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FLOOR 12/19/2023-SPECIAL ORDERED TO THE FLOOR BILL NO. 35-0221 Thirty-Fifth Legislature of the Virgin Islands December 19, 2023 An Act amending title 3 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 18, subchapter I removing the Department of Sports, Parks, and Recreation’s responsibility for housing activities and eliminating inapplicable provisions relating to housing matters of the former Department of Housing, Parks and Recreation and other related purposes PROPOSED BY: Senators Javan E. James, Sr., and Donna A. Frett-Gregory Be it enacted by the Legislature of the Virgin Islands: 1 SECTION 1. Title 3 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 18, subchapter I, section 302 is 2 amended in the following instances: 3 (1) In section 302: 4 (a) In the first sentence, strike “public housing and insert “sports”; 5 (b) In paragraph (1), strike both occurrences of “housing” and insert “sporting, 6 recreational, and park”, strike “including renewal problems, and strike “loans”; 7 (c) In paragraph (2), strike “housing” and insert “sporting, recreational, and 8 park”; 9 (d) In paragraph (3), strike “housing and renewal and insert “sporting, 10 recreational, and park”; 11 (e) In paragraph (11), strike the phrase “in housing projects”: and 12 2 (f) Strike paragraphs (4), (5), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (18), and (20) in their 1 entirety and renumber the remaining paragraphs accordingly. 2 (2) In section 303, subsection (a): 3 (a) After “pertaining to” strike “housing,” and insert “sports”; and 4 (b) Strike the phrase “; provided, however, that the Virgin Islands Housing 5 Authority shall continue as the “public housing agency” and “local public agency” as 6 designated by Title 29, section 31, VIC, to the extent necessary to comply with applicable 7 federal law”. 8 SECTION 2. Sections 304, 305 and 306 are repealed. 9 BILL SUMMARY 10 The bill amends title 3 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 18, subchapter I by eliminating 11 residual provisions in the Code relating to the Department of Sports, Parks, and Recreation’s 12 (“Department”) responsibility for housing activities. Pursuant to Act 6973, the responsibilities 13 and duties of the Department of Housing Parks, and Recreation relating to housing under title 14 3 Virgin Islands Code, chapter 18, were transferred in total to the Virgin Islands Housing 15 Finance Authority established under title 21 V.I.C., chapter 2, section 103. The bill repeals 3 16 V.I.C. §§ 304-305 which relate to housing activities. The bill also amends 3 V.I.C. § 302 by 17 striking provisions relating to housing activities and by expanding the powers and duties of the 18 Department relating to sports. 19 BR23-0419/ February 27, 2023/ Revised March 6, 2023/PFA 20