Requesting the Virginia Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations to continue the study of state and local efforts to preserve, protect, and promote the aesthetic qualities of the Commonwealth's visual environment and to create a statewide system of recognized and certified heritage areas in order to improve the economy and the quality of life in Virginia.

    WHEREAS, the Virginia Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations is proceeding with its study of the state and local efforts to preserve and protect the extraordinary aesthetic attributes which contribute to the high quality of the Commonwealth's visual environment; and

    WHEREAS, Virginia's natural beauty, its distinctive architecture, and its many historic areas are major components of these aesthetic attributes; and

    WHEREAS, the Commission has received testimony from individual citizens and from representatives of local governments, professional associations, and civic groups expressing the urgent need to maintain a quality visual environment as an important state and local resource; and

    WHEREAS, the aesthetic attributes of the Commonwealth's visual environment are largely responsible for unprecedented travel-related spending in Virginia, which in 1996 was estimated to have reached $10.5 billion; and

    WHEREAS, the Commission is studying the feasibility of creating a statewide system of recognized and certified heritage areas to provide further educational, inspirational, economic, and recreational benefits for the citizens of the Commonwealth and its visitors; and

    WHEREAS, businesses considering relocation to Virginia have reported that the quality of the visual environment ranks as one of their highest priorities and is therefore critical to attracting new businesses to the Commonwealth; and

    WHEREAS, state and local efforts to enhance and protect the quality of the visual environment can significantly increase property values and taxes, as well as provide other economic development benefits for the Commonwealth and its localities; and

    WHEREAS, the visual environment which individuals confront in their daily routines has a profound effect on personal attitudes and productive capacities; and

    WHEREAS, public consciousness of the significance of the visual environment to the Commonwealth's economic future and to the psychological well-being of our residents is indispensable for the preservation of these resources; and

    WHEREAS, the continued protection of the Commonwealth's visual qualities requires the collaboration of state agencies, local governments, commercial entities, and the general public; now, therefore, be it

    RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Virginia Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations be requested to continue the study of state and local efforts to preserve, protect, and promote the aesthetic qualities of the Commonwealth's visual environment and to create a statewide system of recognized and certified heritage areas for the purpose of enhancing and enriching the economy and quality of life in Virginia. The Commission shall also recommend the means by which such efforts may be enhanced and extended.

    As part of its responsibilities, the Commission shall establish a subcommittee to make a recommendation for a new official state song, which among other things invokes visual images of the historic, natural and scenic beauty that the Commonwealth's citizens celebrate. The subcommittee shall also make a recommendation on the advisability of having a commission to make recommendations on all official designations of the Commonwealth in keeping with the aesthetic attributes of Virginia. Additional citizens may be made a part of the subcommittee, but any funds expended in support of the subcommittee's work shall be reimbursed with non-general funds raised from private donations.

    The Commission shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 1999 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.

Requesting the State Song Subcommittee of the Virginia Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations to continue its consideration of an appropriate song or group of songs to recommend for official state song designation.

    WHEREAS, the Virginia Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations was requested by the 1998 Session of the General Assembly to establish a State Song Subcommittee to make recommendations about a new official state song and about the advisability of creating a commission to make recommendations about all official designations of the Commonwealth; and

    WHEREAS, the Virginia Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, at its regular meeting on May 18, 1998, established a State Song Subcommittee, which held its organizational meeting on June 25, 1998, and subsequently met again on July 28, October 20, and December 7, 1998; and

    WHEREAS, on July 8, 1998, the State Song Subcommittee announced a contest, entitled "The 1998 State Song Competition," to serve as a means of identifying an appropriate song or group of songs to recommend for official state song designation; and

    WHEREAS, by the contest deadline on August 31, 1998, the public's enthusiastic response to the contest had resulted in 339 official entries, a much greater number than had been expected, each with an entry form, audio tape, and lyrics sheet; and

    WHEREAS, the enormity of the effort involved in the general administration of the contest, in responding to members of the public and the press, and in reproducing the 339 tapes and lyrics sheets for distribution to the judges consumed far more staff time than had been anticipated, and the work involved in listening to and judging more than 17 hours of music required considerably more time on the part of subcommittee members than had been originally planned; and

    WHEREAS, at its December 7, 1998, meeting, the State Song Subcommittee released the names of approximately 50 semifinalist winners in The 1998 State Song Competition but determined that it could not reasonably select a single song or group of songs in time to make a recommendation to the 1999 Session of the General Assembly; and

    WHEREAS, the members of the subcommittee at the December 7, 1998, meeting also agreed to engage the full Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations in an ongoing discussion of the question of whether to establish a commission to make recommendations about all other official designations; now, therefore, be it

    RESOLVED by the Senate, the House of Delegates concurring, That the Virginia Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations State Song Subcommittee be requested to continue its consideration of an appropriate song or group of songs to recommend for official state song designation. The subcommittee shall also continue its consideration of the advisability of establishing a commission to make recommendations about all other official designations. Any funds expended in support of the subcommittee's work shall be reimbursed with nongeneral funds raised from private donations.

    The State Song Subcommittee of the Virginia Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations shall complete its work in time to submit its findings and recommendations to the Governor and the 2000 Session of the General Assembly as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents.

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