                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

BROADBAND ADVISORY COUNCIL; PURPOSE; MEMBERSHIP; COMPENSATION; CHAIRMAN (§
2.2-2699.3)

A. The Broadband Advisory Council (the Council) is established as an advisory
council, within the meaning of &#xA7; 2.2-2100, in the executive branch of state
government. The purpose of the Council shall be to advise the Governor on policy
and funding priorities to expedite deployment and reduce the cost of broadband
access in the Commonwealth.

B. The Council shall have a total membership of 17 members that shall consist of
seven legislative members, six nonlegislative citizen members, and four ex
officio members. Members shall be appointed as follows: four members of the
House of Delegates to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates in
accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the
Rules of the House of Delegates; three members of the Senate to be appointed by
the Senate Committee on Rules; and six nonlegislative citizen members to be
appointed by the Governor, of whom one shall be a representative of the Virginia
Cable Telecommunications Association, one shall be a representative of the
Virginia Telecommunications Industry Association, one shall be a representative
from local government recommended by the Virginia Municipal League and Virginia
Association of Counties, one shall be a representative of the Virginia Wireless
Internet Service Providers Association, one shall be a representative of a
wireless service authority, and one shall be a representative of the Virginia,
Maryland and Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives. The executive
director of the Senator Frank M. Ruff, Jr. Center for Rural Virginia and three
Secretaries as defined in &#xA7; 2.2-200 to be appointed by the Governor shall
serve ex officio. Legislative and ex officio members shall serve terms
coincident with their terms of office. Other members shall be appointed for
terms of two years. Appointments to fill vacancies, other than by expiration of
a term, shall be for the unexpired terms. Vacancies shall be filled in the same
manner as the original appointments. All members may be reappointed.

C. Legislative members of the Council shall receive such compensation as
provided in &#xA7; 30-19.12. Nonlegislative citizen members shall serve without
compensation. All members shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary
expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in &#xA7;&#xA7;
2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825. Funding for compensation and expenses of legislative
members shall be provided by the operating budgets of the Clerk of the House of
Delegates and the Clerk of the Senate upon approval of the Joint Rules
Committee. The Governor shall designate the office of one of the secretaries
appointed pursuant to subsection B to provide funding for the costs of expenses
of the nonlegislative citizen members and all other expenses of the Council.

D. The Council shall elect a chairman and a vice-chairman annually from among
its membership. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum. The Council
shall meet at such times as may be called by the chairman or a majority of the
Council.

E. Staff to the Council shall be provided by the Secretary of Commerce and
Trade. The Division of Legislative Services shall provide additional staff
support to legislative members serving on the Council.

HISTORY: 2009, cc. 818, 852; 2012, c. 528; 2015, c. 239; 2019, cc. 709, 710;
2024, cc. 132, 133.