2006 Code of Virginia § 22.1-346.1 - Advisory Commission on the Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind; membership; powers and duti...

22.1-346.1. Advisory Commission on the Virginia Schools for the Deaf andthe Blind; membership; powers and duties; compensation; chairman andvice-chairman; staff.

A. There is hereby established the Advisory Commission on the VirginiaSchools for the Deaf and the Blind, which shall consist of 12 members to beappointed as follows: five members of the House of Delegates appointed by theSpeaker of the House of Delegates; three members of the Senate appointed bythe Senate Committee on Rules; three nonlegislative citizen members appointedby the Speaker of the House of Delegates; and one nonlegislative citizenmember appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.

Of the three nonlegislative citizen members so appointed by the Speaker ofthe House of Delegates, one shall be a former student of either of theschools, one shall be a parent of a sensory impaired multi-disabled studentwho is currently attending or has attended the Virginia School for the Deaf,Blind and Multi-Disabled at Hampton, and one shall be a current member of theBoard of Education. The nonlegislative citizen member to be appointed by theSenate Committee on Rules shall be a former student of either of the schoolsor a parent of a student who is currently attending or has attended either ofthe schools.

Legislative members shall serve on the Advisory Commission until theexpiration of their terms of office or until their successors shall qualify.Nonlegislative citizen appointments shall be for terms of four years, exceptthat appointments to fill vacancies shall be for the unexpired terms.Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointments.All members may be reappointed. However, no nonlegislative citizen member ofthe Advisory Commission shall be eligible to serve more than two successivefour-year terms. The remainder of any term to which a member is appointed tofill a vacancy shall not constitute a term in determining the member'seligibility for reappointment.

B. The Advisory Commission shall (i) monitor the operations of the VirginiaSchools for the Deaf and the Blind; (ii) advise the Board of Education andsubmit recommendations that seek to ensure the maintenance of a high qualityand cost-effective program of study and a safe and nurturing residentialenvironment at the schools; and (iii) perform any act or function which is inaccord with the purposes of this section.

C. Legislative members of the Advisory Commission shall receive suchcompensation as is set forth in 30-19.12. Such compensation shall be paidfrom funds appropriated to the General Assembly for such purposes. Allmembers shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expensesincurred in the performance of their duties as members of the AdvisoryCommission as provided in 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825.

D. The Advisory Commission shall elect a chairman and a vice-chairman fromamong its members.

E. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall designate a staff liaisonto coordinate the activities of the Advisory Commission. The AdvisoryCommission shall meet four times per year or upon the request of its chairmanor the Board of Education.

(1997, cc. 360, 361; 2000, c. 255; 2001, cc. 667, 687; 2005, c. 758.)