                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

MEMBERSHIP; POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE INITIATIVE; REPORT (§ 32.1-71.6)

A. The Initiative shall have a total membership of twelve members that shall
consist of eight representatives of health or medical institutions with
expertise in cancer clinical research and treatment, three nonlegislative
citizen members with expertise in cancer clinical research and treatment or
philanthropic support of cancer clinical research and treatment, and one ex
officio member. The representatives of health or medical institutions with
expertise in cancer clinical research and treatment shall be appointed by the
Commissioner as follows: one representative each from (i) the Massey
Comprehensive Cancer Center at Virginia Commonwealth University, (ii) the
University of Virginia Medical Center, (iii) the Leroy T. Canoles Jr. Cancer
Research Center at the Eastern Virginia Health Sciences Center at Old Dominion
University, (iv) the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech
Carilion, (v) Hampton University, and (vi) three nonacademic health systems. The
nonlegislative citizen members shall be appointed as follows: three members with
expertise in cancer clinical research and treatment or philanthropic support of
cancer clinical research and treatment, one of whom shall be appointed by the
Senate Committee on Rules, one of whom shall be appointed by the Speaker of the
House of Delegates, and one of whom shall be appointed by the Governor, subject
to confirmation by the General Assembly. The Secretary of Health and Human
Resources shall serve ex officio with voting privileges. 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. After the initial staggering of terms,
nonlegislative citizen members shall be appointed for a term of four years. No
nonlegislative citizen member shall serve more than two consecutive four-year
terms. The remainder of any term to which a member is appointed to fill a
vacancy shall not constitute a term in determining the member&#8217;s
eligibility for reappointment.

B. The Initiative shall elect a chairman from among its membership, provided,
however, that no institutional representative appointed as a member shall be
eligible to serve as chairman of the Initiative. A majority of the members shall
constitute a quorum. Members shall serve without compensation but shall be
reimbursed for actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

C. The Initiative shall have the power and duty to:

   1. Develop and provide coordinated financial incentives to the medical and
   health institutions focused on cancer clinical research and treatment in the
   Commonwealth to (i) collaborate on clinical trials in the areas with the most
   significant demonstrated need; (ii) leverage existing resources; (iii)
   incentivize the development of intellectual property research and associated
   patents relating to cancer clinical research and treatment created within the
   Commonwealth; (iv) combine clinical enrollment participant populations to
   increase efficiency and maximize the receipt of available federal funding; and
   (v) develop and implement plans and procedures for minimizing duplicative
   research efforts across institutions in the Initiative;

   2. Take such actions as deemed necessary and appropriate to further the
   Initiative&#8217;s purpose of coordinating, maximizing the efficiency of, and
   facilitating cancer clinical research and treatment efforts across the
   Commonwealth, including (i) developing and implementing plans designed to
   expand outreach and improve efforts to attract highly qualified individuals
   with expertise in cancer clinical research and treatment to the Commonwealth
   and (ii) developing policies and model contracts to streamline and facilitate
   the assignment and sharing of intellectual property research and foster the
   utilization of information, discoveries, data, and material produced or
   performed by institutions in the Initiative; and

   3. Submit an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly 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 of the Initiative shall submit to the Governor and
   the General Assembly an annual executive summary of the activity and work of
   the Initiative for the immediately preceding year no later than the first day
   of each regular session of the General Assembly. 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.

HISTORY: 2025, c. 630.