ST. THOMAS—Members of the 34th Legislature, led by Senate President Donna Frett-Gregory, convened in Legislative Session to consider several nominations, resolutions, and bills on Tuesday in the Earle B. Ottley Legislative Chambers. 

The first block of the Session began with the approval of the following Resolution and Nominees:  

• Bill No. 34-0019 – A Resolution honoring and commending Ronaqua Russell for her heroic achievements and extraordinary performance resulted in her becoming the first African American female aviator in the United States Coast Guard to receive the Air Medal.  
• Amy Durand, Virgin Islands Board of Pharmacy   
• Amailyn Augustus, Virgin Islands Board of Social Work Licensure   
• Maureen Burke-Ventura, Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority Board of Directors   
• Kirk Lewis, Virgin Islands Board of Aquaculture and Mariculture   
• Erica Johnson, University of the Virgin Islands Board of Trustees  
• Raymond Burton, Jr., Virgin Islands Board of Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors   
• Damian Cartwright, Virgin Islands Board of Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors   
• Pedro Williams, Virgin Islands Public Services Commission

  Members of the Body did not confirm the nomination of Karen Korsgren to the Virgin Islands Real Estate Commission, receiving only three votes in support from the Body.

  During the subsequent blocks, the following measures were approved, as amended:

• Bill No. 34-0005 – An Act amending Title 3 VI Code, Chapter 5, subchapter 1, section 65a, subsections €, (d), and € relating to filling vacancies on boards and commissions to clarify the limitation on the number of governmental or quasi-governmental boards and commissions on which commissioners and directors of the VI Government can serve, while serving on the board or Commission of any autonomous or semi-autonomous agency; and for other related purposes.   
• Bill No. 34-0008 – An Act amending Act No. 7453 section 2A, as amended by Act No. 7599 section 9(e) to reprogram $200,000 from Gross Receipt Taxes Bonds proceeds to renovate the Police Athletic League Headquarters in Estate Whim, St. Croix.  
• Bill No. 34-0021 – An Act amending the Virgin Islands Code title 3, section 273(a) relating to the Public Services Commission to establish the Commission as a semi-autonomous agency; amending title 30 section 1 to eliminate certain businesses from regulation as a utility and to subject the Waste Management Authority to regulation; authorizing the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority to hire a turnaround management company; adding chapter 9 to provide for the resolution of customer complaints against wireless telecommunication providers; and for other purposes related to the Public Services Commission, and the Water and Power Authority. 
• Bill No. 34-0024 – An Act amending Act No. 8365, relating to the fiscal year 2021 operating budget for the Government of the Virgin Islands to appropriate $3,533,333.34 to the Department of Justice to pay the settlement agreement of Joe Harold d/b/a Vanterpool Enterprises v. Government of the Virgin Islands, to appropriate $2,000,000 to the Department of Labor for the payment of outstanding Worker’s Compensation payments to medical providers to appropriate $40,000 to Clean Sweep Frederiksted for the beautification of the town of Frederiksted; and amending Act No. 8411 to increase the Grand Total General Fund appropriations.  
• Bill No. 34-0025 – An act amending Title 3, Chapter 16, Section 273 of the Virgin Islands Code by establishing minimum criteria for Public Services Commission members and changing the number of its members. 
• Bill No. 34-0026 – An act amending Title 30, Chapter 5, subchapter II, section 103 relating to the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority to establish minimum criteria for the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority Governing Board and changing the number of its members; and amending section 104(b) to change the number of members of the Governing Board constituting a quorum from five to four. 

  The following Bills were favorably approved by the Body and sent to the Governor for further action: 

• Bill No. 34-0003 – An Act amending Title 29 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 3, subchapter I, section 235(c) relating to the time within which the Zoning Administrator must act on a building permit application submitted to the Department of Planning Natural Resources to set time limits; requiring the Department to implement an Electronic Permitting System; amending chapter 5 section 296 relating to fees and fines for building permits to require that three (3) percent of the fees collected under that section be deposited into the Department’s Reclamation Fund for maintaining the electric permitting system; and amending title 12, section 911(f)(4) relating to the Natural Resources Reclamation Fund to include three (3) percent of the fees collected in 29 V.I.C. 296 as a funding source for the Natural Resources Reclamation Fund. 
• Bill No. 34-0013 – An act appropriating $2,050,000.00 from the St. Croix Capital Improvement Fund for replacement of the existing, deteriorated tender landing pier and repairs at the Ann E. Abramson Marine Terminal in Frederiksted, St. Croix. 
• Bill No. 34-0014 – An Act appropriating $1,600,000 from the Communities Facilities Trust Account for the four community facilities projects on St. Croix, Virgin Islands, including the projects of the pier at King’s Alley Hotel in Christiansted, the dock at Gallows Bay Marine Facility and the roll-on roll-off ramp at the Gordon A. Finch Molasses Pier at Krause Lagoon.  
• Bill No. 34-0020 – An Act appropriating $675,000 from the Community Facility Trust Fund to the Caribbean Drag Racing Association for restoration of facilities at the St. Croix Motor Sports Complex, making an appropriation and for other related purpose(s).  
• Bill No. 34-0023 – An Act amending Title 12 of the Virgin Islands Code by adding a chapter 2A to establish the Invasive Species Eradication Community Program; establishing the Invasive Species Eradication Community Program Fund and an Imprest Account Fund for the payment of bounties under the Program; and appropriating $10,000.00 from the Animal Fund to the Invasive Species Eradication Community Program Fund.  
• Bill No. 34-0028 - An Act amending Title 19 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 37, Subchapter III adding section 870 to authorize registered nurses and certified registered nurse practitioners employed by a certified home health agency, hospice, or nursing home to determine and pronounce death under certain specified conditions; and requiring the Department of Health to promulgate implementing regulations. 
• Bill No. 34-0036 – An Act appropriating the excess debt service reserve funds for the outstanding Matching Fund Revenue Bonds to fund specific urgently needed capital projects across the Territory.  
• Bill No. 34-0041 – An Act amending Title 27, Chapter 1, subchapter I; by amending section 7 relating to the continuing medical education requirements for permanent and institutional licensees, by inserting a new section 55 relating to the Commissioner of Health’s authorization to issue licenses to radiological technologists, a new section 56 relating to the Good Samaritan Law, and a new section 57 relating to penalties; amending subchapter XI relating to the practice of podiatry; and by making technical amendments. 
• Bill No. 34-0042 - An Act repealing Title 3 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 23, section 415 relating to the Boards of Examiners for Medicine, Surgery, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Optometry, Physical Therapy, Chiropractic and Podiatry and re-establishing the respective boards in Title 27 Virgin Islands Code, Chapter 1, section 1a; and establishing a temporary board. 
• Bill No. 34-0059 – An Act extending the State of Emergency in the U.S. Virgin Islands, based on the COVID19 Pandemic for an additional 60 days from May 7, 2021, to July 6, 2021.

  Members present during Legislative Session: Senate President Donna Frett-Gregory, Senators Novelle E. Francis Jr., Genevieve R. Whitaker, Marvin A. Blyden, Kurt A. Vialet, Milton E. Potter, Janelle K. Sarauw, Samuel Carrión, Franklin D. Johnson, Carla A. Joseph, Dwayne M. DeGraff, Alma Francis Heyliger, and Senator-At-Large Steven D. Payne, Sr.  

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