COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES, RECREATION AND SPORTS

BILL NO.

29-0107

Twenty-Ninth Legislature of the Virgin Islands

June 3, 2010

An Act reenacting title 3 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 1, section 27 establishing the Virgin Islands Commission on Youth

PROPOSED BY:

Senator Janette Millin Young Co Sponsor: Celestino A. White, Sr,

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Be it enacted by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands: SECTION 1. Title 3, Virgin Islands Code, chapter 1, section 27 is reenacted to read: 27 Virgin Islands Commission on Youth (a) There is established within the Office of the Governor, the Virgin Islands

Commission on Youth, hereinafter referred to as the Commission. The Commission is comprised of an eleven member governing board appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Legislature. At least five of the members must, at the time of appointment be under the age of 22; at least two of the members must be regularly enrolled, fulltime students at the University of the Virgin Islands who are United States citizens; four members must be residents of the island of

2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 St. Thomas, four must be residents of the island of St. Croix; and one must be a resident of the island of St. John. (1) Of the members first appointed, three shall serve terms of two years, four

shall serve terms of three years and four shall serve terms of four years. Terms thereafter are four years, except that each member shall serve until the members successor is appointed and qualified in the same manner as original appointments are made (2) Hereunder, provided that no member shall serve more than 180 days

beyond the expired term and any action taken by the Commission wherein a vote was cast by a member whose term expired is void Ab initio. A member may be removed by the Governor for neglect of duties, malfeasance or for other good and sufficient cause. Any person appointed to fill a vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for which the persons predecessor was appointed shall serve only the remainder of such term. (3) The members of the Commission shall, at the first Commission meeting,

select a Chairman from among their number. The term of the Chairman is two years. A quorum for the purpose of conducting the business of the Commission consists of six members. The Commission shall meet at least once every four months, and more often at the call of the Chairman or upon the request of at least six of the members. (4) Each appointed member of the Commission not a government employee is

entitled to receive $75 for each day or part of a day spent in the performance of official duties, and, in addition, each appointed member is entitled to receive actual and necessary travel expenses incurred in the performance of official duties; however, no member shall receive more than $2,500 in any fiscal year for travel. (5) Reference to the Commission in the remainder of this section must be

construed to include any person authorized to act for the Commission, including the Director or any of his assistants.

3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 (b) The Commission is the sole Virgin Islands governmental agency for the

initiation, implementation, administration, supervision coordination and monitoring of programs, services and activities oriented exclusively toward youth services and which are publicly funded, in whole or in part, but excluding those programs or activities for which other provision is specifically made by this Code. The Commission has powers and duties: (1) To monitor and evaluate all new and all existing youth programs, services

and activities whether locally or federally funded, for the purpose of determining the effectiveness of same, and in connection therewith to submit a report to the Governor, the Legislature and the Director of the Budget by January of each year containing detailed results of those evaluations as well as recommendation for the alteration or discontinuance of existing programs, services and activities or the establishment of new programs, services and activities; (2) To study, collect, maintain, publish and otherwise disseminate statistical data

and pertinent information relative to all aspects of youth activities and problems, including social, economic, educational, employment, recreational and health needs and opportunities for young people; (3) To serve as the sole agency through which various public and nonpublic

organizations concerned with young people can obtain and exchange information, coordinate programs and enter into joint endeavors; (4) To provide consultation and assistance to other organizations which are

concerned with or may be interested in providing programs, services, activities or facilities for young people; (5) To coordinate all programs, services and activities under its jurisdiction with

the programs, services and activities of other governmental and nongovernmental

4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 (6) organizations to permit the efficient and effective functioning of all such

programs, services and activities in a manner which will promote economy and prevent duplication of efforts; (7) To promote employment and training opportunities in cooperation and

coordination with other public and private agencies as well as opportunities for the proper use of leisure time for young people, including opportunities for volunteer work by said young people; (8) To identify research needs; encourage research; assist in obtaining funds

for research and demonstration projects; and establish and participate in the establishment of those projects; (9) To provide such special personnel training as is necessary to carry out the

programs, services and activities of the Commission; (10) To plan, implement, administer and supervise a summer youth

employment program, undertaken in such manner as the Commission considers appropriate and pursuant to rules and regulation promulgated by it; (11) To accept gifts, donations, contributions, bequests, devises or other

monies for expenditure for the purposes for which they are provided or as the Commission sees fit in executing its duties under this section; (12) To plan, establish, administer and supervise programs and activities

providing special services for youth, including, youth centers, counseling and referral services, outreach programs, volunteer activities and those encouraging community involvement; (13) To cooperate with the Federal Government, its agencies and

instrumentalities and with other public and private agencies in establishing, extending and strengthening various youth activities, services and programs; and

5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 (14) To perform such other functions and duties as the Governor may from

time to time prescribe or may be required by Law. (c) The Commission constitutes the sole government agency of the

Government of the Virgin Islands for participation in all federal programs and for receipt of federal funds for youth programs, when such programs relate exclusively to youth and require action within the Virgin Islands, and when such programs are not the specific responsibility of a federal agency located within the Virgin Islands. (d) The Governor, upon recommendation of the Commission and subject to

confirmation by the Legislature, shall appoint and Executive Director of the Virgin Islands Commission on Youth. The Executive Director must be a person qualified by education, training and experience in the administration, coordination and supervision of youth programs. The salary of the Executive Director is provided by appropriation. The Executive Director must be provided with such assistants, secretarial and other personnel, office space and equipment, subject to appropriations as is necessary for the proper performance of his duties pursuant to this section. (e) The Executive Director shall act in the name of the Commission, and has

the following powers and duties: (1) To administer all policies, programs services and activities of the

Commission on a day to day basis, subject to such general guidelines as the Commission may establish, but exercising such discretion and making such management decisions as are necessary to the proper execution and operation of Commission programs, services, activities and policies; (2) To attend all Commission meetings and submit such reports and make

such recommendations with regard to youth programs, services and activities as may be requested by the Commission;

6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 BR11-0145/March 10, 2011/ (3) To provide for the detailed administration and close supervision of youth

programs, services and activities under the jurisdiction of the Commission and for the monitoring of other programs, services and activities with which the Commission is coordinating its programs, services and activities; (4) With the cooperation of the Director of the Budget, to identify all funds,

personnel, records, equipment and other resources of the Government of the Virgin Islands which provide services to youth and to report his findings in this regard to the Commission in order that steps may be taken, where necessary and appropriate, to obtain statutory or other authority to transfer funds, personnel, records, equipment and other resources to the jurisdiction of the Commission when such transfers are consistent with the intents and purposes of this section; (5) To cooperate and collaborate with the Commissioner of Housing, Sports

and Recreation, The Commissioner of Police and the Commissioner of Human Services in the administration, implementation and supervision of existing recreational programs, services and activities for youth, and in the planning, establishment and implementation of new recreational programs, services and activities for youth where considered necessary or desirable; and (6) To perform such other functions and duties as may be assigned to him by

the Commission. BILL SUMMARY This Bill re-establishes the Virgin Islands Commission on Youth which is charged with the administration, coordination, implementation and supervision of all programs related to youth within the territory of the Virgin Islands.