Bill Text: VA HB1837 | 2021 | Regular Session | Prefiled
Bill Title: Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board; clarifies membership.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2021-02-05 - Continued to 2021 Sp. Sess. 1 in Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources (14-Y 0-N) [HB1837 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2021-HB1837-Prefiled.html
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §10.1-502 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§10.1-502. Soil and Water Conservation Board; composition.
The Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board is continued
and shall perform the functions conferred upon it in this chapter. The Board
shall consist of nine voting nonlegislative citizen members and one ex officio member with nonvoting
privileges. The Director of the Department of Conservation
and Recreation,
or his designee,
shall be a nonvoting ex officio member of the Board. Three at-large nonlegislative
citizen members of the Board shall be
appointed by the Governor. After the initial
staggering of terms, nonlegislative citizen members shall be appointed for a
term of four years. At as
at-large members, of whom at least two members shall be appointed by the Governor as at-large
members and shall have a demonstrated interest in natural
resource conservation with a background or knowledge in dam safety, soil
conservation, or water quality protection. Additionally,
four nonlegislative citizen members
shall be farmers at the time of their appointment and two
nonlegislative citizen members shall be farmers or district
directors,. Each
of the six nonlegislative members who is a
farmer or district director shall be appointed
by the Governor from a list of two qualified nominees for each vacancy jointly submitted by
the Board and the Board of
Directors of the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, in consultation with the Virginia
Farm Bureau Federation and the Virginia
Agribusiness Council, and the Virginia
Soil and Water Conservation Board, each. Nonlegislative
citizen members shall be appointed for a term of four
years. All appointed members shall not serve more than two consecutive full
terms. Appointments to fill vacancies shall be made in the same manner as the
original appointments, except that such appointments shall be for the unexpired
terms only. The Board may invite the Virginia State Conservationist, Natural Resources
Conservation Service, to serve as an advisory nonvoting member. The Board shall
keep a record of its official actions, shall and adopt a seal and may
perform acts, hold public hearings, and promulgate adopt regulations necessary
for the execution of its functions under this chapter.