Bill Text: WV SB649 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Creating Minority Economic Development Advisory Team
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-02-20 - To Government Organization [SB649 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2016-SB649-Introduced.html
WEST virginia Legislature
2016 regular session
Introduced
Senate Bill 649
By Senator Walters
[Introduced February
20, 2016;
Referred to the Committee on Government Organization.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §31-15-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to the West Virginia Economic Development Authority; and creating a Minority Economic Development Advisory Team to assist the Director of the Economic Development Authority in developing and implementing a procedure to address employment and economic development problems of minority populations of West Virginia.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §31-15-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 15. WEST VIRGINIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
§31-15-3. Purposes of article.
(a) The purposes of this article shall be are
to provide for the formation of a public economic development authority to
promote, assist, encourage and, in conjunction with such banking corporations
or institutions, trust companies, savings banks, building and loan
associations, insurance companies or related corporations, partnerships, foundations,
nonprofit organizations or other institutions, to develop and advance the
business prosperity and economic welfare of the State of West Virginia; to
encourage and assist in the location of new business and industry; to stimulate
and assist in the expansion of all kinds of business activity which will tend
to promote the business development and maintain the economic stability of this
state, provide maximum opportunities for employment, encourage thrift and
improve the standard of living of the citizens of this state; to cooperate and
act in conjunction with other organizations, public or private, the objects of
which are the promotion and advancement of industrial, commercial, tourist or
manufacturing developments in this state; to borrow moneys and to issue its
bonds, notes, commercial paper, other debt instruments and security interests
as well as creating an insurance fund for credit enhancement purposes; to
furnish money and credit or credit enhancement to approved industrial
development agencies or enterprises in this state or for the promotion of new
projects or to retain existing projects or to financially assist projects by
insuring bonds, notes, loans and other instruments, including, but not limited
to, the insuring of financing of working capital or the refinancing of existing
debt of an enterprise, thereby establishing a source of credit and credit
enhancement not otherwise available; to review state procurement policies and
practices to assure that they meet federal and state requirements and that they
effectively encourage meaningful participation of African-Americans and other
minority persons in the process of competing for and awarding of state
contracts for goods and services; to encourage the state to continue to support
and expand small business incubator programs, including the program at
institutions of higher education in the state; to encourage new and minority
small business development; to undertake initiatives to encourage minority
business ownership similar to those efforts used to encourage greater rates of
business ownership among women; to assist community and economic development
corporations to provide effective technical and business advisory services to
minority-owned and -operated enterprises; to encourage industry, banks and
other private businesses to hire African-Americans and other minority persons;
to encourage governmental agencies and bodies and businesses to be more
aggressive in establishing diversity-conscious practices as employers and for
their operations; to enlist traditional and nontraditional lending institutions
to be more creative and favorable to lending in minority communities and to
minority persons, especially for business enterprises; to encourage small
business start-up and expansion and provide funding to assist minority vendors
to meet bid bonding requirements; and to encourage workforce investment boards
to be accountable for educating poor and minority persons for jobs better than
low-paying service jobs. These purposes are hereby declared to be public
purposes for which public money may be spent and are purposes which will
promote the health, safety, morals, right to gainful employment, business
opportunities and general welfare of the inhabitants of the state.
(b) It is the further purpose of this article to:
(1) Review, revise or establish state procurement policies and practices to assure that they meet federal and state requirements and that they effectively encourage meaningful participation of Africa-Americans and other minority persons in the process of competing for and awarding of state contracts for goods and services;
(2) Encourage the state to continue to support and expand small business incubator programs, including the program at institutions of higher education in the state.
(3) Encourage new and minority small business development to undertake initiatives to encourage minority business ownership similar to those efforts used to encourage greater rates of business ownership among women;
(4) Assist community and economic development corporations to provide effective technical and business advisory services to minority-owned and operated enterprises;
(5) Encourage industry, banks and other private businesses to hire African-Americans and other minority persons;
(6) Encourage governmental agencies and bodies and businesses to be more aggressive in establishing diversity-conscious practices as employers and for their operations;
(7) Enlist traditional and nontraditional lending institutions to be more creative and favorable to lending in minority communities and to minority persons, especially for business enterprises;
(8) Encourage small business start-up and expansion and provide funding to assist minority vendors to meet bid bonding requirements; and
(9) Encourage workforce investment boards to be accountable for educating poor and minority persons for jobs better than low-paying service jobs.
(c) In order to more effectively address the purposes of this article, there is hereby created and established the Minority Economic Development Advisory Team to assist the Director of the Economic Development Authority in developing and implementing a procedure to address employment and economic development problems of minority populations of West Virginia. The Minority Economic Development Advisory Team shall consist of the following:
(1) The Executive Director of the West Virginia Economic Development Authority, or designee;
(2) The Executive Director of the West Virginia Development Office, or designee;
(3) The Executive Director of the West Virginia Small Business Development Office, or designee;
(4) The Executive Director of the West Virginia Housing Development Fund, or designee;
(5) The Executive Director of the West Virginia Governor’s Workforce Investment Division, or designee;
(6) The Executive Director of the West Virginia Development Office of Economic Opportunity, or designee;
(7) The Director of the West Virginia Center for Business and Economic Research, or designee;
(8) The Director of the Marshall University Center for Business and Economic Research, or designee;
(9) The Director of Marshall University for Community and Economic Growth, or designee;
(10) The Executive Director of the local Workforce Investment Board, or designee;
(11) The Executive Director of the local city office of economic and community development, or designee;
(12) The Executive Director of the local urban renewal authority, or designee;
(13) The CEO of the local chamber of commerce, or designee; and
(14) The Executive Director of a local nonprofit community development corporation, or designee.
(d) The Minority Economic Development Advisory Team shall:
(1) Provide technical assistance, consultation and support that may be requested by the Executive Director of the West Virginia Economic Development Authority;
(2) Provide consultation, technical assistance and support to local communities in the development of their minority economic development plans;
(3) Provide technical assistance, consultation and support to local communities in the execution of their plans;
(4) Provide support to local communities in identifying resources to support their plans; and
(5) Work with state executives to ensure that existing legislation that targets vulnerable communities are effectively executed.
(e) Members of the Minority Economic Development Advisory Team are not entitled to compensation for service on the advisory team but may be reimbursed by the West Virginia Economic Development Authority for all reasonable and necessary expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties in a manner consistent with guidelines of the travel management office of the Department of Administration or its successor.
(f) The Minority Economic Development Advisory Team shall meet at least once each quarter of the year and shall conduct all meetings in accordance with the open governmental meetings proceedings act pursuant to article nine-a, chapter six of this code.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create a Minority Economic Development Advisory Team to assist the Director of the Economic Development Authority in developing and implementing a procedure to address employment and economic development problems of minority populations of West Virginia.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
