Bill Text: VA HB2197 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: Broadband Advisory Council; increases membership.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-02-10 - Left in General Laws [HB2197 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2015-HB2197-Introduced.html

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15101870D
HOUSE BILL NO. 2197 Offered January 14, 2015 A BILL to amend and reenact §2.2-2699.3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the Broadband Advisory Council. ---------- Patron-- Tyler ---------- Committee Referral Pending ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §2.2-2699.3 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§2.2-2699.3. (Expires July 1, 2018) Broadband Advisory Council; purpose; membership; compensation; chairman.

A. The Broadband Advisory Council (the Council) is established as an advisory council, within the meaning of §2.2-2100, in the executive branch of state government. The purpose of the Council shall be to advise the Governor and General Assembly on policy and funding priorities to expedite deployment and reduce the cost of broadband access in the Commonwealth.

B. The Council shall have a total membership of 11 15 members that shall consist of four six legislative members, five six nonlegislative citizen members, and two three ex officio members. Members shall be appointed as follows: three four members of the House of Delegates to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates in accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the Rules of the House of Delegates; one member two members of the Senate, to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; one citizen representative from the Virginia Cable Telecommunications Association; one citizen representative from the Virginia Telecommunications Industry Association and one citizen representative from local government recommended by the Virginia Municipal League and Virginia Association of Counties to be appointed by the Governor; two nonlegislative citizen members and a nonlegislative citizen representative of the Center for Rural Virginia to be appointed by the Governor; and the Secretaries of Agriculture and Forestry, Commerce and Trade, and Technology or their designees, who shall serve ex officio. Legislative members shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office. Other members shall be appointed for terms of two years. Appointments to fill vacancies, other than by expiration of a term, shall be for the unexpired terms. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments. All members may be reappointed.

C. Legislative members of the Council shall receive such compensation as provided in §30-19.12. Nonlegislative citizen members shall serve without compensation. All members shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in §§2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825. Funding for compensation and expenses of legislative members shall be provided by the operating budgets of the Clerk of the House of Delegates and the Clerk of the Senate upon approval of the Joint Rules Committee. Funding for the costs of expenses of the nonlegislative citizen members and all other expenses of the Council shall be provided by the Office of the Secretary of Technology.

D. The Council shall elect a chairman and a vice chairman annually from among its membership. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum. The Council shall meet at such times as may be called by the chairman or a majority of the Council.

E. Staff to the Council shall be provided by the Office of Telework Promotion and Broadband Assistance.