                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE COUNCIL (§ 2.2-2699.2)

The Council shall have the power and duty to:

1. Identify opportunities and recommend actions to use the economic development
engine offered by Virginia&#8217;s aerospace sector to benefit the sector and
the Commonwealth, including the attraction to Virginia of launch and other
aerospace companies, as well as federal, national, and international
investments, such as the FAA&#8217;s NextGen initiative and emerging NASA and
other federal programs;

2. Develop a long-term strategic plan to make the Mid-Atlantic Regional
Spaceport the commercial hub for space travel originating or concluding in the
United States;

3. Contribute to the continued development of the Mid-Atlantic Regional
Spaceport. Development efforts shall include, in part:
			a. Identification of any federal or state regulatory impediments, including
taxation, to the development of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport;
			b. Identification of threats to the spaceport&#8217;s viability, such as
encroachment, zoning, mineral exploration and exploitation, and noncompatible
uses of the spaceport; and
			c. Identification and recommendation of policy and legislative solutions to
potential state legal barriers to human spaceflight;

4. Advise the Governor and the General Assembly on infrastructure and marketing
investments needed to achieve the full potential of Virginia&#8217;s aerospace
sector as a whole, including, but not limited to, the Mid-Atlantic Regional
Spaceport;

5. Identify and recommend policies to support the critical role of baccalaureate
institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth in providing human capital
and research contributions that significantly impact the economic development of
aerospace-related and aerodynamic-dependent industries in the Commonwealth;

6. Identify and recommend policies to support aerospace sector needs for
workforce development as provided by the Virginia Community College System and
precollege educational system, including suggestions for enhanced development of
Virginia&#8217;s high-tech workforce pipeline in engineering, technology, and
science; and

7. Assist the Governor in any aerospace-related events and conferences hosted by
the Commonwealth.

HISTORY: 2007, c. 891; 2010, cc. 339, 836.