Committee of the Whole #
Website #
Membership; bills in committee and associated documents; and meeting calendar, agendas, and minutes available on website.
Purpose/Jurisdiction #
“THE JURISDICTION OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ENCOMPASSES, AND THE COMMITTEE SHALL:
- “(a) The Legislature, at any time during any of its legislative sessions upon motion by a member, or by order of the President, may resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole for the taking of testimony and discussing any subject it may consider proper, whether previously formally introduced or not. The President may call a Committee of the Whole at times other than during a legislative session to permit more free and informal discussion of any matter pending before the Legislature, including zoning applications, coastal zone permit applications, certain government contracts, and Governor’s proposals.
- “(b) A motion to constitute the Legislature into a Committee of the Whole must, if an objection is raised, be voted on without debate.
- “(c) A Committee of the Whole has all the powers granted any standing committee with respect to the issuance of subpoenas and investigations connected therewith and such other powers as it may require consistent with laws of the Virgin Islands and the provisions of these Rules. However, the Committee of the Whole may not amend, lay on the table, or otherwise alter or affect the disposition of any bill, resolution, permit, lease, rezoning application, contract or other matter that it considers. A Committee of the Whole may restrict the subject matter to be considered by resolving itself into a Committee of the Whole for a specific and limited purpose.
- “(d) In addition to the limitations in subsection (c), a Committee of the Whole:
- “(1) may not entertain a question of priority.
- “(2) may not entertain a question of legislative of personal privilege.
- “(3) may not postpone the consideration of any question.
- “(4) may not reconsider a vote on a proposal no longer in possession of the Committee of the Whole.
- “(5) has no authority to appoint a subcommittee.
- “(6) may not punish members for disorderly conduct but must report any misconduct to the full body for its action.
- “(7) is dissolved by the absence of a quorum, and may not proceed with any matter, including taking testimony, until a quorum is obtained.
- “(e) A Committee of the Whole shall rise:
- “(1) on the order of the President; or
- “(2) on motion of any member duly seconded and, if objection is raised, carried by majority vote.
- “(f) The provisions of Rules 309 requiring public announcements of meetings and Rule 310 regarding reservation of meeting times do not apply to meetings of the Committee of the Whole, except Rule 309 applies to a Committee of the Whole meeting held outside of a session” (committee website).
Committee on Culture, Youth, Aging, Sports, and Parks #
Website #
Membership; bills in committee and associated documents; and meeting calendar, agendas, videos, and minutes available on website.
Purpose/Jurisdiction #
“THE COMMITTEE ON CULTURE, YOUTH, AGING, SPORTS AND PARKS ENCOMPASSES, AND THE COMMITTEE SHALL:
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills relating to youth; youth training schools, the Legislative Youth Advisory Council, youth apprenticeship programs, youth protective services, the Virgin Islands Commission on Youth, and other youth programs; and matters related to youth;
- “receive, consider and make recommendations on all bills relating to sports, facilities and complexes, recreation centers, and physical fitness;
- “receive, consider and make recommendations on all bills relating to public recreation, sports facilities and complexes, horse racing, parks, sports facilities and complexes, recreation centers, parks, horse racing, parks, game rooms, and other sports and recreational facilities;
- “receive and consider bills on other sports and activities;
- “receive, consider and make recommendations on bills relating to any matter that is relevant to the operation of the Committee on Culture, Youth, Aging, Sports and Parks;
- “all other bills related to youth programs; and
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills relating to antiquities and historic preservation, including bills relating to museums, cultural centers, government collections and depositories housed in the Territory and other depositories outside of the Territory” (committee website).
Committee on Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure, and Planning #
Website #
Membership; bills in committee and associated documents; and meeting calendar, agendas, videos, and minutes available on website.
Purpose/Jurisdiction #
“THE JURISDICTION OF THE COMMITTEE ON DISASTER RECOVERY, INFRASTRUCTURE AND PLANNING ENCOMPASSES, AND THE COMMITTEE SHALL RECEIVE, CONSIDER, AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON:
- “all bills and matters relating to mitigation, planning, response, and recovery actions in connection with natural disasters;
- “all government contracts for coordinating recovery efforts for recent hurricanes projects, including all contracts between the Public Finance Authority and consultants that are in the business of providing FEMA consulting services to assist the Public Finance Authority in coordinating its recovery efforts with FEMA and other federal agencies, and other contracts for management of federal funds, construction of housing, house repair transportation, utilities, public building, and other projects coordinated by the office of Disaster Recovery, and all other such contracts of other department, agencies or instrumentalities of the Government.
- “public works, water supply systems, sewage disposal systems, government-owned properties, roads and highways, and all other matters submitted to the Legislature under 31 V.I.C.§ 3; and
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills relating to the Virgin Islands Energy Office and the Water and Power Authority as it relates to energy matters and electrical power systems; and
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on bills relating to land use, and development, building codes, planned area development permits, subdivisions, shorelines, and natural resources and historic preservation.
“(b) The Committee on Disaster Recovery, Infrastructure and Planning has oversight and investigatory authority over all government agency operations, including the operations the Office of Disaster Recovery, Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management, the Public Finance Authority, the Department of Public Works, and the Department of Planning and Natural Resources, involved in disaster recovery and rebuilding the Territory’s infrastructure and shall make specific findings and recommendations concerning their operations to the appropriate authority” (committee website).
Committee on Economic Development and Agriculture #
Website #
Membership; bills in committee and associated documents; and meeting calendar, agendas, videos, and minutes available on website.
Purpose/Jurisdiction #
“THE JURISDICTION OF THE COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND AGRICULTURE ENCOMPASSES, AND THE COMMITTEE SHALL:
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills relating to the Virgin Islands Port Authority, Economic Development Authority, Casino Control Commission, Department of Tourism, West Indian Company, Department of Agriculture, Department of Planning and Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife, Fisheries Council, and the Division of Environmental Protection;
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills and matters relating to Economic Park Development, Enterprise Zone Program, and the Hotel Development Program;
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills relating to economic development, commerce, business institutions, industry, incentive programs, travel, tourism, real estate;
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills relating to agriculture, mariculture and aquaculture, animal husbandry, farming, forestry management, fishing veterinary medicine, and all matters pertaining them;
- “consider all bills and matters relating to the Virgin Islands Agriculture Business Incubator Center, the fisheries committees, the Endangered Species Preservation Commission; and
- “receive, consider and make recommendations on bills relating to the any other board, commission or agency whose operation or nature of business is relevant to the operation of the Committee on Economic Development, Regulation, and Agriculture” (committee website).
Committee on Education and Workforce Development #
Website #
Membership; bills in committee and associated documents; and meeting calendar, agendas, videos, and minutes available on website.
Purpose/Jurisdiction #
“THE JURISDICTION OF THE COMMITTEE EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ENCOMPASSES, AND THE COMMITTEE SHALL:
- “receive, consider and make recommendations on all bills relating to education, prekindergarten programs, elementary, middle school, and secondary educational institutions, adult education, the University of the Virgin Islands, charter schools, alternative education, and all matters pertaining thereto;
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills relating to the Department of Education, the Board of Education, the Board of Career and Technical Education and the Scholarship Board;
- “receive and consider all bills relating to teachers and education personnel;
- “receive and consider all bills related to scholarship programs;
- “receive and consider bills and other matters relating to all cultural affairs, including cultural heritage, intellectual property rights and artistic activities, and other products of human works and thoughts; and
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills relating to labor, collective bargaining, civil service, retirement, workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance, occupational, safety and health, training and retraining programs, and all matters pertaining them; and
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on bills relating to the Division of Personnel, employment agencies, the Virgin Islands Wage Board, the Virgin Islands Public Employees Relations Board, and any other board, commission, or agency whose operation or nature of business is relevant to education, youth, or the operation of the Workforce Development” (committee website).
Committee on Government Operations, Veteran Affairs, and Consumer Protection #
Website #
Membership; bills in committee and associated documents; and meeting calendar, agendas, videos, and minutes available on website.
Purpose/Jurisdiction #
“THE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS, VETERANS AFFAIRS AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ENCOMPASSES AND THE COMMITTEE SHALL:
- “receive, consider and make recommendations on bills and all matters pertaining to and have investigatory authority over the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and all government agency operations, and all other agencies not specifically provided by these Rules to be delegated to another committee and make specific findings and recommendations to the appropriate authority for final action;
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills and executive orders relating to the reorganization of the executive branch of the Government or any department or agency of the executive branch;
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills and matters relating to Home Rule and the Territory’s relationship with the Federal Government;
- “unless otherwise specifically assigned to another committee, study and investigate the operation of government at all levels, to determine efficiency and economy, the implementation of legislation and the effectuation of legislative purposes and objectives, and evaluate the effect of laws and executive orders reorganizing the executive branch of the Government;
- “receive, consider and make recommendations all bills related to the management of public records retained by Government agencies, including land and genealogical- related collections and related notaries public;
- “serve as part of the Virgin Islands Commission on Interstate Cooperation established by 1V.I.C. §133 and perform all the functions and duties, consider and make recommendations on all bills relating to the participation of the Virgin Islands as a member of the Council of State Governments, the National Conference of State Legislatures, and the Uniform Law Commission, including the adoption of compacts, the enactment of uniform and reciprocal statutes and the interchange and clearance of research and information;
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills relating to corporations other than financial institutions, utilities and their regulation, not specifically delegated to some other committee;
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills relating to cemeteries, memorials, and monuments;
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills relating to the naming of government property after persons pursuant to 31 V.I.C. § 4;
- “receive, consider and make recommendations on bills relating to consumer protections, and licensing of businesses and professions; weights and measures, price controls, debt services businesses, consumer; contracts, and protection from fraud and deceptive practices;
- “receive, consider and make recommendations on bills relating to veterans’ services, benefits, and other veterans’ affairs and the operation of the Office of Veterans Affairs;
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on bills relating to all matters concerning the government’s operations and functions that have not been assigned to another committee; and
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on bills relating to any other board, commission, or agency whose operation or nature of business is relevant to the operation of the Committee on Government Operations” (committee website).
Committee on Health, Hospitals, and Human Services #
Website #
Membership; bills in committee and associated documents; and meeting calendar, agendas, and minutes available on website.
Purpose/Jurisdiction #
“THE JURISDICTION OF THE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, HOSPITALS, AND HUMAN SERVICES ENCOMPASSES, AND THE COMMITTEE SHALL:
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills relating to public health, mental health, programs for substance abuse, sanitation, pest control, hospitals, medical services, pharmacies medical schools, nursing schools and nursing programs, human services, and all matters pertaining them;
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills relating to the Hospital Board, Board of Nurse Licensure, Board of Medical Examiners, Board of Medicine, Board of Surgery, Board of Naturopathic Physicians, Board of Dental Examiners, Board of Pharmacy, Board of Optometry, Board of Physical Therapy, Board of Chiropractic Examiners, Board of Podiatry, Board of Examiners for the Practice of Veterinary Medicine, Board of Psychology Examiners, and the Board of Licensed Counselors and Examiners, and the Board of Social Work Licensure;
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills relating to ambulatory care urgent care, and vocational rehabilitation programs;
- “receive and consider bills relating to day care programs, foster care and placement of children, adult social services, public assistance and other social welfare programs;
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills relating aging, gerontology, senior citizens and programs and protective services for senior citizens and persons with disabilities;
- “receive, consider and make recommendations on bills relating to any other board, commission or agency whose operation or nature of business is relevant to the operation of the Committee on Health, Hospitals, and Human Services” (committee website)
Committee on Homeland Security, Justice, and Public Safety #
Website #
Membership; bills in committee and associated documents; and meeting calendar, agendas, videos, and minutes available on website.
Purpose/Jurisdiction #
“THE JURISDICTION OF THE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY, JUSTICE AND PUBLIC SAFETY ENCOMPASSES, AND THE COMMITTEE SHALL:
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills relating to the Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA), the Virgin Islands Air National Guard, the Virgin Islands Fire Services, the Virgin Islands Police Department, the Bureau of Corrections, Department of Justice, Emergency Medical Services, the Virgin Islands Parole Board, the Criminal Victims Compensation Commission, the Virgin Islands Witness Protection Board, and all other agencies, board and Commissions that provide related services;
- “consider all matters pertaining to all law enforcement-related departments, agencies and divisions, involved in public safety, civil defense, fire protection, first responders, crime, penal and correctional institutions and statutes of a penal nature unless closely related to a subject delegated to another committee;
- “receive, consider and coordinate policy recommendations and bills concerning homeland security, statutes on counterterrorism, national and territorial defense and any other emerging external threats that relate to the United States security and Virgin Islands territorial security; and
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on bills relating to any other board, commission or agency whose operation or nature of business is relevant to the operation of the Committee on Homeland Security, Justice and Public Safety” (committee website).
Committee on Housing, Transportation, and Telecommunications #
Website #
Membership; bills in committee and associated documents; and meeting calendar, agendas, videos, and minutes available on website.
Purpose/Jurisdiction #
“THE JURISDICTION OF THE COMMITTEE ON HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS ENCOMPASSES, AND THE COMMITTEE SHALL:
- “receive, consider, make recommendations on all bills relative to and have investigatory authority over all government agency operations, including, but not limited to the Housing Finance Authority, Housing Authority, Department of Public Works, Waste Management Authority, and make specific findings and recommendations to the appropriate authority for final action;
- “receive, consider and make recommendation on all bills relating landfill, Waste Management, and solid waste disposal systems and their impact on the environment and all matters pertaining to the environment;
- “receive, consider and make recommendations on all bills relating to recycling and redemption centers, resource recovery, and disposal sites;
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on all bills relating to housing, housing projects, urban renewal programs, housing rehabilitation programs, housing financing, home mortgage rates, self-help housing, low-and moderate-income housing developments, rent control and all matters pertaining thereto;
- “receive, consider and make recommendations on all bills and other matters relating to, building codes, housing codes, community planning and development, Relevant to the operation of the Committee on Housing, Transportation and Telecommunications;
- “receive, consider and make recommendations on all bills and other matters relating to, transportation, including VITRAN, ferry boat services, car ferry services, and matters pertaining to roads and highways; and
- “receive, consider and make recommendations on bills relating to any other board, commission or agency whose operation or nature of business is housing, planned area affordable housing, transportation, and or telecommunications” (committee website).
Committee on Rules and Judiciary #
Website #
Membership; bills in committee and associated documents; and meeting calendar, agendas, videos, and minutes available on website.
Purpose/Jurisdiction #
“THE JURISDICTION OF THE COMMITTEE ON RULES AND JUDICIARY ENCOMPASSES, AND THE COMMITTEE SHALL:
- “have jurisdiction over all boards and commissions not specifically these Rules to delegated to another committee and make specific findings and recommendations to the appropriate authority for final action;
- “receive, consider and make recommendations on all appropriation bills for the expenses of the Legislature;
- “receive complaints against members of the Legislature, make recommendations on disciplinary action;
- “make a continuing study of the organization and operation of the Legislature and recommend improvements in the organization and operation, with a view toward strengthening the Legislature, simplifying its operations, improving its relationships with other branches of the Government, and enabling it better to meet its responsibilities under the Revised Organic Act and laws of the Virgin Islands; receive, consider, and make recommendations before reporting out for placement on the Floor agenda all bills favorably considered and reported out by other committees, including those bills reported to the Floor agenda under closed rule;
- “receive and consider recommendations from the Code Revisor for bills to correct obvious errors, eliminate inconsistencies, duplications and laws repealed directly 29 or by implication, or laws adjudged unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, and bills for modernizing the Virgin Islands Code;
- “receive a consider all bills for resolutions amending the Rules of the Legislature;
- “receive, consider, and make recommendations on nominations for offices that are made by the Governor and require confirmation by the Legislature;
- “receive and consider bills related to family law, estate law, probate, business and corporation law, administration of the territorial court system and administration of the election system;
- “receive, consider and make recommendations on bills relating to any other board, commission or agency whose operation or nature of business is relevant to the operation of the Committee on Rules and Judiciary; and
- “by motion made in the Committee, subject bills to a closed rule, which prohibits any substantive amendments to the bill during Floor consideration” (committee website).
