Authority: Title 2.2, Chapter 2, Article 3; § 2.2-201, Code of Virginia.

A. It is the intent of the General Assembly that state programs providing financial, technical, or training assistance to local governments for economic development projects or directly to businesses seeking to relocate or expand operations in Virginia should not be used to help a company relocate or expand its operations in one or more Virginia communities when the same company is simultaneously closing facilities in other Virginia communities. It is the responsibility of the Secretary of Commerce and Trade to enforce this policy and to inform the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees in writing of the justification to override this policy for any exception.

B. The Secretary shall report to the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and the House Appropriations and Finance Committees by October 30 of each year, on the use and efficacy of state incentives in creating investments and jobs in Virginia. The two-part report shall identify, by planning districts, the following items using the most recent data available: (1) the number of companies receiving business incentives; (2) the dollar amounts received by each company for each incentive; (3) the number of jobs to be created; (4) the average salary; and (5) the amount of investment agreed upon by the state and the company as a condition for receiving the incentives. For the purposes of this report, the incentives to be reviewed in the study are those incentives included in the Virginia Economic Development Partnership publication, “Virginia Business Incentives 1997-98” as well as business incentive programs authorized and funded by the General Assembly since the 1999 Session. The first part of the study shall not identify by name the companies participating in the state's incentive programs. In the second part of the report, organized by planning district, the Secretary shall include the actual number of jobs created, average salary, and level of investments made by each company awarded incentives in fiscal year 1999; if not prohibited by state law or by memorandum of agreement or understanding between the Commonwealth and the company, the names of the companies awarded incentives in fiscal year 1999 shall be included. In addition, the report shall also identify the specific actions taken by the state as part of its business incentive program to create private investments and jobs in rural areas of the state and the success of these actions.

C. The Secretary of Commerce and Trade, in conjunction with the Department of Aviation, shall examine the feasibility of developing an air freight center at the Virginia Highlands Airport in Abingdon, Virginia, or the Lonesome Pine Airport in Wise, Virginia. Such feasibility review shall identify infrastructure improvements that would be required at the respective airports, as well as adjacent improvements to house potential air freight businesses. The resulting report shall include an enumeration of all impediments to such development, a recommendation as to which airport would best serve as an air freight center, and a preliminary plan for the development of an air freight center. The Secretary shall submit his report and findings to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees by December 15, 2004.

D.  The Secretary of Commerce and Trade shall evaluate the effectiveness of the contractual relationship between the Virginia Philpott Manufacturing Extension Partnership (VPMEP) and Virginia Tech in terms of the total number of projects undertaken, revenues earned, projects shared or referred between the two entities, services provided, and productivity levels achieved by the clients.  As part of the evaluation, the Secretary shall also determine whether the Extension would be better served by merging VPMEP with Virginia Tech, Old Dominion University or another appropriate institution or agency, with the principal office of VPMEP remaining in the Martinsville area.  The Secretary of Commerce and Trade shall report the results of his analysis to the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees by August 31, 2005.