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2020 SESSION

20101385D
HOUSE BILL NO. 437
Offered January 8, 2020
Prefiled January 3, 2020
A BILL to amend and reenact § 2.2-1124 and 2.2-1606 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Department of General Services; disposition of surplus materials; permit sale to military spouse-owned businesses.
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Patron-- Carroll Foy
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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 §§ 2.2-1124 and 2.2-1606 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 2.2-1124. Disposition of surplus materials.

A. For purposes of this section, "surplus materials" means personal property, including materials, supplies, equipment, and recyclable items, but does not include property as defined in § 2.2-1147 that is determined to be surplus. "Surplus materials" does not include finished products that a state hospital or training center operated by the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services sells for the benefit of individuals receiving services in the state hospital or training center, provided that (i) most of the supplies, equipment, or products have been donated to the state hospital or training center; (ii) the individuals in the state hospital or training center have substantially altered the supplies, equipment, or products in the course of occupational or other therapy; and (iii) the substantial alterations have resulted in a finished product.

B. The Department shall establish procedures for the disposition of surplus materials from departments, divisions, institutions, and agencies of the Commonwealth. Such procedures shall:

1. Permit surplus materials to be transferred between or sold to departments, divisions, institutions, or agencies of the Commonwealth;

2. Permit surplus materials to be sold to Virginia charitable corporations granted tax-exempt status under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and operating as clinics for the indigent and uninsured that are organized for the delivery of primary health care services (i) as federally qualified health centers designated by the Health Care Financing Administration or (ii) at a reduced or sliding fee scale or without charge;

3. Permit public sales or auctions, including online public auctions;

4. Permit surplus motor vehicles to be sold prior to public sale or auction to local social service departments for the purpose of resale at cost to TANF recipients;

5. Permit surplus materials to be sold to Virginia charitable corporations granted tax-exempt status under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and operating as children's homes;

6. Permit donations to political subdivisions of the Commonwealth under the circumstances specified in this section;

7. Permit other methods of disposal when (a) the cost of the sale will exceed the potential revenue to be derived therefrom or (b) the surplus material is not suitable for sale;

8. Permit any animal especially trained for police work to be sold at a price of $1 to the handler who last was in control of the animal. The agency or institution may allow the immediate survivor of any full-time sworn law-enforcement officer who (i) is killed in the line of duty or (ii) dies in service and has at least 10 years of service to purchase the service animal at a price of $1. Any such sale shall not be deemed a violation of the State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act (§ 2.2-3100 et seq.);

9. Permit the transfer of surplus clothing to an appropriate department, division, institution, or agency of the Commonwealth for distribution to needy individuals by and through local social services boards;

10. Encourage the recycling of paper products, beverage containers, electronics, and used motor oil;

11. Require the proceeds from any sale or recycling of surplus materials be promptly deposited into the state treasury in accordance with § 2.2-1802 and report the deposit to the State Comptroller;

12. Permit donations of surplus computers and related equipment to public schools in the Commonwealth and Virginia charitable corporations granted tax-exempt status under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and providing services to persons with disabilities, at-risk youths, or low-income families. For the purposes of this subdivision, "at-risk youths" means school-age children approved eligible to receive free or reduced price meals in the federally funded lunch program;

13. Permit surplus materials to be transferred or sold, prior to public sale or auction, to public television stations located in the state and other nonprofit organizations approved for the distribution of federal surplus materials;

14. Permit a public institution of higher education to dispose of its surplus materials at the location where the surplus materials are held and to retain any proceeds from such disposal, provided that the institution meets the conditions prescribed in subsection A of § 23.1-1002 and § 23.1-1019 (regardless of whether or not the institution has been granted any authority under Article 4 (§ 23.1-1004 et seq.) of Chapter 10 of Title 23.1);

15. Permit surplus materials from (i) the Department of Defense Excess Property Program or (ii) other surplus property programs administered by the Commonwealth to be transferred or sold to Virginia charitable corporations granted tax-exempt status under § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and operating as an educational institution devoted to emergency management training, preparedness, and response;

16. Require, to the extent practicable, the recycling and disposal of computers and other information technology assets. Additionally, for computers or information technology assets that may contain confidential state data or personal identifying information of citizens of the Commonwealth, the Department shall ensure all policies for the transfer or other disposition of computers or information technology assets are consistent with data and information security policies developed by the Virginia Information Technologies Agency; and

17. Permit surplus materials to be sold, prior to public sale or auction, to (i) service disabled veteran-owned businesses and, (ii) veterans service organizations, and (iii) military spouse-owned businesses.

For purposes of this subdivision:

"Military spouse" means a person whose spouse is an active military, naval, or air service member or veteran as those terms are defined in § 2.2-2000.1.

"Military spouse-owned business" means a business concern that is at least 51 percent owned by one or more military spouses or, in the case of a corporation, partnership, or limited liability company or other entity, at least 51 percent of the equity ownership interest in the corporation, partnership, or limited liability company or other entity is owned by one or more individuals who are military spouses and both the management and daily business operations are controlled by one or more individuals who are military spouses.

"Service disabled veteran" means the same as that term is defined in § 2.2-2000.1.

"Service disabled veteran-owned business" means the same as that term is defined in § 2.2-2000.1.

"Veterans service organization" means an association or other entity organized for the benefit of veterans that has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or chartered by Congress.

C. The Department shall dispose of surplus materials pursuant to the procedures established in subsection B or permit any department, division, institution, or agency of the Commonwealth to dispose of its surplus materials consistent with the procedures so established. No surplus materials shall be disposed of without prior consent of the head of the department, division, institution, or agency of the Commonwealth in possession of such surplus materials or the Governor.

D. Departments, divisions, institutions, or agencies of the Commonwealth or the Governor may donate surplus materials only under the following circumstances:

1. Emergencies declared in accordance with § 44-146.18:2 or 44-146.28;

2. As set forth in the budget bill as defined by § 2.2-1509, provided that (a) the budget bill contains a description of the surplus materials, the method by which the surplus materials shall be distributed, and the anticipated recipients, and (b) such information shall be provided by the Department to the Department of Planning and Budget in sufficient time for inclusion in the budget bill;

3. When the market value of the surplus materials, which shall be donated for a public purpose, is less than $500; however, the total market value of all surplus materials so donated by any department, division, institution, or agency shall not exceed 25 percent of the revenue generated by such department's, division's, institution's, or agency's sale of surplus materials in the fiscal year, except these limits shall not apply in the case of surplus computer equipment and related items donated to Virginia public schools; or

4. During a local emergency, upon written request of the head of a local government or a political subdivision in the Commonwealth to the head of a department, division, institution, or agency.

E. On or before October 1 of each year, the Department shall prepare, and file with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, a plan that describes the expected disposition of surplus materials in the upcoming fiscal year pursuant to subdivision B 6.

F. The Department may make available to any local public body of the Commonwealth the services or facilities authorized by this section; however, the furnishing of any such services shall not limit or impair any services normally rendered any department, division, institution, or agency of the Commonwealth. All public bodies shall be authorized to use the services of the Department's Surplus Property Program under the guidelines established pursuant to this section and the surplus property policies and procedures of the Department. Proceeds from the sale of the surplus property shall be returned to the local body minus a service fee. The service fee charged by the Department shall be consistent with the fee charged by the Department to state public bodies.

§ 2.2-1606. Powers of Director.

As deemed necessary or appropriate to better fulfill the duties of the Department, the Director may:

1. With the participation of other state departments and agencies, develop comprehensive plans and specific program goals for small, women-owned, and minority-owned business programs; establish regular performance monitoring and reporting systems to assure that goals of state agencies and institutions are being achieved; and evaluate the impact of federal and state support in achieving objectives.

2. Employ the necessary personnel or subcontract, according to his discretion, with localities to supplement the functions of business development organizations.

3. Assure the coordinated review of all proposed state training and technical assistance activities in direct support of small, women-owned, and minority-owned business programs to ensure consistency with program goals and to avoid duplication.

4. Convene, for purposes of coordination, meetings of the heads of departments and agencies, or their designees, whose programs and activities may affect or contribute to the purposes of this chapter.

5. Convene business leaders, educators, and other representatives of the private sector who are engaged in assisting the development of small, women-owned, and minority-owned business programs or who could contribute to their development for the purpose of proposing, evaluating, or coordinating governmental and private activities in furtherance of the objectives of this chapter.

6. Provide the managerial and organizational framework through which joint undertakings with state departments or agencies or private organizations can be planned and implemented.

7. Recommend appropriate legislative or executive actions.

8. Adopt regulations to implement certification programs for small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses and employment services organizations, which regulations shall be exempt from the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.) pursuant to subdivision B 2 of § 2.2-4002. Such certification programs shall allow applications for certification to be submitted by electronic means as authorized by § 59.1-496 and the applicant to affix thereto his electronic signature, as defined in § 59.1-480. Such certification programs shall deny certification to vendors from states that deny like certifications to Virginia-based small, women-owned, or minority-owned businesses and employment services organizations or that provide a preference for small, women-owned, or minority-owned businesses and employment services organizations based in that state that is not available to Virginia-based businesses. The regulations shall (i) establish minimum requirements for certification of small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses and employment services organizations; (ii) provide a process for evaluating existing local, state, and private sector certification programs that meet the minimum requirements; and (iii) mandate certification without any additional paperwork of any small, women-owned, or minority-owned business that has obtained (a) certification under any federal certification program or (b) certification under any other certification program that is determined to meet the minimum requirements established in the regulations, and of any employment services organization that has been approved by the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services. All employment services organization certifications shall remain in effect until the Department is notified by the Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services that such organization is no longer approved. The regulations shall also require as a prerequisite for approval that any out-of-state business applying for certification in Virginia as a small, women-owned, or minority-owned business have the equivalent certification in the business's state of origin. An out-of-state business located in a state that does not have a small, women-owned, or minority-owned business certification program shall be exempt from the requirements of this provision.

9. Establish an interdepartmental board in accordance with § 2.2-1608 to supply the Director with information useful in promoting minority business activity.

10. Adopt reasonable regulations to implement a program to certify, upon request of the business owner, that he holds a "Military spouse-owned business" status, as that term is defined in § 2.2-1124.