CHAPTER 618
An Act to commemorate the centennial anniversary of women's right to vote.
Approved March 16, 2017
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. § 1. With such funds as are appropriated by the General Assembly and with the agreement of the Virginia Historical Society (the Society), the Society shall plan and lead the Commonwealth in commemorating the centennial anniversary of women's right to vote in 2020.
§ 2. The Society shall have the powers and duties to:
1. Plan, develop, and perform programs and activities appropriate to commemorate the centennial of women's right to vote and the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution;
2. Collaborate with the Library of Virginia, the Department of Education, the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy, the Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries Special Collections and Archives, and other interested persons and civic and community organizations to plan, provide, and promote appropriate educational and cultural programs to commemorate the history and leaders of women's suffrage in the Commonwealth;
3. Engage and encourage civic, historical, educational, and other organizations throughout the Commonwealth to organize and participate in activities to expand the understanding and appreciation of the significance of the centennial of women's right to vote;
4. Solicit, accept, use, and dispose of gifts, grants, donations, bequests, or other funds received by the task force for the purpose of aiding or facilitating its work; and
5. Perform such other duties, functions, and activities as may be necessary to facilitate and implement the objectives of this act.
§ 2. To assist the Society in its work, a task force is hereby created consisting of 12 members as follows: five legislative members, five nonlegislative citizen members, and two ex officio members. Members shall be appointed as follows: three 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; two members of the Senate to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; two nonlegislative citizen members to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; two nonlegislative citizen members to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; and one nonlegislative citizen member to be appointed by the Governor. The Librarian of Virginia or his designee and one representative of the Virginia Historical Society shall serve ex officio without voting privileges. Nonlegislative citizen members of the task force shall be citizens of the Commonwealth. Unless otherwise approved in writing by the chairman of the task force and the respective Clerk, nonlegislative citizen members shall be reimbursed only for travel originating and ending within the Commonwealth for the purpose of attending meetings.
Legislative members and ex officio members shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments.
The task force shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman from among its membership, who shall be members of the General Assembly.
§ 3. Quorum and meetings.
A majority of the members of the task force shall constitute a quorum. The task force shall meet no more than four times each year. The meetings of the task force shall be held at the call of the chairman or whenever the majority of the members so request.
§ 4. Compensation; expenses.
Legislative members shall receive such compensation as provided in the general appropriation act and the Society shall submit such attendance reports as necessary to the Clerk of the House of Delegates and the Clerk of the Senate to facilitate the payment of such compensation. From the appropriations to the Society as provided in the general appropriation act, the Society shall pay nonlegislative citizen members such compensation for the performance of their duties as provided in § 2.2-2813 of the Code of Virginia and shall reimburse all members for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in §§ 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825 of the Code of Virginia.
§ 5. The provisions of this act shall expire on January 1, 2021.