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2011 SESSION

11103787D
HOUSE BILL NO. 2000
Offered January 12, 2011
Prefiled January 11, 2011
A BILL to amend and reenact § 15.2-4507 of the Code of Virginia, relating to appointments by the Governor to the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission or the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Board of Directors.
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Patrons-- LeMunyon, Albo, Athey, Comstock and Greason
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Referred to Committee on Counties, Cities and Towns
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 15.2-4507 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 15.2-4507. Members of transportation district commissions.

A. Any transportation district commission created shall consist of the number of members the component governments shall from time to time agree upon, or as may otherwise be provided by law. The governing body of each participating county and city shall appoint from among its members the number of commissioners to which the county or city is entitled; however, for those commissions with powers as set forth in subsection A of § 15.2-4515, the governing body of each participating county or city is not limited to appointing commissioners from among its members. In addition, the governing body may appoint from its number or otherwise, designated alternate members for those appointed to the commission who shall be able to exercise all of the powers and duties of a commission member when the regular member is absent from commission meetings. Each such appointee shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing body; however, no appointee to a commission with powers as set forth in subsection B of § 15.2-4515 may continue to serve when he is no longer a member of the appointing body. Each governing body shall inform the commission of its appointments to and removals from the commission by delivering to the commission a certified copy of the resolution making the appointment or causing the removal.

In the case of a transportation district, commonly known as the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission, which was established on or after July 1, 1986, and which includes more than one jurisdiction located within the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, such commission shall also include two members of the House of Delegates and one member of the Senate from legislative districts located wholly or in part within the boundaries of the transportation district. The members of the House of Delegates shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House for terms coincident with their terms of office, and the member of the Senate shall be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules for a term coincident with his term of office. The members of the General Assembly shall be eligible for reappointment for successive terms. Vacancies occurring other than by expiration of a term shall be filled for the unexpired term. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments.

In the case of the Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads, such commission shall also include one member of the House of Delegates and one member of the Senate, one of whom shall be a resident of the City of Hampton or the City of Newport News and one of whom shall be a resident of the City of Chesapeake, the City of Norfolk, the City of Portsmouth, the City of Suffolk, or the City of Virginia Beach. The member of the House of Delegates shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House for a term coincident with his term of office and the member of the Senate shall be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules for a term coincident with his term of office. The members of the General Assembly shall be eligible for reappointment for successive terms. Vacancies occurring other than by expiration of a term shall be filled for the unexpired term. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments.

In the case of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, such Commission shall also include one member appointed by the Governor, who shall be both (i) a resident of a county, city, or town within the Northern Virginia Transportation District and (ii) a person who has significant experience, separate from any experience in government, in mass transit planning, finance, engineering, construction, or management.

The Chairman of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, or his designee, shall be a member of each commission, ex officio with voting privileges. The chairman of the Commonwealth Transportation Board may appoint an alternate member who may exercise all the powers and duties of the chairman of the Commonwealth Transportation Board when neither the chairman of the Commonwealth Transportation Board nor his designee is present at a commission meeting.

B. In appointing Virginia’s voting member to the board of directors of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission shall appoint one of the persons appointed to the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission by the Governor pursuant to subsection A, and the other person appointed by the Governor shall be the alternate. Any other appointed member of a commission of a transportation district, commonly known as the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission, which was established prior to July 1, 1986, and which includes jurisdictions located within the Washington, D.C., metropolitan statistical area, is also authorized to serve as a an additional member of the board of directors of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Chapter 627 of the Acts of Assembly of 1958 as amended), provided such person has significant experience, separate from any experience in government, in mass transit planning, finance, engineering, construction, or management, and while so serving, the provisions of § 2.2-2800 shall not apply to such member.

2.  That the provisions of this act shall not apply to appointments made to the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission or the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Board of Directors prior to July 1, 2011.