Senate: Committee of the Whole

The 33^rd Legislature will convene in a Committee of the Whole Hearing to receive updates on the coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic State of Emergency Declaration, the Election Systems and the 2020 Election Cycle.

Agenda:

10 a.m. to noon

Testifiers:

Justa Encarnacion, commissioner, Virgin Islands Department of Health

Daryl D. Jaschen, director, Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency

Noon to 2 p.m.

Caroline A. Fawkes, supervisor, Elections System of the Virgin Islands

Raymond Williams, chairman, Virgin Islands Board of Elections

Committee: Legislative Session

Earle B. Ottley Legislative Hall, St. Thomas

Call to Order: Honorable Senate President Novelle E. Francis Jr.

Invocation: Bishop Damas S. Eloi of Living Word Family Ministries Church

Anthems: National Anthem and Virgin Islands March

Roll Call: Senator Alicia V. Barnes, legislative secretary

Committee Reports: Chairperson of Committees

Request to Special Order Measures to the Floor

The 33rd Legislature will rise out of Committee of the Whole and convene into Legislative Session to consider the following:

Consideration of Floor Agenda

Consideration of Nominees:

Enrique Rodriguez and Pamela Montegut, Virgin Islands Historic Preservation Commission, District of St. Thomas-St. John

Noreen Michael, Ph.D., Virgin Islands Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, District of St. Thomas-St. John

Dodson James, Virgin Islands Racing Commission, District of St. Croix

Jenny Hawkes, Virgin Islands Board of Career and Technical Education, District of St. Thomas-St. John

Consideration of Resolution:

Consideration of Lease Agreement:

Bill No. 33-0279 – An Act approving the Lease Agreement between the Government of the Virgin Islands Department of Property and Procurement and Caledonia Communication Corporation

Consideration of Bills:

BR No. 20-1139 – An Act ratifying the Governor’s extension of the State of Emergency in the Territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands based on the COVID-19 pandemic from May 12, 2020 to July 11, 2020

Bill No. 33-0093 – An Act amending Title 33, chapter 111 of the Virgin Islands Code by adding a new section 3057a, establishing the St. Thomas Capital Improvement Fund

Bill No. 33-0097 – An Act posthumously honoring and commending Euclyn “Pede” Prentice Jr. for his accomplishments in the horse racing industry and his contributions to the Virgin Islands and naming a road in his honor

Bill No. 33-0102 – An Act amending Title 17, chapter 15, sections 190u and 476 of the Virgin Islands Code relating to the valedictorian and salutatorian awards by including graduates of the Adult Education Center among those eligible to receive scholarships as valedictorian and salutatorian; and section 72 (e) relating to scholarships grants to increase the scholarship maximum amounts for undergraduate and graduate scholarship; and amending Act No. 8245 relating to appropriations for the valedictorian and the salutatorian awards to consolidate them into one line item in the annual budget and a combined appropriation

Bill No. 33-0132 — An Act amending Title 3, chapter 7, section 715 of the Virgin Islands Code to strengthen the Board of Government Employees Retirement System (GERS) by requiring greater expertise among Board members

Bill No. 33-0137 – An Act authorizing the Department of Economic Research of the Office of Management and Budget, Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources, and the Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority to create a plan to assist the U.S. Virgin Islands in developing a sustainable blue economy within the territory

Bill No. 33-0197 – An Act amending Title 33, subtitle 1, part II, chapter 20, section 681 of the Virgin Islands Code by authorizing the Virgin Islands Bureau of Internal Revenue to create any and all forms necessary for the collection and filing of taxes

Bill No. 33-0224 – An Act amending Title 14, chapter 23, section 485 (f) of the Virgin Islands Code by increasing the fines for selling or serving alcoholic beverages to minors

Bill No. 33- 0273 – An Act amending Title 9, chapter 25 and Title 29, chapter 12 of the Virgin Islands Code relating to personnel hiring requirements for International Financial Service Entities to operate international finances services and to receive tax incentive benefits under the International Banking Center Regulatory Act and the Economic Development Program to amend the hiring requirements for receipt of tax incentive benefits

Bill No. 33-0226 – An Act amending Title 1, chapter 7 of the Virgin Islands Code to establish the official madras design of the Virgin Islands of the United States

Bill No. 33–0230 – An Act to posthumously honor and commend Beulah Smith Harrigan for her service to the children of the Virgin Islands and for her role in the development of the library system of our territory and to name the children’s room at the Charles Wesley Turnbull Regional Library in her memory

Bill No. 33-0242 — A Resolution to petition the members of 116th United States Congress to terminate the statutory cap on overall Medicaid funding to the territory, to eliminate the specific limit of 55 percent on the rate of federal matching funds for Medicaid in the territory and to provide for the eligibility of the territory to receive Medicaid disproportionate share hospital payments, so that the territory can strengthen its Medicaid Program to enroll and provide care for all of the territory’s residents who are Medicaid eligible and for additional funding to help offset the territory’s uncompensated care costs

Bill No. 33-0244 — An Act to amend Title 1, chapter 11 of the Virgin Islands Code to declare the month of May as Virgin Islands Mental Health Awareness Month and to assign the responsibilities of increasing mental health awareness and reducing the stigma of mental illness to the Department of Health and the Department of Education

Bill No. 33-0249 – An Act amending Title 7, chapter 9, section 9 of the Virgin Islands Code by adding a new paragraph mandating the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Tourism shall host an Agricultural Symposium known as the V.I. Agricultural Caribbean Symposium, alternately and annually on the islands of St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John