A. There is hereby established in the legislative branch of state government the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund Advisory Committee (the Committee). The Committee shall advise the General Assembly on the expenditure of moneys received in the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund (the Fund) created pursuant to § 46.2-749.2.

B. The Committee shall consist of seven persons as follows: two members of the House of Delegates appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; one member of the Senate appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules; two nonlegislative citizen members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates, one of whom shall be a representative of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation; and two nonlegislative citizen members appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, one of whom shall be a representative of the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts. All persons appointed to the Committee shall be representative of the interests associated with the restoration and conservation of the Chesapeake Bay and shall be citizens of the Commonwealth.

C. Nonlegislative citizen members of the Committee shall serve for terms of four years. Legislative members shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office and may be reappointed for successive terms. Appointments to fill vacancies shall be for the unexpired term and shall be made in the same manner as the original appointment. Nonlegislative citizen members shall not be eligible to serve more than four 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. Members shall receive no compensation for their services, but shall be reimbursed out of the Fund for all reasonable and necessary expenses as provided in §§ 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825 incurred in the performance of their duties. The Division of Legislative Services shall be reimbursed from the Fund for costs, as shall be approved by the Committee, incurred in providing administrative assistance to the Committee.

E. The Committee shall elect a chairman and vice-chairman from among its legislative membership. A majority of the members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum. The Committee shall meet at least one time each year, and additional meetings may be held at the call of the chairman.

F. The Committee shall develop goals and guidelines for the use of the Fund in accordance with the purposes of the fund as provided in § 46.2-749.2. The uses of the Fund may include cooperative programs with, or project grants to, state agencies, the federal government, or any not-for-profit agency, institution, organization, or entity, public or private. Moneys in the Fund shall not be used to supplant existing general fund appropriations except as provided in subsection D.

G. No later than November 15 of each year, the Committee shall present to the General Assembly and the Governor a plan for expenditure of any amounts in the Fund.

H. Staffing of the Committee shall be provided by the Division of Legislative Services.

1995, cc. 749, 823, § 10.1-2116; 1996, c. 129; 2004, c. 1000; 2018, c. 628; 2019, c. 350.