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Introduced Version House Bill 3012 History

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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
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H. B. 3012

 

                        (By Delegate Pushkin)

                        [Introduced February 24, 2015; referred to the

                        Committee on Government Organization then Finance.]

 

 

 

 

A BILL to amend and reenact §5-26-1 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; and to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §5-26-3, all relating to the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs; requiring the office to conduct hearings to report to the Select Committee on Minority Issues and creating the West Side Revive Pilot Program for community development.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

            That §5-26-1 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted; and that said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §5-26-3, all to read as follows:

ARTICLE 26. HERBERT HENDERSON OFFICE OF MINORITY AFFAIRS.

§5-26-1. Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs created; duties and responsibilities.

            (a) As used in this article:

            (1) "Director" means the executive director of the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs.

            (2) "Initiative" means the West Side Revive Comprehensive Community Development Initiative, a local community-based nonprofit in Charleston, West Virginia.

            (3) "Office" means the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs, created by this article.

            (b) There is hereby created the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs within the office of the Governor. The office shall be charged with the following responsibilities and duties:

            (1) Provide a forum for discussion of issues that affect the state's minorities;

            (2) Identify and promote best practices in the provision of programs and services to minorities;

            (3) Review information and research that can inform state policy as to the delivery of programs and services to minorities;

            (4) Make recommendations in areas of policy and allocation of resources;

            (5) Apply for grants, and accept gifts from private and public sources for research to improve and enhance minority affairs;

            (6) Integrate and coordinate state grant and loan programs established specifically for minority related issues;

            (7) Award grants, loans and loan guaranties for minority affairs programs and activities in this state if such funds are available from grants or gifts from public or private sources;

            (8) Identify other state and local agencies and programs that provide services or assistance to minorities;

            (9) Establish the appropriate program linkages with related federal, state and local agencies and programs including, but not limited to, the Office of Minority Health located within the Department of Health and Human Resources and the Economic Development Authority established pursuant to article fifteen, chapter 31 thirty-one of this code; and

            (10) Provide recommendations to the Governor and the Legislature regarding the most appropriate means to provide programs and services to support minority groups in the state.

            (b) (c) On or before January 1 of each year, the office shall submit a report to the Governor and the Joint Committee on Government and Finance. The report may include, but is not limited to, findings and recommendations regarding:

            (1) The extent to which programs and services for minorities are available in the state, and to which funding for providing those programs and services is available;

            (2) The most appropriate means for the planning, delivery and evaluation of existing and needed programs and services for minority groups in the manner that best promotes diversity and regional, cultural and ethnic sensitivity;

            (3) Recommendations for the coordination of programs and services to minority groups throughout the state and with those of other states and the federal government;

            (4) Identifications of governmental and private agencies, offices, departments or other entities in existence or recommended for creation that would, alone or in concert, most effectively improve the delivery of programs and services to minority groups throughout the state;

            (5) Recommendations for changes to law that would facilitate the achievement of the objectives of the office; and

            (6) Such other matters as the office may determine appropriate to its purposes.

            (d) On or before January 1 of each year, the office shall report to the Select Committee on Minority Affairs on the efforts and progress of the office.

            (c) (e) The Governor shall appoint an executive director of the office to carry out its functions, and shall provide funding and offices for those purposes. The executive director shall serve at the will and pleasure of the Governor.

            (d) (f) The executive director may hire one administrative assistant to assist in carrying out the functions of the office.

            (g) The executive director shall review the recommendations of the Select Committee on Minority Affairs and shall direct the efforts of the office according to those recommendations.

.§5-26-3. Creation of the West Side Revive Pilot Program to Promote Comprehensive Community Development.

            (a) Effective July 1, 2015, the office shall establish a Community-Based Pilot Demonstration Project for the duration of four years, to develop a model for comprehensive community development in communities across West Virginia. The director shall supervise the special pilot program, which shall be operated by the West Side Revive Comprehensive Community Development Initiative, a local community-based nonprofit in Charleston, West Virginia. The project shall be funded by the Minority Affairs Fund, established by section two of this article.

            (b) The pilot program shall operate in the West Side neighborhood of Charleston, West Virginia and shall operate out of a centrally located building to coordinate services for members of the community.

            (c) The objective of the pilot program is to address child and family poverty through a comprehensive community development program in the West Side neighborhood of Charleston, West Virginia, which will later serve as a model for community development initiatives across the state. In operating the pilot program, the initiative shall collaborate with other organizations and agencies to meet the following goals:

            (1) Promote early childhood development;

            (2) Reduce childhood poverty;

            (3) Reduce childhood obesity;

            (4) Promote third grade reading proficiency;

            (5) Promote STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) and prevocational education;

            (6) Prevent school truancy and drop-out;

            (7) Promote comprehensive education reform;

            (8) Coordinate social services to foster comprehensive youth and family development;

            (9) Prevent delinquency of children;

            (10) Reduce child abuse and neglect;

            (11) Promote health and wellness;

            (12) Prevent domestic violence;

            (13) Develop a comprehensive plan to prevent and treat substance abuse;

            (14) Provide job training and workforce development;

            (15) Promote economic development;

            (16) Provide housing rehabilitation, weatherization and construction;

            (17) Promote adult and juvenile offender reentry.

            (d) In order to further the objectives of the pilot project, the initiative shall leverage existing resources, including, but not limited to, housing and urban development services provided by the federal government and any youth and family services offered by the state government or other local organizations.

 


            NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require that the Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs conduct hearings to report to the Select Committee on Minority Issues and to create the West Side Revive Pilot Program for community development.



            Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.


             §5-26-3 is new; therefore, it has been completely underscored.

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