Provides that an alien who is unlawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible for admission to any public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth.

House version of Senate Bill (SB)29

House version of Senate Bill (SB) 30

Supports GRTC position on Education

Supports GRTC position on e-Government Initiatives & Education

Requires that the Statewide Transportation Plan include regional goals and performance measures for each highway construction district and an assessment of the fulfillment of these goals and performance measures for each highway construction district.

Authorizes the Virginia Resources Authority to finance local government energy efficiency projects.

Supports GRTC position on e-Government Initiatives

Supports GRTC position to support R&D

Establishes the Division for the Collection of Receivables within the Department of Accounts

Permits localities to prohibit the disposal of cathode ray tubes

Requires the manufacturer of computer equipment and televisions to adopt and implement a recovery plan providing for the reasonably convenient collection, recycling, and reuse of computer equipment and televisions returned by a consumer in the Commonwealth.

Supports GRTC Position on Intellectual Property

Requires that the Department, in cooperation with the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services and the Department of Rehabilitative Services, shall establish a program to monitor and coordinate mental health and rehabilitative services support for Virginia veterans and members of the Virginia National Guard and Virginia residents in the Armed Forces Reserves not in active federal service.

Allows Bath County to receive a set percentage of the communication sales and use tax revenues apportioned and distributed monthly to localities, beginning July 1, 2008.

Supports GRTC poision on e-Government - Provides that an alternative method of providing call location information exists when a 9-1-1 call to a public safety answering point (PSAP) provides sufficient information to ensure that emergency responders are dispatched to a location at the facility from which the call was placed, where the responders are able to view all of the telephone stations in the contiguous area containing the telephone from which the emergency call was placed.

Authorizes the Board of the Authority to designate the President and staff of the Center for Innovative Technology to carry out the day-to-day operations and activities of the Authority and to perform such other duties as may be directed by the Board

Supports GRTC position on Telework

Prohibits the dissemination of another person's social security number, regardless of whether such number is obtained from a public or private record. Currently, the prohibition against dissemination only applies to social security numbers obtained from private sources.

Provides that no agency shall require an individual to furnish or disclose his social security number (SSN) or driver's license number unless the furnishing or disclosure of such number is (i) expressly authorized by state or federal law and (ii) essential for the performance of that agency's duties.

Prohibits licensed motor vehicle dealers from collecting any additional license and registration fees imposed by the Hampton Roads Transportation Authority and/or the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority; and repeals § 46.2-206.1, which provides for the imposition of civil remedial fees on certain drivers.

Provides that at least 30 days prior to entering into an interim or comprehensive agreement under the Public-Private Educational Facilities and Infrastructure Act, a responsible public entity must hold a public hearing on the proposals. Currently a responsible public entity is required to provide an opportunity for public comment, which may include a public hearing at the sole discretion of the responsible public entity.

Removes the sunset (July 1, 2009) from the sales and use tax exemptions for audio and video works.

Removes the Secretaries of Education and Commerce and Trade, as well the Director of the State Council of Higher Education, from the board of directors of the Authority.

Supports GRTC position on Education

Supports GRTC position on e-Government

Defines the geographic seat of government of the Commonwealth as the "Capitol District."

Supports GRTC position on e-Government

Supports GRTC position on e-Government

Supports GRTC position on Telework - Cotifies the Office of Telework

Supports GRTC position on Telework

Supports GRTC position on Telework

Clarifies that any public body may use competitive negotiation for the construction, alteration, repair, renovation, or demolition of structures (and not just buildings) when the contract is not expected to cost more than $1 million.

Supports GRTC position on e-Government

Provides a management agreement between the Commonwealth of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University pursuant to the Restructured Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operations Act.

Requires, on or before July 1, 2008, the Department of Planning and Budget, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, to (i) develop model public participation guidelines and (ii) provide these model public participation guidelines to each agency that has the authority to promulgate regulations. By December 1, 2008, each agency shall either (a) adopt the model public participation guidelines or (b) if significant additions or changes are proposed, promulgate the model public participation guidelines with the proposed changes as fast-track regulations pursuant to § 2.2-4012.1.

Authorizes any consumer to freeze access to his credit report. If a consumer has placed a freeze on his credit report, a consumer reporting agency is prohibited from releasing the credit report, or any information in it, without the consumer’s express authorization.

Provides that the strategic plan for workforce development shall be developed in coordination with the development of the comprehensive economic development policy required from the Governor during the first year of his administration.

Establishes a pilot program for the placement of four new transmission lines, applied for between July 1, 2008, and July 1, 2012, to be placed underground, either in whole or in part.

Supports GRTC position on Telework - Requires state agencies to lease or convey an interest in a state-owned communication tower or site for which it is responsible to qualified providers of wireless broadband service in order to deploy broadband Internet service in areas of the Commonwealth that are not receiving adequate broadband service.

Proposed Title 3.2 (Agriculture, Animal Care, and Food) is a revision of existing Title 3.1 (Agriculture, Horticulture and Food) and consists of 65 chapters divided into five subtitles: Subtitle I (General Provisions; Protection and Promotion of Agriculture); Subtitle II (Boards, Councils, Foundations, and Commissions); Subtitle III (Production and Sale of Agricultural Products); Subtitle IV (Food and Drink; Weights and Measures); and Subtitle V (Domestic Animals).

Allocates annually 10 percent of the revenue generated by a one percent sales and use tax, not to exceed $100 million, to fund agricultural best management practices. The sales tax allocation would be deposited into the newly established Virginia Natural Resources Commitment Fund and distributed to the Department of Conservation and Recreation's Agricultural Best Management Practices Cost-Share Program for the implementation of agricultural best management practices (BMP).

Requires the Director of the Division of Purchases and Supply of the Department of General Services to solicit from each state agency a list of all procurements conducted by an agency that were competed with the private sector by October 1, 2008, and then every two years thereafter.

Creates an exemption from the retail sales and use tax for computer equipment used in data centers in Mecklenburg County that meet certain investment and job creation criteria.

Provides operational authority for public institutions of higher education in the areas of information technology, procurement, and capital outlay pursuant to the Restructuring Act of 2005.

Requires an individual or entity that owns or licenses computerized data that includes personal information to disclose any breach of the security of the system following discovery or notification of the breach to any resident of the Commonwealth whose unencrypted and unredacted personal information was, or is reasonably believed to have been accessed and acquired by an unauthorized person.

Supports GRTC position on Economic Development

Does NOT Support the GRTC Position - Abolishes the Department of Business Assistance and transfers its duties to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. - The Council is tracking HB 1522 which proposed to abolish the current Department of Business Assistance (DBA) and move its functions into the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP). DBA is a small agency responsible for assisting Virginia’s existing industry (particularly small businesses) to expand and create jobs. VEDP is the Commonwealth’s marketing arm responsible for attracting new businesses to Virginia and promoting Virginia’s exports. Currently, existing industry accounts of rover 75% of job growth and investment but DBA receives less than 20% of the overall economic development funds in the budget. The GRTC has had a longstanding position that the Commonwealth should move more towards a model where equal attention – and funds – are dedicated to the businesses that are already located here, as we do trying to attract new ones. These are the businesses that are responsible for the vast majority of job and investment growth. We believe that moving DBA into VEDP would only further dilute its services and funding. We support the Administration in opposing this bill.

Requires investor-owned electric utilities and electric cooperatives to submit, by January 1, 2009, a procurement plan that sets forth how it intends to meet its obligation to provide electric generation supply for its customers over the next 20 years. The procurement plan shall integrate, over the term of the plan, the electric utility's forecast of demand with actions to meet the forecasted demand, and identify a portfolio of electric generation supply resources that is likely to provide the electric generation supply needed to meet the forecasted demand at the lowest total price with reasonable price stability so as to assure just and reasonable prices. Updated procurement plans will be filed every two years thereafter.

Creates the 21st Century Capital Improvement Program which is a dynamic program for the orderly and systematic programming and financing of capital projects throughout the Commonwealth that will be revised annually for the acquisition, development, enhancement, planning, or replacement of public facilities over a multiyear period.

Supports GRTC position on Education

Establishes a joint subcommittee to study the partnership of Virginia’s public and private institutions of higher education to address the Commonwealth’s education and workforce needs.

Supports GRTC position on Economic Development

Supports the GRTC Position on R&D - development and enhancement of the biosciences and biotechnology.

Amending Chapter 847 of the 2007 Acts of Assembly, which appropriated the public revenues and provided a portion of such revenues for the two years ending, respectively, on the thirtieth day of June, 2007, and the thirtieth day of June, 2008.

Removes I.T. procurement from VITA and moves it to DGS; Move E-911 from VITA to VDEM; Increases VEAP LOC to $30M, Does not fund nor create the CAO:

The Administration has worked with interested parties including the Technology Community. An agreement has been crafted to support Senator Ken Stolle's (SJ 129) study of VITA to determine the best course of action. Until the results of the study are understood, I.T. procurement will remain within VITA. -- FURTHER the staff and support functions for E-911 will remain with VITA with the E-911 Board Chair being appointed from the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM).

Allows any local governing body, school board, or any authority, board, bureau, commission, district, or agency of local government to meet by electronic communication means without a quorum of the public body physically assembled at one location when the Governor has declared a state of emergency in accordance with § 44-146.17, provided (i) the catastrophic nature of the declared emergency makes it impracticable or unsafe to assemble a quorum in a single location and (ii) the purpose of the meeting is to address the emergency.

Provides that no agency shall require an individual to furnish or disclose his social security number (SSN) or driver's license number unless the furnishing or disclosure of such number is (i) expressly authorized by state or federal law and (ii) essential for the performance of that agency's duties. The bill also strengthens the remedies provisions of the GDCDPA by adding civil penalties matching those in FOIA, and grants general district courts the authority to hear GDCDPA cases.

Prohibits the dissemination of another person's social security number, regardless of whether such number is obtained from a public or private record. Currently, the prohibition against dissemination only applies to social security numbers obtained from private sources.

Supports GRTC Position on Telework - Requires state agencies to lease or convey an interest in a state-owned communication tower or site for which it is responsible to qualified providers of wireless broadband service in order to deploy broadband Internet service in areas of the Commonwealth that are not receiving adequate broadband service.

Authorizes the Board of the Authority to designate the President and staff of the Center for Innovative Technology to carry out the day-to-day operations and activities of the Authority and to perform such other duties as may be directed by the Board.

Removes the Secretaries of Education and Commerce and Trade, as well the Director of the State Council of Higher Education, from the board of directors of the Authority.

Authorizes the Virginia Resources Authority to finance energy conservation and energy efficient building projects.

Provides that the strategic plan for workforce development shall be developed in coordination with the development of the comprehensive economic development policy required from the Governor during the first year of his administration.

Allows Bath County to receive a set percentage of the communication sales and use tax revenues apportioned and distributed monthly to localities, beginning July 1, 2008.

Requires that the state average teacher salary not be less than the annual national average teacher salary in order to ensure high-quality instructional personnel in the public schools.

Requires that an individual or a commercial entity that conducts business in Virginia and that owns or licenses data that includes personal information about a resident of Virginia shall, when it becomes aware of a breach of the security of the system, (i) conduct in good faith a reasonable and prompt investigation to determine the likelihood that personal information has been or will be misused and (ii) notify the Office of the Attorney General that a breach has occurred.

Supports GRTC position on Education

Authorizes a responsible public entity (RPE) to include a gain-sharing component in any interim or comprehensive agreement for a qualifying project consisting of technology infrastructure, services or applications.

Supports the GRTC Position on e-Government - Permits local school boards to enter into contracts with publishers for the purchase of textbooks. The bill expands the definition of textbook to include print, electronic, online, and other manipulatives-based programs.

Provides a management agreement between the Commonwealth of Virginia and Virginia Commonwealth University pursuant to the Restructured Higher Education Financial and Administrative Operations Act.

Provides operational authority for public institutions of higher education in the areas of information technology, procurement, and capital outlay pursuant to the Restructuring Act of 2005.

Requires all state-owned buildings that encompass a total of area of over 10,000 square feet to meet the United States Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) silver certification standard, unless granted an exemption by the Director of the Department of General Services. The provisions of the bill do not apply to construction projects of public school districts.

Requires contractors to certify that they have undertaken immigration status verification on all of their employees, and that all employees are legally authorized to work in the United States

Supports GRTC Position on e-Government - Codifies the State Interoperability Executive Committee, which assists the Commonwealth Interoperability Coordinator.

Establishes a 15-member executive branch commission to assess the risks and benefits of developing uranium resources in Virginia.

Provides for additional testing of voting equipment in the certification process by individuals with expertise in election management, handicapped accessibility, and computer system security.

Supports GRTC position on e-Government

Authorizes any consumer to freeze access to his credit report.

Limits the number of satellites used for horse racing in a specified area and authorizes wagering on historical horse racing and allocates the proceeds.

Does NOT Support GRTC Position on e-Government - Adds the regulation of secondhand dealers to current statutes regulating pawnbrokers. The bill also (i) requires secondhand dealers to prepare a daily report of goods and items sold to them, (ii) requires a pawnbroker to maintain records of each loan or transaction in the course of business for a period of one year, (iii) authorizes the chief law-enforcement officer of a locality to designate alternative means of submitting required daily reports, and (iv) adds secondhand dealers to the existing penalty provisions for pawnbrokers.

Clarifies a number of issues for circuit court clerks including: use of the last four digits of a social security number on judgments (filer is responsible); that the clerk may provide information from a locality to remote access users; filer is responsible for cover sheet accuracy; allowing the clerk to rely on the cover sheet to index; the difference between e-filing of court records and e-recording of land records.

Creates an exemption from the retail sales and use tax for computer equipment used in data centers in Mecklenburg County that meet certain investment and job creation criteria. The exemption would allow the sales and use tax to be refunded to an eligible entity after the criteria set forth in the exemption are met.

Supports GRTC position on e-Government

Exempts from the Virginia Public Procurement Act the procurement by state agencies of staff augmentation and consulting services to supplement salaried and wage employees. The bill also exempts these transactions from the prequalification provisions of the Act. In addition, the bill provides for the Department of Human Resource Management to develop, in consultation with the Department of General Services and the Virginia Information Technologies Agency, guidelines for the procurement of staff augmentation and consulting services by state agencies.

Changes the primary staff of the Commission to the Department of General Services. Currently, the Offices of the Clerk of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Delegates are primary staff.

Requires the Department of Veterans Services to establish guidelines for the determination of eligibility for Virginia-domiciled veterans and their spouses, orphans, and dependents for participation in programs and benefits administered by the Department.

Allows prosecutions for misdemeanor identity theft to be commenced within the same limits as computer crimes. Those limits are the earlier of (i) five years after the commission of the last illegal act or (ii) one year after the existence of the illegal act and the identity of the offender are discovered.

Supports the GRTC Position on R&D - Establishes the Virginia Commission on Bioscience and Biotechnology within the legislative branch of state government for the purpose of studying and advancing the development and enhancement of the biosciences and biotechnology in the Commonwealth, and reviewing and implementing appropriate and efficacious recommendations of recent state and national research investigations in these disciplines, including the Governor’s Commission on Biotechnology. The Commission is also charged, among other things, to review, continue, and expand the work of the Governor’s Commission on Biotechnology, and to develop a strategic plan that will foster bioscience and biotechnology research in the Commonwealth and establish Virginia as a national and global leader in the field.

Supports GRTC Position on Education - Authorizes the issuance of 9(b) bonds in a principal amount not to exceed $1,525,492,000 for certain educational facilities, subject to approval by the voters voting at the November 4, 2008, general election.

Establishes a joint subcommittee to study ways to promote and ensure early reading proficiency and comprehension among third graders in public schools. In conducting its study, the joint subcommittee shall (i) determine the number of third graders who read at grade level; (ii) rank the school divisions according to the number of third graders who passed the most recent third grade reading test; (iii) identify best practices utilized by school divisions with the highest percentage of third graders who read at grade level; (iv) examine the findings and recommendations of state and national studies pertaining to the efficacy of early reading proficiency and comprehension and its relationship to academic success, and recommend those recommendations appropriate for implementation in Virginia; and (v) determine strategies to increase the number of third graders who pass the third grade reading test and ways to improve and sustain the early reading proficiency of third grade students.

Continuing the joint subcommittee to study the operations of circuit court clerks' offices.

Confirms appointments made by Governor Kaine of agency heads and other persons and communicated to the General Assembly October 1, 2007.

Establishes a joint subcommittee to study enhancing rapid transit service in Northern Virginia.

Supports the GRTC Position on Economic Development - Requests the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) to establish a Commonwealth Innovation Index to foster the formation, retention, and expansion of technology-based economic development opportunities. In developing the Innovation Index, CIT shall solicit input from the Commonwealth's regional technology councils and technology community.

Supports GRTC position on Continued Transition of Services to VITA

Recognizes the importance of international education in higher education in Virginia.