                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

COMPACT CREATED (§ 15.2-6900)

The Appalachian Region Interstate Compact (the Compact) is hereby created and
entered into with all other jurisdictions legally joining therein in the form
substantially as follows:		Article I. Short Title.		This act shall be known and
may be cited as the Appalachian Region Interstate Compact.		Article II. Compact
Established.		Pursuant to Article I, Section 10 of the Constitution of the
United States, the signatories hereby provide a mechanism for the creation of
one or more authorities for the purpose of developing one or more facilities to
enhance the regional economy that shall constitute instrumentalities of the
signatories.		For purposes of this chapter, &#8220;Appalachian Region&#8221;
means the areas included in &#8220;region&#8221; as defined in § 15.2-6400 and
§ 403 of the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, as amended (40
U.S.C. § 14102(a)(1)).		Article III. Agreement.		The Commonwealth of Virginia
may enter into agreement with one or more signatory states and, upon adoption of
this compact, agree as follows:

1. To study, develop, and promote a plan for the design, construction,
financing, and operation of interstate facilities of strategic interest to the
signatory states;

2. To coordinate efforts to establish a common legal framework in all the
signatory states to authorize and facilitate design, construction, financing,
and operation of such facilities either as publicly operated facilities or
through other structures authorized by law;

3. To advocate for federal and other public and private funding to support the
establishment of interstate facilities of interest to all signatory states;

4. To make available to such interstate facilities funding and resources that
are or may be appropriated and allocated for that purpose; and

5. To do all things necessary or convenient to facilitate and coordinate the
economic and workforce development plans and programs of the Commonwealth of
Virginia, and the other signatory states, to the extent such plans and programs
are not inconsistent with federal law and the laws of the Commonwealth of
Virginia or other signatory states.
			Article IV. Compact Commission Established; Membership; Chairman; Meetings;
and Report.			Each signatory state to the Compact shall establish a compact
commission. In Virginia, the Appalachian Region Interstate Compact Commission
(the Commission) shall be established as a regional instrumentality and agency
of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the signatory states. The compact
commissions of the signatory states shall be empowered to carry out the purposes
of their respective Compacts.			The Appalachian Region Interstate Compact
Commission shall consist of six members from the other signatory states to be
appointed pursuant to the laws of the signatory states, and six members of the
Virginia delegation to the Commission to be appointed as follows: two members to
be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, and four members to be appointed
by the Speaker of the House. Members of the Virginia delegation to the Compact
Commission shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office if an elected
state or local representative, and may be reappointed. The chairman of the
Commission shall be elected by the members of the Commission from among its
membership. The chairman shall serve for a term of two years, and the
chairmanship shall rotate among the signatory states.			The Commission shall
meet not less than twice annually; however, the Commission shall not meet more
than once consecutively in the same state.			Article V. Powers and Duties of the
Commission.			The Commission is vested with the powers of a body corporate,
including the power to sue and be sued in its own name, plead and be impleaded,
and adopt and use a common seal and alter the same as may be deemed expedient.
In addition to the powers set forth elsewhere in this chapter, the Commission
may:

1. Adopt bylaws, rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this
chapter;

2. Employ, either as regular employees or as independent contractors,
consultants, engineers, architects, accountants, attorneys, financial experts,
construction experts and personnel, superintendents, managers and other
professional personnel, personnel, and agents as may be necessary in the
judgment of the Commission, and fix their compensation;

3. Determine the locations of, develop, establish, construct, erect, repair,
remodel, add to, extend, improve, equip, operate, regulate, and maintain
facilities to the extent necessary or convenient to accomplish the purposes of
the Compact;

4. Acquire, own, hold, lease, use, sell, encumber, transfer, or dispose of, in
its own name, any real or personal property or interests therein;

5. Invest and reinvest funds of the Commission;

6. Enter into contracts of any kind, and execute all instruments necessary or
convenient with respect to its carrying out the powers in this chapter to
accomplish the purposes of the Compact;

7. Expend such funds as may be available to it for the purpose of developing
facilities, including but not limited to (i) purchasing real estate; (ii)
grading sites; (iii) improving, replacing, and extending water, sewer, natural
gas, electrical, and other utility lines; (iv) constructing, rehabilitating, and
expanding buildings; (v) constructing parking facilities; (vi) constructing
access roads, streets, and rail lines; (vii) purchasing or leasing machinery and
tools; and (viii) making any other improvements deemed necessary by the
Commission to meet its objectives;

8. Fix and revise from time to time and charge and collect rates, rents, fees,
or other charges for the use of facilities or for services rendered in
connection with the facilities in accordance with applicable state and federal
laws and as approved by the Commission;

9. Borrow money from any source for any valid purpose, including working capital
for its operations, reserve funds, or interest; mortgage, pledge, or otherwise
encumber the property or funds of the Commission; and contract with or engage
the services of any person in connection with any financing, including financial
institutions, issuers of letters of credit, or insurers;

10. Issue bonds the principal and interest on which are payable exclusively from
the revenues and receipts of a specific facility in accordance with applicable
laws;

11. Accept funds and property from the Commonwealth and other signatory
jurisdictions, persons, counties, cities, and towns and use the same for any of
the purposes for which the Commission is created;

12. Apply for and accept grants or loans of money or other property from any
federal agency for any of the purposes authorized in this chapter and expend or
use the same in accordance with the directions and requirements attached thereto
or imposed thereon by any such federal agency;

13. Make loans or grants to, and enter into cooperative arrangements with, any
person, partnership, association, corporation, business or governmental entity
in furtherance of the purposes of this chapter, for the purposes of promoting
economic and workforce development, provided that such loans or grants shall be
made only from revenues of the Commission that have not been pledged or assigned
for the payment of any of the Commission&#8217;s bonds, and to enter into such
contracts, instruments, and agreements as may be expedient to provide for such
loans, and any security therefor. The word &#8220;revenues&#8221; as used in
this subdivision includes grants, loans, funds and property, as set out in
subdivisions 11 and 12;

14. Enter into agreements with political subdivisions of the Commonwealth for
joint or cooperative action in accordance with &#xA7; 15.2-1300;

15. Exercise any additional powers granted to it by subsequent legislation; and

16. Do all things necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of this
chapter.
			Article VI. Funding and Compensation.			The Commission may utilize for its
operation and expenses (i) funds that may be generated by borrowing, gifts and
grants, (ii) funds appropriated to it for such purposes by the General Assembly
of Virginia and the legislatures of the other signatory states, (iii) federal
funds, and (iv) revenues collected for the use of any facility approved by the
Commission.			Members of the Virginia delegation to the Commission shall not
receive compensation but shall be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary
expenses incurred in the performance of their duties to the Commission as
provided in &#xA7; 2.2-2825. All such expenses shall be paid from existing
appropriations, gifts, grants, federal funds, or other revenues collected for
the use of any facility approved by the Commission. Members of the Commission
representing other signatory states shall receive compensation and reimbursement
of expenses incurred in the performance of their duties to the Commission in
accordance with the applicable laws of the respective signatory states.

HISTORY: 2007, cc. 941, 947.