                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE BOARD (§ 2.2-2486)

A. The Board shall have the power and duty to:

   1. Designate regions for the purpose of administering this article;

   2. Certify qualifying regions and regional councils, including developing and
   implementing guidelines or procedures for such certification;

   3. Develop and implement guidelines and procedures for the application for and
   use of any moneys in the Fund;

   4. Receive and assess applications for awards from the Fund submitted by
   regional councils and determine the distribution, duration, and termination of
   awards from the Fund for uses identified in such applications;

   5. Advise the Governor on the allocation and prioritization of other funds
   available within the executive branch that may be used to promote economic and
   workforce development on a regional basis;

   6. Advise the Governor on the provision of technical assistance regarding the
   organization and operation of regional councils, the preparation of
   applications for Fund awards, and the development, validation, and assessment
   of regional economic growth and diversification plans and regional activities
   that receive grants from the Fund;

   7. Provide for the collection and dissemination of information concerning
   local, state, national, and other best practices related to collaborative
   regional economic and workforce development initiatives that focus on
   private-sector growth and opportunity;

   8. Designate advisory committees with expertise in the industries or clusters
   around which grant requests are proposed to assist in carrying out the
   Board&#8217;s duties;

   9. Seek independent analytical assistance from outside consultants, including
   post-grant assessments and reviews to evaluate the results and outcomes of
   grants awarded pursuant to this article;

   10. Enter into contracts to provide services to regional councils to assist
   with prioritization, analysis, planning, and implementation of regional
   activities;

   11. Submit to the Governor and the General Assembly an annual report for
   publication as a report document as provided in the procedures of the Division
   of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents
   and reports. The chairman shall submit to the Governor and the General
   Assembly an annual executive summary of the interim activity and work of the
   Board no later than December 1. The executive summary shall be submitted for
   publication as a report document as provided in the procedures of the Division
   of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents
   and reports and shall be posted on the General Assembly&#8217;s website; and

   12. Perform such other activities and functions as the Governor and General
   Assembly may direct.

B. The development of guidelines and procedures to implement the provisions of
this article shall be exempt from the provisions of the Administrative Process
Act (&#xA7; 2.2-4000 et seq.).

HISTORY: 2016, cc. 778, 779.