At a bill signing ceremony co-hosted by the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) on May 30, Gov. Bob McDonnell ceremonially signed data center sales tax exemption legislation championed by NVTC during the 2012 legislative session of the Virginia General Assembly. NVTC President and CEO Bobbie Kilberg provided introductory remarks during the ceremony, which was held at the new headquarters of NVTC Board member company Acentia in Falls Church. Secretary of Technology Jim Duffey, Secretary of Commerce & Trade Jim Cheng, Gov. McDonnell's Chief of Staff Martin Kent, a bipartisan group of legislators from Northern Virginia and throughout the Commonwealth, and representatives from the NVTC and NVTC TechPAC Boards and the NVTC Data Center Task Force were present.
The data center bills (HB 216 / SB 112), which were sponsored by Chief Patrons Delegate Barbara Comstock and Sens. Mark Herring and Ryan McDougle, enhance Virginia's statewide competitiveness in attracting data center jobs and investment. Following a year-long advocacy effort by NVTC, the legislation expands Virginia's current data center sales tax exemption to also include data center tenants.