In 1994, the General Assembly passed House Joint Resolution 224 establishing a joint subcommittee to study alternative strategies for assisting tobacco farmers. During its first year, the subcommittee (i) reviewed state and federal tobacco policies; (ii) developed a profile of the tobacco industry in Virginia and documented its impact on the state's economy; and (iii) examined crop and commodity diversification and alternative enterprises. In 1995, under House Joint Resolution 431 (Appendix A), the subcommittee broadened its inquiry beyond identifying agricultural diversification programs to one of identifying those rural economic development policies that provide the tools for ensuring the economic vitality of the tobacco-growing communities of Virginia.