HB262: Transportation Board; adds urban and rural at-large members.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 33.1-2 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 33.1-2. Residence requirements; statewide interest.
Of such Board, one member shall be a resident of the territory
now included in the Bristol construction district, one in the Salem construction
district, one in the Lynchburg construction district, one in the Staunton
construction district, one in the Culpeper construction district, one in the
Fredericksburg construction district, one in the Richmond construction
district, one in the Hampton Roads construction district and one in the
Northern Virginia construction district. The remaining five members shall be
appointed from the Commonwealth at large, but at least two shall reside in
standard metropolitan statistical metropolitan planning areas with
populations greater than 200,000 and be designated as urban at-large
members, and at least two shall reside outside standard metropolitan
statistical metropolitan planning areas with populations greater
than 200,000 and be designated as rural at-large members. The at-large
members shall be appointed to represent rural and urban transportation needs
and be mindful of the concerns of seaports and seaport users, airports and
airport users, railways and railway users, and mass transit and mass transit
users. Each member so appointed shall be mindful of the best interest of the
Commonwealth at large primarily instead of those of the district from which
chosen or of the transportation interest represented.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §§ 33.1-1 and 33.1-2 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:
§ 33.1-1. State Highway and Transportation Board continued as Commonwealth Transportation Board; number and terms of members; removal from office; Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner continued as Commissioner of Highways; vacancies.
The State Highway and Transportation Board, formerly known as the State Highway and Transportation Commission, is continued and shall hereafter be known as the Commonwealth Transportation Board. Wherever either "Commission" or "Board" is used in this title referring to the State Highway and Transportation Board or the State Highway and Transportation Commission, it shall mean the Commonwealth Transportation Board.
The Board shall consist of seventeen 18
members: the Secretary of Transportation, the Commissioner of Highways, the
Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, and fourteen 15 citizen members. The citizen members shall be (i)
appointed by the Governor as provided in § 33.1-2, (ii) subject to confirmation
by the General Assembly, and (iii) removable from office during their
respective terms by the Governor at his pleasure. Appointments of citizen
members shall be for terms of four years commencing upon July 1, upon the
expiration of the terms of the existing members, respectively. The initial
terms of the members appointed in January, 1987, shall commence when appointed
and shall be for terms ending June 30, 1988, June 30, 1989, and June 30, 1990,
respectively. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the Governor for the
unexpired term and shall be effective until 30 days after the next meeting of
the ensuing General Assembly and, if confirmed, thereafter for the remainder of
the term. No person shall be eligible to serve more than two successive terms
of four years, other than the Secretary of Transportation, the Commissioner of
Highways, and the Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation.
A person heretofore or hereafter appointed to fill a vacancy may serve two
additional successive terms.
The Secretary of Transportation shall serve as Chairman of the Board. The Secretary shall have voting privileges only in the event of a tie. The Commissioner of Highways shall serve as Vice-Chairman of the Board. The Commissioner shall have voting privileges only in the event of a tie when he is presiding during the absence of the Chairman. The Director of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation shall serve without a vote.
Whenever in this title and in the Code of Virginia "State Highway Commission" or "State Highway and Transportation Board" is used, it shall mean "Commonwealth Transportation Board"; "State Highway Commissioner" or "State Highway and Transportation Commissioner" or "Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner" shall mean Commissioner of Highways; and all references to "Department of Highways and Transportation" shall refer to the Department of Transportation.
§ 33.1-2. Residence requirements; statewide interest.
Of such Board, one member shall be a resident of the territory
now included in the Bristol construction district, one in the Salem
construction district, one in the Lynchburg construction district, one in the
Staunton construction district, one in the Culpeper construction district, one
in the Fredericksburg construction district, one in the Richmond construction
district, one in the Hampton Roads construction district and one in the
Northern Virginia construction district. The remaining five six
members shall be appointed from the Commonwealth at large, but at least two three shall reside in standard metropolitan statistical metropolitan planning areas with
populations greater than 200,000 and be designated as urban
at-large members, and at least two shall reside outside standard metropolitan statistical metropolitan planning areas with populations greater than 200,000 and be designated as
rural at-large members. The at-large members shall be appointed to represent
rural and urban transportation needs and be mindful of the concerns of seaports
and seaport users, airports and airport users, railways and railway users, and
mass transit and mass transit users. Each member so appointed shall be mindful
of the best interest of the Commonwealth at large primarily instead of those of
the district from which chosen or of the transportation interest represented.