A. The Virginia Growth and Opportunity Board is established as a policy board in the executive branch of state government. The purpose of the Board is to promote collaborative regional economic and workforce development opportunities and activities.

B. The Board shall have a total membership of 24 members that shall consist of seven legislative members, 14 nonlegislative citizen members, and three ex officio members. Members shall be appointed as follows: four members of the House of Delegates, consisting of the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations and three members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; three members of the Senate, consisting of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance and two members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; two nonlegislative citizen members to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, who shall be from different regions of the Commonwealth and have significant private-sector business experience; two nonlegislative citizen members to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, who shall be from different regions of the Commonwealth and have significant private-sector business experience; two nonlegislative citizen members to be appointed by the Governor, who shall be from different regions of the Commonwealth and have significant private-sector business experience; and eight nonlegislative citizen members to be appointed by the Governor, subject to the confirmation of the General Assembly, who shall have significant private-sector business experience. Of the Governor's nonlegislative citizen appointments subject to General Assembly confirmation, no more than two appointees may be from any one region of the Commonwealth. The Speaker of the House of Delegates and the Senate Committee on Rules shall submit a list of recommended nonlegislative citizens with significant private-sector business experience for the Governor to consider in making his nonlegislative citizen appointments. The Governor shall also appoint three Secretaries from the following, who shall serve ex officio with voting privileges: the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, the Secretary of Commerce and Trade, the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Finance, and the Secretary of Technology. Nonlegislative citizen members shall be citizens of the Commonwealth.

C. Legislative members and ex officio members of the Board shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office. After the initial staggering of terms, nonlegislative citizen members shall be appointed for a term of four 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. No House member appointed by the Speaker of the House shall serve more than four consecutive two-year terms, no Senate member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules shall serve more than two consecutive four-year terms, and 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's eligibility for reappointment.

D. The Board shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman from among its membership. The chairman shall be a nonlegislative citizen member. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum.

E. Any decision by the Board shall require an affirmative vote of a majority of the members of the Board.

F. Legislative members of the Board shall receive such compensation as provided in § 30-19.12, and nonlegislative citizen members shall receive compensation as provided in § 2.2-2813 for the performance of their duties. All members shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as provided in §§ 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825.

G. Staff support and technical assistance to the Board and the Governor in carrying out the provisions of this article shall be provided by the agencies of the Secretariats of Commerce and Trade, Education, and Finance.

2016, cc. 778, 779.