Title 30. General Assembly
Subtitle .
Chapter 27. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission
Chapter 27. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission.
§ 30-192. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission.There is hereby established within the legislative branch, the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Commission, hereinafter referred to as the "Commission," to (i) promote the legacy and continuation of the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., particularly racial, economic and social justice, academic scholarship, and community service; (ii) coordinate and lead year-round educational and commemorative activities throughout the Commonwealth that inform the public of his principles, achievements, and contributions, giving special emphasis to his career as a scholar, author, orator, community leader, conciliator, and theologian, and to the federal and state King Holiday; (iii) facilitate public policy analysis relative to his principles and teachings; (iv) foster an appreciation of diverse cultures, particularly minority populations within the Commonwealth; and (v) provide opportunities for public discourse on contemporary issues.
1992, c. 741, § 9-145.45; 1997, c. 490; 2001, c. 844; 2002, c. 679; 2003, cc. 1035, 1037.
The Commission shall be composed of 18 members that consist of 10 legislative members and eight nonlegislative citizen members. Members shall be appointed as follows: four members of the Senate, to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; six members of the House of Delegates, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House, in accordance with the principles of proportional representation contained in the Rules of the House of Delegates; the Executive Director of Living the Dream; the President of the Foundation for the Humanities and Public Policy; three nonlegislative citizen members, of whom one shall be a representative of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Virginia and two shall be nonlegislative citizens at-large, to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; and three nonlegislative citizen at-large members, to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates. Nonlegislative citizen members shall be citizens of the Commonwealth. Unless otherwise approved in writing by the chairman of the Commission and the respective Clerk, nonlegislative citizen members shall only be reimbursed for travel originating and ending within the Commonwealth of Virginia for the purpose of attending meetings. The Senate Committee on Rules and the Speaker of the House shall ensure, to the extent possible, that their respective appointments to the Commission reflect the demographic population of the Commonwealth.
Legislative members and nonlegislative citizen members serving by virtue of their office on the Commission shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office. Nonlegislative citizen members shall be appointed for a term of two years. Appointments to fill vacancies, other than by expiration of a term, shall be for the unexpired terms. Legislative and nonlegislative citizen members may be reappointed for successive terms. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments.
The Commission shall elect a chairman and a vice-chairman from among its membership who shall be members of the General Assembly.
A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum. The Commission shall meet no more than four times each year. The meetings of the Commission shall be held at the call of the chairman or whenever the majority of the members so request.
No recommendation of the Commission shall be adopted if a majority of the Senate members or a majority of the House members appointed to the Commission (i) vote against the recommendation and (ii) vote for the recommendation to fail notwithstanding the majority vote of the Commission.
Legislative members of the Commission shall receive such compensation as provided in § 30-19.12, and nonlegislative citizen members shall receive such compensation for the performance of their duties as provided in § 2.2-2813. All members shall be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in §§ 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825. However, all such compensation and expenses shall be paid from existing appropriations to the Commission, or if unfunded, shall be approved by the Joint Rules Committee.
The Commission shall have the following powers and duties:
1. Identify, plan, develop, and implement appropriate programs and events that further the philosophy and memory of Dr. King;
2. Monitor the educational goals, programs, and objectives of public and private schools to encourage the recognition and inclusion of the achievements and contributions of ethnic and minority groups;
3. Inventory and review, biennially, activities and events sponsored by localities in the Commonwealth and those instituted or offered by public and private schools and institutions of higher education designed to honor Dr. King's memory;
4. Facilitate the analysis of public policy relative to Dr. King's principles and philosophy, including his work pertaining to social and economic justice, ethics, and racial equality, and promote the appreciation of diverse cultures among the citizenry;
5. Collaborate with The King Center in Atlanta and other established state and local entities and community organizations in activities and events that commemorate the birth and death, and in initiatives designed to perpetuate the work and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.;
6. Establish a memorial to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in which (i) records, oral histories, and memorabilia documenting his relationship with and impact on the Commonwealth may be acquired and preserved; (ii) information concerning his life, work, teachings, writings, and philosophy may be collected, preserved, and accessed for educational and cultural purposes; and (iii) scholarly inquiry and writing, undergraduate and graduate study, and policy analysis may be conducted;
7. Encourage and support collaborative activities among state, local, and national organizations that (i) emphasize the noncommercialization of the state and federal King Holiday, (ii) present his life and achievements in historical context, (iii) articulate the relationship between his philosophy, contributions, and current public policies, and (iv) demonstrate his principles consistently through significant participation of persons of diverse racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds in public and private endeavors and enterprises;
8. Monitor and evaluate state, local, and national public policy relative to the principles and philosophy of Dr. King, and make appropriate recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly to maintain progress towards social and economic justice and equal opportunity for all citizens;
9. Apply for and expend such gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds from any source as may be received or that becomes available in connection with its duties under this chapter, and may comply with such conditions and requirements as may be imposed in connection therewith;
10. Seek, accept, and direct the expenditure of public and private contributions to enable it to carry out the purposes of this chapter and to enhance its fiscal stability, financial management, and fund-raising abilities; and
11. Perform such other functions and activities as may be necessary to facilitate or implement the Commission's objectives.
The Office of the Clerk of the chairman of the Commission shall provide administrative staff support. The Division of Legislative Services shall provide legal, research, policy analysis and other services as requested by the Commission. All agencies of the Commonwealth shall assist the Commission, upon request.
The chairman of the Commission shall submit to the General Assembly and the Governor an annual executive summary of the interim activity and work of the Commission no later than the first day of each regular session of the General Assembly. The executive summary shall state whether the Commission intends to submit to the General Assembly and the Governor a report of its findings and recommendations for publication as a state document. The executive summary shall be submitted 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's website.
There is hereby created in the state treasury a special nonreverting fund to be known as the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission Fund, hereafter referred to as "the Fund." The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. All moneys, including gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds from any source as may be received by the Commission, shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the Fund. Interest earned on moneys in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it. Any moneys remaining in the Fund, including interest thereon, at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. Moneys in the Fund shall be used solely for the purposes of supporting the Commission's work and as seed money to generate additional funds. Expenditures and disbursements from the Fund shall be made by the State Treasurer on warrants issued by the Comptroller upon written request signed by the chairman, upon the approval of a majority of the members of the Commission.
Repealed by Acts 2005, c. 731, cl. 2.
