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2008 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 159
Continuing the U.S. Route 460 Communications Committee until commencement of construction of the U.S. 460 project as approved by the Commonwealth Transportation Board in November 2005. Report.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 8, 2008
Agreed to by the Senate, March 4, 2008

 

WHEREAS, House Joint Resolution No. 684 of the 2001 Regular Session of the General Assembly established the U.S. Route 460 Communications Committee; and

WHEREAS, Senate Joint Resolution No. 324 of the 2003 Regular Session of the General Assembly amended HJR No. 684 of 2001; and

WHEREAS, House Joint Resolution No. 185 of the 2004 Regular Session of the General Assembly further extended the mandate of the Committee until November 30, 2005; and

WHEREAS, House Joint Resolution No. 75 of the 2006 Regular Session of the General Assembly further extended the mandate of the Committee until November 30, 2007; and

WHEREAS, considerable progress has been made toward actual commencement of work on the U.S. Route 460 improvements, most notably the signing of the draft environmental impact statement for the project by the Federal Highway Administration in May of 2005 and the November 2005 approval by the Commonwealth Transportation Board of the location for a new U.S. Route 460 to be built south of the existing road, providing an east-west transportation link connecting Interstate Route 295 near Petersburg with U.S. Route 58 in Suffolk; and

WHEREAS, in the seven years of the Committee's existence, much useful work has been done, in a time of uncertain highway construction funding and a general contraction of the Commonwealth's transportation improvement program, to maintain and increase the U.S. Route 460 upgrade project's momentum; and

WHEREAS, HJR No. 684 (2001), which established the Committee, and subsequent continuing resolutions have stated that the Committee's work should continue until the "commencement of construction of the U.S. 460 upgrade project"; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the U.S. Route 460 Communications Committee be continued until commencement of construction of the U.S. 460 project as approved by the Commonwealth Transportation Board in November 2005. The Communications Committee shall have a total membership of 15 members that shall consist of 10 legislative members and five ex officio members. Members shall be appointed as follows: six 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; and four members of the Senate to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules. The Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner, the Executive Director of the Virginia Port Authority, the Director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the Executive Director of the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, and the Executive Director of the Crater Planning District Commission or their designees shall serve ex officio with nonvoting privileges. Nonlegislative citizen members of the Communications Committee shall be citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The current members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates shall be subject to reappointment. The current members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules shall continue to serve until replaced. Vacancies shall be filled by the original appointing authority. Unless otherwise approved in writing by the chairman of the Communications Committee 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 Communications Committee shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman from among its membership, who shall be members of the General Assembly.

In conducting its study, the Communications Committee shall continue to (i) act as an institutional and organizational link between the citizens and businesses of the Richmond-Petersburg metropolitan area, the Port of Hampton Roads, the legislative representatives of such regions in the General Assembly, and the Virginia Department of Transportation; and (ii) receive and disseminate communications between the Department and persons and entities directly affected by the prompt completion and success of all phases and aspects of the planning, designing, constructing, and financing of the U.S. Route 460 Improvement Projects.

Administrative staff support shall continue to be provided by the Office of the Clerk of the House of Delegates. Legal, research, policy analysis, and other services as requested by the Communications Committee shall continue to be provided by the Division of Legislative Services. Technical assistance shall continue to be provided by the Virginia Department of Transportation. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall provide assistance to the Communications Committee for this study, upon request.

The Communications Committee shall be limited to four meetings for the 2008 interim and four meetings for the 2009 interim, and the direct costs of this study shall not exceed $10,000 for each year without approval as set out in this resolution. Approval for unbudgeted nonmember-related expenses shall require the written authorization of the chairman of the Communications Committee 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 Communications Committee shall be adopted if a majority of the House members or a majority of the Senate members appointed to the Communications Committee (i) vote against the recommendation and (ii) vote for the recommendation to fail notwithstanding the majority vote of the Communications Committee.

The Communications Committee shall complete its meetings for the first year by November 30, 2008, and for the second year by November 30, 2009, 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 next Regular Session of the General Assembly for each year. Each executive summary shall state whether the Communications Committee 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 summaries and reports 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 2008 and 2009 interims.