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2021 SPECIAL SESSION I

21103175D
HOUSE BILL NO. 1978
AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE
(Proposed by the House Committee on Rules)
(Patron Prior to Substitute--Delegate Reid)
House Amendments in [ ] – January 29, 2021
A BILL to amend and reenact § 2.2-424 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 30 a chapter numbered 1.2, consisting of a section numbered 30-19.21, relating to the Legislative Staff Development Fund.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 2.2-424 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Title 30 a chapter numbered 1.2, consisting of a section numbered 30-19.21, as follows:

§ 2.2-424. Registration fees.

The Secretary shall collect an annual registration fee of (i) $100 from the lobbyist for each principal that is not a for-profit entity for whom, or on whose behalf, the lobbyist will act. This fee, which shall be deposited into the general fund and used exclusively to fund the Council, and (ii) $400 from the lobbyist for each principal that is a for-profit entity for whom, or on whose behalf, the lobbyist will act, the first $100 of which shall be deposited into the general fund and used exclusively to fund the Council and the remaining $300 of which shall be deposited in the Legislative Staff Development Fund established pursuant to § 30-19.21.

CHAPTER 1.2.
LEGISLATIVE STAFF DEVELOPMENT FUND.

§ 30-19.21. Legislative Staff Development Fund.

A. As used in this section, "legislative staff" means a salaried staff person of a member of the House of Delegates [ or , ] Senate of Virginia [ , or the Division of Legislative Services ] .

B. There is hereby created in the state treasury a special nonreverting fund to be known as the Legislative Staff Development Fund, referred to in this section as "the Fund." The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. All funds deposited pursuant to § 2.2-424 and any gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds received on its behalf shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the Fund. Interest earned on moneys in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it. Any moneys remaining in the Fund, including interest thereon, at the end of each fiscal year that have not been expended for the purposes described in this section shall revert to the general fund and be used exclusively to fund the Virginia Conflict of Interest and Ethics Advisory Council established in § 30-355. Moneys in the Fund shall be used solely for the purposes of encouraging and supporting the professional development of legislative staff, including reimbursement of (i) tuition for coursework at a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education, as those terms are defined in § 23.1-100, and (ii) educational seminar and conference fees, including registration fees and expenses. Expenditures and disbursements from the Fund shall be made by the State Treasurer on warrants issued by the Comptroller upon written request signed by the Clerk of the House for recipients who are the legislative staff of a member of the House of Delegates and by the Clerk of the Senate [ or by either Clerk for recipients who are the legislative staff of the Division of Legislative Services ] for recipients who are the legislative staff of a member of the Senate.

C. The Clerks of the House of Delegates and the Senate shall jointly establish guidelines for the administration of the procedures and objective criteria for the award of grants from the Fund.

[ 2. That the provisions of this act shall become effective on May 1, 2022. ]