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1996 SESSION

964347400
HOUSE BILL NO. 708
Offered January 22, 1996
A BILL to amend and reenact § 2.1-1.7 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 9 a chapter numbered 46, consisting of sections numbered 9-350 through 9-355, relating to the creation of the Southwest Virginia Economic Development Council; appropriation.
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Patron-- Phillips
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Referred to Committee on General Laws
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 2.1-1.7 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Title 9 a chapter numbered 46, consisting of sections numberd 9-350 through 9-355, as follows:

§ 2.1-1.7. State councils.

A. There shall be, in addition to such others as may be established by law, the following permanent collegial bodies either affiliated with more than one agency or independent of an agency within the executive branch:

Adult Education and Literacy, Virginia Advisory Council for

Agricultural Council, Virginia

Alcohol and Drug Abuse Problems, Governor's Council on

Apprenticeship Council

Blue Ridge Regional Education and Training Council

Child Day Care and Early Childhood Programs, Virginia Council on

Child Day-Care Council

Citizens' Advisory Council on Furnishing and Interpreting the Executive Mansion

Commonwealth Competition Council

Commonwealth's Attorneys' Services Council

Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, Virginia

Disability Services Council

Equal Employment Opportunity Council, Virginia

Health Services Cost Review Council, Virginia

Housing for the Disabled, Interagency Coordinating Council on

Human Rights, Council on

Human Services Information and Referral Advisory Council

Indians, Council on

Interagency Coordinating Council, Virginia

Job Training Coordinating Council, Governor's

Land Evaluation Advisory Council

Local Debt, State Council on

Maternal and Child Health Council

Military Advisory Council, Virginia

Needs of Handicapped Persons, Overall Advisory Council on the

Prevention, Virginia Council on Coordinating

Public Records Advisory Council, State

Rate-setting for Children's Facilities, Interdepartmental Council on

Revenue Estimates, Advisory Council on

Southside Virginia Marketing Council

Southwest Virginia Economic Development Council

Specialized Transportation Council

State Health Benefits Advisory Council

Status of Women, Council on the

Technology Council, Virginia

Virginia Business-Education Partnership Program, Advisory Council on the

Virginia Recycling Markets Development Council.

B. Notwithstanding the definition for "council" as provided in § 2.1-1.2, the following entities shall be referred to as councils:

Council on Information Management

Higher Education, State Council of

Independent Living Council, Statewide

Rehabilitation Advisory Council, Statewide

Rehabilitation Advisory Council for the Blind, Statewide

World Trade Council, Virginia.

CHAPTER 46.
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL.

§ 9-350. Council created; purpose.

There is hereby created the Southwest Virginia Economic Development Council, the "Council." The purpose of the Council shall be, through the exercise of its powers and performance of its duties to study, report, and propose recommendations as to measures which might be taken to improve and enhance economic development in the Southwest Region of the Commonwealth. The Council shall identify ways in which industry might be attracted to the Region by activities of the state government, by individual and joint efforts of the local governments in the region, by regional efforts with the governments of neighboring states and their local governments, by programs provided by or through the educational institutions located in the area, and by programs of the regional business, banking, and industrial community.

For the purposes of this chapter, the "Southwest Region" includes the Counties of Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Montgomery, Pulaski, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe and the Cities of Bristol, Galax, and Norton.

§ 9-351. Membership; terms, vacancies; compensation.

The Council shall be composed of seventeen members as follows: three members of the House of Delegates appointed by the Speaker; two members of the Senate of Virginia appointed by the Senate Committee on Privileges and Elections. The remaining twelve members shall be appointed by the Governor from the Southwest Region and shall include two representatives of local governments, two local economic development officials, two representatives each from the business and industrial communities, one representative of the banking community, one representative of a major utility, one president of a community college, one representative of a four-year institution of higher education. A representative of the Southwest Office of the Department of Economic Development, to be designated by the Director of the Department, shall be an ex officio member of the Council.

Of the twelve members appointed by the Governor, three shall serve four-year terms, four shall serve three-year terms, three shall serve two-year terms, and two shall serve one-year terms. Thereafter, all appointments shall be for terms of four years, except that appointments to fill vacancies shall be for the unexpired terms. No member shall be eligible to serve more than two successive four-year terms.

Members of the Council shall receive no compensation but shall receive their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

§ 9-352. Powers and duties of the Council.

The Council shall:

1. Attract new business prospects to Southwest Virginia and enhance existing local business through marketing and promotional activities;

2. Encourage Southwest localities to work cooperatively to promote the Region's strengths and advantages;

3. Support regional promotion through the distribution of funds which may be appropriated or received for marketing;

4. Apply for, accept, and expend gifts, grants, or donations from public or private sources to enable it to carry out its objectives; and

5. Perform any act or function which is in accord with the purposes of this chapter.

§ 9-353. Staff support.

The Institute for Community Resource Development at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University shall provide staff assistance to the Council. The Council is further authorized to employ such professional, consultative, and secretarial services and to rent such office space and equipment as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

§ 9-354. Annual report.

Following the close of the calendar year, the Council shall submit an annual report of its activities for the preceding year to the Governor and the General Assembly. Each such report shall set forth a complete operating and financial statement covering the operation of the Council during the year.

§ 9-355. Cooperation of state agencies.

All agencies of the Commonwealth shall cooperate with the Council and, upon request, assist the Council in the performance of its duties and responsibilities.

2. That there is hereby appropriated from the general fund of the state treasury the sum of $50,000 to carry out the purposes of this act.