SEARCH SITE

VIRGINIA LAW PORTAL

SEARCHABLE DATABASES

ACROSS SESSIONS

Developed and maintained by the Division of Legislative Automated Systems.

2009 SESSION

  • print version
Senate Committee on Rules
Subcommittee Studies

Edwards (Chairman), Puckett, Quayle

Clerk: Susan Clarke Schaar/Patty Lung
Staff: Cheryl Jackson, Brenda Edwards
Date of Meeting: February 17, 2009
Time and Place: 10:00 a.m. 4th Floor East

H.B. 1720

Patron: Cox

Virginia War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission.  Amends the second enactments of Chapter 409 and Chapter 740 of the Acts of Assembly of 2008 to extend the time that the Commission may be funded upon the approval of the Joint Rules Committee, and provides that if the Commission is not funded by a separate appropriation in the appropriation act for the 2012-2014 biennium, the Commission will sunset on July 1 of the fiscal year that it does not receive funding. This bill is a recommendation of the Virginia War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission.

H.B. 1853

Patron: Cox

Plan to eliminate the Mental Retardation and IFDDS waiver waiting lists.   Requires the Governor and the General Assembly to develop and implement a plan to provide funding to the Department of Medical Assistance Services to eliminate waiting lists for the Mental Retardation Waiver and the Individual and Family Developmental Disabilities Support Waiver.

H.B. 1952

Patron: O'Bannon

Joint Commission on Health Care.  Extends the Joint Commission on Health Care until July 1, 2012.

H.B. 2088

Patron: Fralin

Public recreational access and safety issues; new railroad projects. Provides that, no later than December 1, 2009, the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, and the Department of Conservation and Recreation shall develop a process to coordinate and evaluate public recreational access and safety issues related to certain new railroad projects.

H.B. 2199

Patron: Watts

Veterans Services Foundation; Board of Trustees.  Provides that a member of the Board of Trustees of the Veterans Services Foundation may be removed by the appointing authority for that member. Currently any member may be removed by the Governor regardless of the appointing authority.

H.B. 2285

Patron: Cline

Secretary of Technology; Virginia Enterprise Applications Program; searchable database website of state budget expenditures and revenues.  Provides for the Virginia Enterprise Applications Program (VEAP) within the Office of the Secretary of Technology to create and maintain a searchable database website containing information on state revenues, appropriations, and expenditures. Under the bill, the Director of VEAP shall develop a pilot searchable database website available for public use no later than July 1, 2010. Beginning in July 2013, the searchable database website shall be updated for (i) fiscal years that ended prior to July 1, 2009, and (ii) for future fiscal years not later than 60 days following the close of the fiscal year. The Director of VEAP, the Auditor of Public Accounts and the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission shall work together to coordinate efforts in obtaining, summarizing, and compiling information in order to avoid duplication of efforts. The website shall be made available in a format designed to encourage the greatest amount of use by the general public. The website shall provide access to all levels of budget spending in state government.

H.B. 2369

Patron: Nutter

Substance Abuse Services Council; study; abuse of prescription medication.  Directs the Substance Abuse Services Council to recommend the best strategies to address prescription drug abuse.  The Council must report of its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly on or before November 15, 2009.

H.B. 2423

Patron: May

Broadband Advisory Council. Establishes the Governor's Broadband Advisory Council. The purpose of the Council shall be to advise the Governor on policy and funding priorities to expedite deployment and reduce the cost of broadband access in the Commonwealth. The council shall be staffed by the Office of Telework Promotion and Broadband Assistance. Technical amendments to the bill adjust the membership of the Council.

H.B. 2433

Patron: Joannou

Eastern Virginia Medical School. Alters the manner in which the Board of Visitors of the Eastern Virginia Medical School is appointed. Additional appointment power is granted to the Governor, the Speaker of the House, and the Senate Rules Committee.

H.B. 2463

Patron: O'Bannon

Government Efficiency Review Commission.  Establishes the Government Efficiency Review Commission to review agencies on an eight-year cycle and advise the General Assembly on the elimination of waste, duplication, and inefficiency on the part of such agencies. The bill also repeals the Legislative Program Review and Evaluation Act (§ 30-64 et seq.) and makes some technical amendments.

H.B. 2546

Patron: Howell, W.J.

Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation; America's 400th Anniversary Commemoration; report. Provides for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation to prepare a report providing an overview of the planning and a record of events for America's 400th Anniversary Commemoration on or before June 30, 2009. Under the bill the report will be prepared under the guidance of the planning entity and published as a joint document of the House of Delegates and the Senate of Virginia. The bill includes an emergency clause.

EMERGENCY

H.B. 2640

Patron: Jones

Criminal Justice Services Board; membership.  Increases the membership of the Criminal Justice Services Board by adding at least one member who represents the state Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Coalition, to be selected by the Governor from among names submitted by the Coalition. The bill contains technical amendments.

H.J.R. 651

Patron: Cosgrove

Resolution; school divisions of the Commonwealth.  Encourages the school divisions of the Commonwealth to consider launching a Project Lead the Way program in the division's high schools.

H.J.R. 652

Patron: Cosgrove

Resolution; K-8 Mathematics Specialists. Encourages the school divisions of the Commonwealth to consider using existing intervention, remediation, and at-risk funding to hire K-8 Mathematics Specialists as an effective means to improve the performance of low-achieving students.

H.J.R. 678

Patron: Tata

Study; shortage of classroom teachers; report.  Requests the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and the Virginia Community College System to study the shortage of classroom teachers in the Commonwealth, and specifically explore methods to attract students to the Virginia Community College System for the first two years of a teacher preparation program.

H.J.R. 680

Patron: Peace

Commemorative commission; Honoring American Indians of Virginia.  Expresses the General Assembly's support for and calls upon the Governor to establish a commemorative commission to honor the life, achievements, and legacy of Virginia Indians on the grounds of Capitol Square. The commission must submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly no later than the first day of the next Regular Session of the General Assembly for the 2009 and 2010 interims.

H.J.R. 681

Patron: Massie

Study; corporate income tax; report.  Directs the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission to study Virginia's corporate income tax system. It is a two-year study with its work to be completed by November 30, 2010.

H.J.R. 689

Patron: Saxman

Public's use of state waters.  Requests the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and the Marine Resources Commission to clarify the public's right to float, fish, and navigate the waters of the Commonwealth.

H.J.R. 711

Patron: Jones

Study; Joint Subcommittee to Study the Transportation Network of Hampton Roads; report.  Extends the mandate of the Joint Subcommittee to Study the Transportation Network of Hampton Roads for another year.

H.J.R. 713

Patron: Poindexter

Study; Department of Environmental Quality to study disposal of compact fluorescent bulbs; report. Requests the Department of Environmental Quality to study the environmental impact of the expanded use of compact fluorescent light bulbs in the residential sector. In conducting its study, the Department of Environmental Quality shall examine the impact on landfills, proper disposal or recycling in private residences, and public education opportunities. The study should determine the most effective ways to encourage and promote the environmentally sound management of compact fluorescent light bulbs containing mercury. The Department of Environmental Quality shall include in its recommendations strategies for (i) educating consumers on the benefits of proper management of a product that contains mercury and the need to recycle such bulbs; (ii) publicizing options for proper disposal; and (iii) working with the private sector to develop ways to allow the public to conveniently recycle fluorescent light bulbs.

H.J.R. 723

Patron: Landes

Study; Effecting No Child Left Behind on the Standards of Learning and high school graduation rates in Virginia; report.  Directs the Division of Legislative Services to collect data and information to measure the impact of NCLB on dropout and graduation rates in Virginia, and among other things, to monitor the proposed changes in the federal law, and collaborate with state and local entities examining or proposing initiatives designed to address dropout and graduation rates.  The Division of Legislative Services must submit an executive summary of the information and data collected to the 2010 Session of the General Assembly.

H.J.R. 730

Patron: Peace

Study; large animal veterinarians; report.  Requests the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University to study the shortage of large animal veterinarians. In conducting its study, the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine shall (i) determine the supply and demand for large animal veterinarians in Virginia, including by region of the Commonwealth; (ii) ascertain the causes of the shortage of such veterinarians and recommend immediate and long-term alternatives to ameliorate the demand; (iii) address the salary and working conditions of large animal veterinarians relative to the debt burden of recent graduates; (iv) propose incentives to encourage students to choose veterinary medicine as a career and large animal practice; (v) establish a profile of applicants to veterinary medicine school; (vi) determine the efficacy of increasing the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine's capacity at Virginia Tech to serve more veterinary students; and (vii) consider such other factors that may influence the practice chosen by veterinarians. In addition, the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine must provide for the meaningful participation of representatives of the Virginia Farm Bureau, Virginia Agribusiness Council, Virginia Veterinary Medical Association, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Virginia Department of Business Assistance, Virginia Economic Development Partnership, and State Veterinarian or their designees throughout the course of the study. Upon completion of the study, the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine must submit its report to the House Committees on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources and on Education, and the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources and on Education and Health, which will review the findings and recommendations for appropriate legislative, policy, and budgetary implications and action.

The Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine must submit its findings and recommendations to the 2010 Session of the General Assembly.

H.J.R. 756

Patron: Cosgrove

Virginia Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations. Encourages the Secretary of Transportation to establish a Virginia Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations. 

H.J.R. 783

Patron: Fralin

Recognizing the Virginia Rail Heritage Region in the Commonwealth.  Recognizes the Virginia Rail Heritage Region, consisting of the Counties of Alleghany, Amherst, Bedford, Botetourt, Campbell, and Roanoke, and the Cities of Bedford, Covington, Lynchburg, Roanoke, and Salem, as well as all towns in the region, as the "Virginia Rail Heritage Region." The local governing bodies of the respective localities composing the "Virginia Rail Heritage Region" are encouraged to work collaboratively to establish uniform highway signage on federal and state highways to promote rail tourism in their respective areas of the region.