                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SERVICES (§ 2.2-2238)

A. It shall be the duty of the Authority to encourage, stimulate, and support
the development and expansion of the economy of the Commonwealth. The Authority
is charged with the following duties and responsibilities to:

   1. See that there are prepared and carried out effective economic development
   marketing and promotional programs;

   2. Make available, in conjunction and cooperation with localities, chambers of
   commerce, industrial authorities, and other public and private groups, to
   prospective new businesses basic information and pertinent factors of interest
   and concern to such businesses;

   3. Formulate, promulgate, and advance programs throughout the Commonwealth for
   encouraging the location of new businesses in the Commonwealth and the
   retention and growth of existing businesses;

   4. Encourage and solicit private sector involvement, support, and funding for
   economic development in the Commonwealth;

   5. Encourage the coordination of the economic development efforts of public
   institutions, regions, communities, and private industry and collect and
   maintain data on the development and utilization of economic development
   capabilities;

   6. Establish such offices within and without the Commonwealth that are
   necessary to the expansion and development of industries and trade;

   7. Encourage the export of products and services from the Commonwealth to
   international markets;

   8. Advise, upon request, the State Board for Community Colleges in designating
   technical training programs in Virginia&#8217;s comprehensive community
   colleges for the Community College Incentive Scholarship Program pursuant to
   former &#xA7; 23-220.4;

   9. Offer a program for the issuance of export documentation for companies
   located in Virginia exporting goods and services if no federal agency or other
   regulatory body or issuing entity will provide export documentation in a form
   deemed necessary for international commerce; and

   10. Establish an Office of Education and Labor Market Alignment (the Office)
   to coordinate data analysis on workforce and higher education alignment and
   translate data to partners. The Office shall provide a unified, consistent and
   impartial source of information or analysis for policy development and
   implementation related to education, the labor market, and workforce
   development. The Office shall partner with the State Council of Higher
   Education for Virginia, institutions of higher education, the Virginia
   Department of Education, the Virginia Employment Commission, the Virginia
   Growth and Opportunity Board, the Department of Workforce Development and
   Advancement, and other relevant entities to offer resources and expertise
   related to education, workforce development, and labor market alignment. The
   Office shall communicate relevant information in a clear and concise manner to
   enable policy and decision makers to navigate the complex connections between
   education, workforce development, and labor market alignment.

B. The Authority may develop a site and building assessment program to identify
and assess the Commonwealth&#8217;s industrial sites of at least 100 acres. In
developing such a program, the Authority shall establish assessment guidelines
and procedures for identification of industrial sites, resource requirements,
and development oversight. The Authority shall invite participation by regional
and industry stakeholders to assess potential sites, identify product
shortfalls, and make recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly for
marketing such sites, in alignment with the goals outlined in the
Governor&#8217;s economic development plan.

C. The Authority may encourage the import of products and services from
international markets to the Commonwealth.

HISTORY: 1995, c. 638, § 2.1-548.29; 1996, cc. 590, 598; 1997, cc. 437, 448;
1999, c. 542; 2001, cc. 483, 557, 844; 2004, cc. 650, 872; 2009, cc. 374, 569;
2015, c. 342; 2016, c. 315; 2017, cc. 13, 19; 2020, c. 591; 2021, Sp. Sess. I,
c. 502; 2023, cc. 624, 625.