CHAPTER 562

An Act to amend and reenact §§ 2.1-88 as amended, and 2.1-51.2 of the
Code of Virginia, relating to Divisions in the Governor’s Office and to
powers and duties of the Commissioner of Administration; and to
amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Title 2.1 a new chapter num-
bered 7.2, containing sections numbered 2.1-64.15 through 2.1-64.21,
relating to Highway Safety; creating the Highway Safety Division;
providing for a Director thereof; specifying the powers and duties of
such Division and Director; establishing a Highway Safety Commis-
sion, Coordinating Committee of State agency heads and State High-
way Safety Advisory Committee; and requiring the establishment of
local highway safety commissions and the submission of highway
safety programs by the counties and cities to the Governor.

[fH 164]
Approved April 4, 1968

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 2.1-38 as amended, and § 2.1-51.2 of the Code of Virginia be
amended and reenacted, and that the Code of Virginia be amended by
adding in Title 2.1 a new chapter numbered 7.2, consisting of sections
numbered 2.1-64.15 through 2.1-64.21, the amended and new sections being
as follows:

§ 2.1-38. Divisions in Governor’s office; administrative assistants.—
In the Governor’s office there shall be the following divisions: Division of
the Budget, Division of Records, Division of Industrial Development, Divi-
sion of Personnel, Division of Planning, Division of Engineering and
Buildings, Highway Safety Division, and an office of Economic Oppor-
tunity. In addition thereto, the Governor may employ such administra-
tive assistants as may be necessary and may fix their salaries within the
limitation of funds appropriated for executive control of the State.

§ 2.1-51.2. Same; powers and duties——The Commissioner of Admin-
istration shall supervise the Division of the Budget, the Division of Per-
sonnel, the Division of Planning, * the Division of Engineering and
Buildings, and the Highway Safety Division and shall coordinate their
activities with those of other divisions and agencies; all reports to the
Governor from the directors of these divisions shall be made through the
Commissioner. In addition, the Commissioner shall exercise such powers
and perform such duties as may be delegated to him by the Governor to
execute the management functions of the Governor. All State agencies shall
make available to the Commissioner any information, when requested by
him, which they are required by law to provide to the Governor. The
Commissioner shall be responsible only to the Governor.

CHAPTER 7.2.
HIGHWAY SAFETY

§ 2.1-64.15. There is hereby created the State Highway Safety Divi-
sion which shall be under the supervision and direction of the Governor
and shall be referred to hereafter as the Division. The Governor shall
appoint a Director of the Division who shall hold his position at the
pleasure of the Governor and shall be paid such compensation as the
Governor may fiz.

The Governor shall also appoint a Highway Safety Commission, here-
after referred to as the Commission, consisting of eleven members who
shall be appointed as follows: initially three members shall be appointed
for two-year terms, four members for three-year terms and four mem-
bers for four-year terms; and as such initial terms expire and thereafter,
all members shall be appointed for four-year terms. No member shall be
appointed to serve more than two full four-year terms. Vacancies on the
Commission shall be filled for the unexpired term. Members of the Com-
mission shall receive no salaries but shall be paid their necessary traveling
and other expenses incurred in the discharge of their duties. The Director
shall serve as an ex officio member of the Commission.

§ 2.1-64.16. The Division, under the supervision and direction of the
Governor, is charged with the responsibility of carrying out the State’s
Highway Safety Program, and encouraging, stimulating and developing
highway safety programs and activities throughout the State, including
specifically the duties to (a) assist the Governor in the formulation and
administration of the State’s Highway Safety Program, (b) assist the
Governor in determining which local highway safety programs shall be
approved as part of the State’s Program and for purposes of federal
highway safety legislation, (c) assist the localities in the development
and formulation of local highway safety programs, (d) assist in the or-
ganization and servicing of local citizens’ safety councils to the end that
they may generate citizen interest and participation in highway safety
activities, (e) review and report to the Governor on the enforcement of
and compliance with State and local laws relating to highway safety and
develop specific recommendations for administrative and legislative action
to the end that such laws are fully enforced and complied with, and (f)
assist the Governor in determining the benefits which may accrue to the
State under the Federal Highway Safety Act of 1966, and the means to
take advantage of the federal Act and federal programs in the field of
highway safety.

The Commission shall advise and assist the Division in the perform-
ance of its duties and shall assist the Division specifically through the
review and evaluation of the State’s Highway Safety Program.

§ 2.1-64.17. The Director shall, under the direction and control of
the Governor and acting through the Commissioner of Administration, ex-
ercise all powers and perform all duties imposed on him by law, and he
shall perform such other duties as the Governor or Commissioner of Ad-
ministration shall require of him.

In addition, the Director shall be charged with executive and ad-
ministrative responsibility to (a) carry out the specific duties imposed
on the Division under § 2.1-64.16, (b) report to the Governor annually
on the status of the State’s Highway Safety Program which shall include
all activities of the State government directed to the promotion of safety
on the highways of the Commonwealth, (c) formulate plans for the im-
provement, coordination and further development of a unified, organized
and centrally directed Highway Safety Program for the State, (d) develop
standards for the evaluation of local highway safety programs, (e) review
the activities, role and contributions of the various State agencies in the
State’s Highway Safety Program, and (f) maintain appropriate liaison
with federal, State and local agencies so that the State’s Highway Safety
Program may function appropriately within the broad reach of highway
safety activities from the national to local levels.

The Director is authorized to employ such personnel and to contract
for such consulting services as he may require to carry out the purposes
of this chapter. Personnel employed by the Director shall be subject to
the provisions of Chapter 10 of Title 2.1 of the Code of Virginia.

The Governor may transfer to the Division the staff personnel of the
Governors Highway Safety Committee, which Committee shall be dis-
continued.

§ 2.1-64.18. There is hereby established a Coordinating Committee
to be composed of the State Highway Commissioner, Superintendent of
State Police, Commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles, the State
Health Commissioner, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Direc-
tor of the Highway Safety Division who shall be Chairman of the Com-
mittee, and such other individual heads of State agencies as the Governor
may appoint. The Coordinating Committee shall act to promote full coop-
eration by the State agencies represented in the execution of the State’s
Highway Safety Program and all activities related thereto and shall meet
on the call of the Chairman.

§ 2.1-64.19. Each county and city within the State shall have a local
highway safety commission which shall be appointed by the governing
body thereof and which shall consist of such number of members as the
governing body may determine, provided that at least one member shall
be a member of such governing body. Such commission shall meet a mini-
mum of four times each year and be charged with the responsibility for
recommending to the governing body plans for the formulation of a high-
way safety program for the county or city and thereafter with the re-
sponsibility for a periodic review of the operation and effect of such
program.

§ 2.1-64.20. There is hereby created a State Highway Safety Ad-
visory Committee which shall consist of the chairmen of each county or
city highway safety commission and such representatives of the State at
large as the Governor may appoint, provided that the number of members
shall not exceed one hundred fifty. Initially, one-half of the representatives
of the State at large shall be appointed for two-year terms and one-half
for four-year terms, and thereafter they shall be appointed for four-
year terms. No such representative shall be appointed for more than two
four-year terms.

The Director of the Highway Safety Division shall serve as an ex
officio member and staff of the Advisory Committee which shall meet at
least once annually and at such other times as the Director may call
meetings.

The Committee may elect its own chairman, provide bylaws for its
operation and divide into subcommittees. The Committee shall review and
compare the operation of local highway safety programs and review and
oper recommendations for the improvement of the State’s Highway Safety

rogram.

§ 2.1-64.21. Each county and city shall, upon the advice and with
the assistance of the local highway safety commission, prepare and sub-
mit to the Governor, through the Highway Safety Division, a program for
highway safety within such county or city which shall be subject to the
approval of the Governor for purposes of determining the eligibility of
such county or city to participate in funds and grants available under the
Federal Highway Safety Act of 1966 or such State funds as may be made
available. Such plans shall specifically include, in addition to such matters
as the Governor through the Highway Safety Division may require, ma-
terial on the status of, need for and means to provide within such locality
driver education and driver improvement courses for adults and out-of-
school youths and identification of accident-prone locations on roads within
the locality’s jurisdiction and in cooperation with State agencies. Such pro-
grams shall be submitted by January one, nineteen hundred sixty-nine.