Authority: Discretionary Inclusion.
A.1. Out of the appropriation for this Item, $19,750,000 the first year and $19,750,000 the second year from the general fund shall be deposited to the Commonwealth's Development Opportunity Fund, as established in § 2.2-115, Code of Virginia. Such funds shall be used at the discretion of the Governor, subject to prior consultation with the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees, to attract economic development prospects to locate or expand in Virginia. If the Governor, pursuant to the provisions of § 2.2-115, E.1., Code of Virginia, determines that a project is of regional or statewide interest and elects to waive the requirement for a local matching contribution, such action shall be included in the report on expenditures from the Commonwealth's Development Opportunity Fund required by § 2.2-115, F., Code of Virginia. Such report shall include an explanation on the jobs anticipated to be created, the capital investment made for the project, and why the waiver was provided.
2. The Governor may allocate these funds as grants or loans to political subdivisions. Loans shall be approved by the Governor and made in accordance with procedures established by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and approved by the State Comptroller. Loans shall be interest-free unless otherwise determined by the Governor and shall be repaid to the general fund of the state treasury. The Governor may establish the interest rate to be charged, otherwise, any interest charged shall be at market rates as determined by the State Treasurer and shall be indicative of the duration of the loan. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership shall be responsible for monitoring repayment of such loans and reporting the receivables to the State Comptroller as required.
3. Funds may be used for public and private utility extension or capacity development on and off site; road, rail, or other transportation access costs beyond the funding capability of existing programs; site acquisition; grading, drainage, paving, and other activity required to prepare a site for construction; construction or build-out of publicly-owned buildings; grants or loans to an industrial development authority, housing and redevelopment authority, or other political subdivision pursuant to their duties or powers; training; or anything else permitted by law.
4. Consideration should be given to economic development projects that 1) are in areas of high unemployment; 2) link commercial development along existing transportation/transit corridors within regions; and 3) are located near existing public infrastructure.
5. It is the intent of the General Assembly that the Virginia Economic Development Partnership shall work with localities awarded grants from the Commonwealth's Development Opportunity Fund to recover such moneys when the economic development projects fail to meet minimal agreed-upon capital investment and job creation targets. All such recoveries shall be deposited and credited to the Commonwealth's Development Opportunity Fund.
6. Up to $5,000,000 of previously awarded funds and funds repaid by political subdivisions or business beneficiaries and deposited to the Commonwealth's Development Opportunity Fund may be used to assist Prince George County with site improvements related to the location of a major aerospace engine manufacturer to the Commonwealth.
B.1. Out of the appropriation for this Item, $4,879,210 the first year and $5,446,900 the second year from the general fund shall be deposited to the Investment Performance Grant subfund of the Virginia Investment Partnership Grant Fund to be used to pay investment performance grants in accordance with § 2.2-5101, Code of Virginia.
2. Consideration should be given to economic development projects that 1) are in areas of high unemployment; 2) link commercial development along existing transportation/transit corridors within regions; and 3) are located near existing public infrastructure.
C.1. Out of the appropriation for this Item, $1,800,000 the first year from the general fund shall be deposited to the Major Eligible Employer Grant subfund of the Virginia Investment Partnership Grant Fund to be used to pay investment performance grants in accordance with § 2.2-5102, Code of Virginia.
2. Consideration should be given to economic development projects that 1) are in areas of high unemployment; 2) link commercial development along existing transportation/transit corridors within regions; and 3) are located near existing public infrastructure.
D. Out of the appropriation for this Item, $3,000,000 the first year and $3,000,000 the second year from the general fund and an amount estimated at $150,000 the first year and $150,000 the second year from nongeneral funds shall be deposited to the Governor's Motion Picture Opportunity Fund, as established in § 2.2-2320, Code of Virginia. These nongeneral fund revenues shall be deposited to the fund from revenues generated by the digital media fee established pursuant to § 58.1-1731, et seq., Code of Virginia. Such funds shall be used at the discretion of the Governor to attract film industry production activity to the Commonwealth.
E. Out of the appropriation for this Item, $5,500,000 the first year and $5,500,000 the second year from the Aerospace Manufacturing Performance Grant Fund and $630,000 the first year and $261,000 the second year from the Aerospace Manufacturer Workforce Training Grant Fund is hereby appropriated. These funds shall be used for grants in accordance with §§ 59.1-284.20 and 59.1-284.22, Code of Virginia. The Director, Department of Planning and Budget shall transfer these funds to the impacted state agencies upon request to the Director, Department of Planning and Budget by the respective state agency.
F.1. Out of the appropriation for this Item, $4,400,000 the first year and $3,000,000 the second year from the general fund shall be deposited to the Virginia Economic Development Incentive Grant subfund of the Virginia Investment Partnership Grant Fund to be used to pay investment performance grants in accordance with § 2.2-5102.1, Code of Virginia.
2. Consideration should be given to economic development projects that 1) are in areas of high unemployment; 2) link commercial development along existing transportation/transit corridors within regions; and 3) are located near existing public infrastructure.
3. Notwithstanding § 2.2-5102.1.E. or any other provision of law, and subject to appropriation by the General Assembly, up to $4,000,000 in economic development incentive grants is authorized for eligible projects to be awarded on or after July 1, 2017, but before June 30, 2018. Any eligible project awarded such grants shall be subject to the conditions set forth in § 2.2-5102.1.
G.1. Out of the appropriation for this Item, $3,750,000 the first year and $3,750,000 the second year from the general fund shall be provided for the Virginia Biosciences Health Research Corporation (VBHRC), a non-stock corporation research consortium initially comprised of the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, George Mason University and the Eastern Virginia Medical School. The consortium will contract with private entities, foundations and other governmental sources to capture and perform research in the biosciences, as well as promote the development of bioscience infrastructure tools which can be used to facilitate additional research activities. The Director, Department of Planning and Budget, is authorized to provide these funds to the non-stock corporation research consortium referenced in this paragraph upon request filed with the Director, Department of Planning and Budget by VBHRC.
2. Of the amounts provided in G.1. for the research consortium, up to $3,750,000 the first year and $3,750,000 the second year may be used to develop or maintain investments in research infrastructure tools to facilitate bioscience research.
3. The remaining funding shall be used to capture and perform research in the biosciences and must be matched at least dollar-for-dollar by funding provided by such private entities, foundations and other governmental sources. No research will be funded by the consortium unless at least two of the participating institutions, including the five founding institutions and any other institutions choosing to join, are actively and significantly involved in collaborating on the research. No research will be funded by the consortium unless the research topic has been vetted by a scientific advisory board and holds potential for high impact near-term success in generating other sponsored research, creating spin-off companies or otherwise creating new jobs. The consortium will set guidelines to disburse research funds based on advisory board findings. The consortium will have near-term sustainability as a goal, along with corporate-sponsored research gains, new Virginia company start-ups, and job creation milestones.
4. Other publicly-supported institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth may choose to join the consortium as participating institutions. Participation in the consortium by the five founding institutions and by other participating institutions choosing to join will require a cash contribution from each institution in each year of participation of at least $50,000.
5. Of these funds, up to $500,000 the first year and $500,000 the second year may be used to pay the administrative, promotional and legal costs of establishing and administering the consortium, including the creation of intellectual property protocols, and the publication of research results.
6. The Virginia Economic Development Partnership, in consultation with the publicly-supported institutions of higher education in the Commonwealth participating in the consortium, shall provide to the Governor, and the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations committees, by November 1 of each year a written report summarizing the activities of the consortium, including, but not limited to, a summary of how any funds disbursed to the consortium during the previous fiscal year were spent, and the consortium's progress during the fiscal year in expanding upon existing research opportunities and stimulating new research opportunities in the Commonwealth.
7. The accounts and records of the consortium shall be made available for review and audit by the Auditor of Public Accounts upon request.
8. Up to $2,500,000 of the funds managed by the Commonwealth Health Research Board (CHRB), created pursuant to § 32.1-162.23, Code of Virginia, shall be directed toward collaborative research projects, approved by the boards of the VBHRC and CHRB, to support Virginia's core bioscience strengths, improve human health, and demonstrate commercial viability and a high likelihood of creating new companies and jobs in Virginia.
H.1. Out of the appropriation for this Item, $215,184 the first year and $215,184 the second year from the general fund shall be provided to the Virginia-Israel Advisory Board.
2. The Virginia-Israel Advisory Board shall seek prior approval of all travel and related expenditures from the Secretary of Commerce and Trade.
3. The Virginia-Israel Advisory Board shall report by January 15 of each year to the Chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Appropriations Committees on the board's activities and expenditure of state funds.
I. Out of the appropriation for this Item, $5,669,833 the first year and $5,669,833 the second year from the general fund shall be available for eligible businesses under the Virginia Jobs Investment Program. Pursuant to § 2.2-1611, Code of Virginia, the appropriation provided for the Virginia Jobs Investment Program for eligible businesses shall be deposited to the Virginia Jobs Investment Program Fund.
J. Out of the appropriation for this Item, $500,000 the first year and $500,000 the second year from the general fund may be provided to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership to facilitate additional domestic and international marketing and trade missions approved by the Governor. The Director, Department of Planning and Budget, is authorized to provide these funds to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership upon written approval of the Governor.