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2021 SESSION

21101025D
HOUSE BILL NO. 1978
Offered January 13, 2021
Prefiled January 11, 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.
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Patrons-- Reid, Helmer, Keam, Kory, Levine, McQuinn, Murphy, Rasoul, Simon, Subramanyam and Sullivan; Senator: Surovell
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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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 $100 $400 from the lobbyist for each principal for whom, or on whose behalf, the lobbyist will act. This Of this fee shall, $300 shall be deposited in the Legislative Staff Development Fund established pursuant to § 30-19.21, and $100 shall be deposited into the general fund and used exclusively to fund the Council.

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.

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 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.