Authority: Title 2.2, Chapter 2, Article 4, § 2.2-201A, Code of Virginia.
A.1. It is the intent of the General Assembly that institutions of higher education develop strategic plans, at least every four years, that promote and sustain the quality, access, accountability, and affordability of Virginia's public institutions of higher education.
2. Each four-year public institution of higher education, Richard Bland College, and the Virginia Community College System shall submit to the State Council of Higher Education, pursuant to Item 165, paragraph B 1, a progress report on implementing its current strategic plan, including the progress it has made in meeting the following statewide goals: a) enhancing instructional quality; b) accommodating enrollment demand; and c) increasing Virginia's national standing with regard to sponsored research.
3. In implementing these statewide goals and their institutional goals, Virginia public colleges and universities shall apply the following guiding principles: a) maximize student access to higher education and minimize the cost to students and the state; b) enhance administrative efficiency and productivity; and c) streamline operations as a means for improving managerial flexibility.
B. The Secretary of Education is hereby authorized to make allocations to qualified zone academies of the portion of the national zone academy bond limitation amount to be allocated annually to the Commonwealth of Virginia pursuant to Section 1397E of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and to provide for carryovers of any unused limitation amount. In making such allocations, the Secretary of Education is directed to give priority to allocation requests for qualified zone academies having at least 35 percent free lunch participation or either located in federal enterprise communities or located in cities and counties within which federal enterprise communities are located.
C. The Secretary of Education is hereby authorized to make allocations of the portion of the tax-exempt private activity bond limitation amount to be allocated annually to the Commonwealth of Virginia pursuant to the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (PL 107-16)(Section 142(k)(5) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended) for the development of education facilities using public-private partnerships, and to provide for carryovers of any unused limitation amount. In making such allocations, the Secretary is directed to give priority to public-private partnership proposals that will serve as demonstration projects concerning the leveraging of private sector contributions and resources, the achievement of economies or efficiencies associated with private sector innovation, and other benefits that are or may be derived from public-private partnerships in contrast to more traditional approaches to public school construction and renovation. The Secretary is directed to report annually not later than August 31 (commencing August 31, 2002) to the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees regarding any guidelines implemented and any allocations made pursuant to this paragraph.
D. Out of this appropriation, $50,000 the second year from nongeneral funds is designated to support establishment of the Virginia Cancer Research Fund.
E. Out of this appropriation, $984,000 the first year from the general fund is designated to support the continuation of the school efficiency reviews pilot, in cooperation with the Department of Planning and Budget. An evaluation of the pilot shall include recommendations for partial recovery of the cost of any reviews beginning in fiscal year 2006, such that if within two years after the recommendations have been made the school division superintendent or superintendent's designee has not certified that at least half the recommendations and savings have been implemented, the school division shall reimburse the state for 25 percent of the cost of the review.
F. Out of this appropriation, $100,000 the first year from the general fund is provided for the following capital needs assessment and feasibility study. In the pre-planning phase for the consolidation at a single campus, the Secretaries of Education, Health and Human Resources, Administration, and Finance, together with the State Board of Education, the Department of Education, the two schools for the deaf, blind, and multi-disabled, the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center, the Department of General Services, and the Department of Planning and Budget shall complete a capital needs assessment and feasibility study for consolidating the State's two existing schools for the deaf, blind, and multi-disabled. The Secretaries of Education, Health and Human Resources, Administration, and Finance shall submit a joint report on the capital needs assessment and feasibility study to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Committees on Appropriations and Education, and the Senate Committees on Finance and Education and Health by October 1, 2004. Building upon the work of the 2003 Consolidation Task Force, the report shall also include a suggested timeline of steps necessary to achieve a well-planned consolidation of the two existing schools at the new location no later than September 1, 2007, including the closing of the existing sites and disposition of the properties as well as a mechanism to assist the local school divisions with program development for those children who will not continue at the new school.
G. Senior institutions of higher education shall make arrangements with community colleges for the remediation of students accepted for admission by the senior institutions.
H. The Governor is authorized to transfer from the second year to the first year $8,264,925 in funding provided in the second year for research at the College of William and Mary, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, George Mason University, James Madison University, Old Dominion University, University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University to advance Virginia's effort to enhance its university research programs.