Northern Virginia Technology Council Submits 2015 Legislative Agenda to Virginia Policymakers
Herndon, VA (PRWEB) January 07, 2015 -- On Jan. 6, the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) – the largest technology council in the nation – sent letters to all members of the Virginia General Assembly and to the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and senior officials of the McAuliffe administration outlining NVTC's 2015 legislative priorities. NVTC’s 2015 Legislative Agenda advocates policies and investments that focus on competitiveness and economic growth, STEM education and workforce, veterans’ employment, and infrastructure to ensure Virginia remains a top state for business and a global technology center.
Specifically, NVTC’s 2015 Legislative Agenda urges policymakers to restore funding cuts to the CIT GAP Funds; extend Virginia’s capital gains exemption for investments in technology, life sciences and energy businesses; provide Virginia’s Mach37 Cyber Accelerator with statutory and budget authority to accept private sector funding and investment to support its operations; and to launch a new veterans employment performance grant incentive to encourage small and mid-size businesses to hire veterans.
In its letter, NVTC emphasizes the importance of enhancing Virginia's ability to attract companies that are seeking to expand, relocate, move corporate headquarters, or establish research operations while also supporting a comprehensive "Grow Your Own" strategy for new company formation. The letter calls for investing in targeted innovation funding initiatives to boost Virginia’s competitiveness in promoting research, entrepreneurship, innovation, emerging technologies and technology-based economic growth, and job creation.
The letter calls for policies that boost Virginia's technology workforce through a robust science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education pipeline, by increasing the number of STEM certifications and degrees awarded statewide, and by advancing policies that ensure Virginia businesses and universities can hire the best and brightest and all Virginians can participate in the growing technology economy.
NVTC also asks legislators to continue efforts to improve infrastructure, including transportation, energy and broadband, to support economic development and help Virginia companies compete.
Click here for a full copy of NVTC's 2015 Legislative Agenda, or here to see NVTC’s legislative accomplishments during the 2014 General Assembly.
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The Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) is the membership and trade association for the technology community in Northern Virginia. As the largest technology council in the nation, NVTC serves about 1,000 companies from all sectors of the technology industry, as well as service providers, universities, foreign embassies, nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies. Through its member companies, NVTC represents about 300,000 employees in the region. NVTC is recognized as the nation's leader in providing its technology community with networking and educational events; specialized services and benefits; public policy advocacy; branding of its region as a major global technology center; initiatives in targeted business sectors and in the international, entrepreneurship, workforce and education arenas; the NVTC Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that supports the NVTC Veterans Employment Initiative and other priorities within Virginia's technology community; the Equal Footing Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that serves local area youth; and The Entrepreneur Center @NVTC, which mentors new technology entrepreneurs. Visit NVTC at http://www.nvtc.org.
Sarah Jones, Northern Virginia Technology Council, http://www.nvtc.org/, +1 (703) 268-5142, [email protected]
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