Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §2.2-302 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§2.2-302. Responsibilities of the Office.

It shall be the responsibility of the Office, through the Assistant to the Governor, generally, to serve as an institutional and organizational link between the government of the Commonwealth and those agencies, bureaus, departments, offices, and entities of the United States government located in the City of Washington, D.C., and its immediate environs. The responsibilities of the Office shall include, but not necessarily be limited to:

1. Monitoring, tracking, and conducting in-depth analyses of federal legislation and regulations that have a direct impact on the Commonwealth and providing the Governor, the appropriate Cabinet Secretaries, and state agencies with up-to-date information on the status of such federal legislation and regulations, including the potential impact on the Commonwealth and coordination of state positions on such legislation and regulations;

2. Influencing the development and outcome of federal legislation by keeping the Virginia Congressional Delegation informed about the Governor's priorities and the impact that such legislation will have on the management, the budget, and the citizens of the Commonwealth;

3. Providing advice regarding written or oral testimony to be presented by the Governor or state agency heads before Congressional committees;

4. Alerting state agencies to early opportunities for federal grants and working with the Department of Planning and Budget to monitor and track the status of federal grant applications submitted by state agencies;

5. Joining in cooperative efforts with other states, through other offices of intergovernmental affairs, governors associations, and interstate groups with which the Commonwealth has an affiliation, on issues of mutual concern;

6. Serving as an information source about the Commonwealth upon the request of (i) another state's governor's office or Congressional member's staff, (ii) the White House, (iii) a federal agency, or (iv) the embassy of a foreign country;

7. Assisting state agency officials in (i) resolving administrative problems that may occur between the state agency and federal agencies and (ii) obtaining needed information from the federal government;

8. Convening at least annually a meeting of the Virginia Congressional Delegation and a delegation representing the General Assembly consisting of (i) the Speaker of the House, (ii) the majority and minority leaders of the House of Delegates, (iii) the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, (iv) the Chairman of the House Committee on Finance, (v) the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, (vi) the majority and minority leaders of the Senate, [ and ] (vii) the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance [ , and (viii) such other legislators as may be designated by the Joint Committee on Rules ] ;

9. Arranging meetings between federal and state officials and serving as a base office for state officials traveling to Washington, D.C.; and

9. 10. Reporting twice yearly to the members of the Senate Committee on Finance, the House Committee on Appropriations, and the Governor on all federal mandates and regulations that may have an effect on the Commonwealth. These reports shall be presented by January 31 and July 31 of each year and shall contain the recorded votes of each member of the Virginia Congressional Delegation for all such legislation.