia.

S.J.R. 122

Patron: Colgan

Study; enhancing rapid transit service in Northern Virginia; report.  Establishes a joint subcommittee to study enhancing rapid transit service in Northern Virginia.

S.J.R. 126

Patron: Stolle

Center for Innovative Technology; innovation index; report. Requests the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) to establish a Commonwealth Innovation Index to foster the formation, retention, and expansion of technology-based economic development opportunities. In developing the Innovation Index, CIT shall solicit input from the Commonwealth's regional technology councils and technology community. The index shall serve as a community-driven tool that will enable community and Commonwealth leaders to steer a successful course toward global leadership in advanced technology company formation and attraction while saving tax dollars.

S.J.R. 128

Patron: Houck

Study; JCHC to study continuing competency of health care professionals; report.  Directs the Joint Commission on Health Care to study the feasibility, advisability, and necessity of considering the competence of licensed health care professionals as a condition of license renewal.

S.J.R. 133

Patron: McEachin

Study; low-level radioactive waste; report.  Requests the Department of Health to study long-term options for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste.

S.R. 3

Patron: Whipple

Confirming nominations to the Senate Ethics Advisory Panel.  Confirms the nominations of the Senate Committee on Rules to reappoint Dr. Ronald E. Carrier and the Honorable Wiley F. Mitchell, Jr., for four-year terms commencing July 1, 2008.