Chief Patron: Watts
State Asian & Pacific American Outreach Office

Item 56 #1h

Language
Page 45, line 3, strike "$1,148,100" and insert "$1,398,100".
Page 45, after line 7, insert:
"Out of this appropriation, $250,000 the second year from the general fund is provided to establish a State Asian and Pacific American Outreach Office."

Explanation
(This amendment provides funding to establish a new office to provide statewide outreach to Asian and Pacific American communities in Virginia, facilitate access to state programs and services, and support the efforts of the Virginia Asian Advisory Board. Funding will be used to support a three-person staff and provide $10,000 to support the activities of the Virginia Asian Advisory Board. Virginia is one of ten states with the largest Asian populations and Asian Pacific Americans (APAs) comprise about 4.2 percent of Virginia' population. A 1997 economic census concluded that there are 22,441 APA owned firms in Virginia that generate $4.4 billion in sales and receipts, creating jobs for 46,920 employees. Despite the population size and their tax and revenue contribution to the Commonwealth, many APAs face barriers to state services and programs.)