Chap. 383.—An ACT to provide for the establishment and maintenance of a
police communication system under the supervision of the Division of Motor
Vehicles, and making an appropriation therefor. [S B 224]

Approved March 31, 1938

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, as follows:

Section 1. Communication—There shall be established in the
Division of Motor Vehicles, when and if the appropriation provided
in Section five of this Act is made available, a basic co-ordinating
police communication system of private line typewriter communication,
operating through sending and receiving stations or receiving stations
only, and such associated equipment as may be necessary, at the head-
quarters of the Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles and at such
sub-stations or detached posts as shall be designated by the Division
of Motor Vehicles, for the purpose of prompt collection and distri-
bution of information throughout the State as the police problems of
the State may require. Authority is hereby granted to connect the
basic system herein provided for, directly or indirectly with similar
systems in this or adjoining states.

Section 2. Installation, Operation and Maintenance of Basic Sys-
tem; Personnel.—The Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles is
hereby authorized to install, operate and maintain the basic system and
to employ the necessary personnel, within the appropriation, for its
installation, operation and maintenance; the persons so employed may
be members of the State police, or other State employees, particularly
qualified for the duty they are to perform.

Section 3. Availability——The basic system herein provided for may
be made available for use by any department or division of the State
government and by any county, city, town, railroad or other special
police department lawfully maintained by any corporation in this
State as well as agencies of the federal government, subject to the
following terms and conditions: (a) application for permission to
connect with the basic system shall be made to the Director of the Divi-
sion of Motor Vehicles on forms to be provided by him; (b) such
application may be approved by the Director of the Division of Motor
Vehicles if, as and when in his discretion such connection is requisite
and necessary for the best interests of the entire system; (c) upon ap-
proval of such application and before the applicant shall be connected
with the basic system, such applicant must agree to assume and pay
all rentals for sending and receiving stations, or receiving stations only,
as may be authorized by the Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles
for installation within the jurisdiction of the applicant, and any and
all costs of installation and operation of such stations; (d) the State
shall pay all rental for necessary wire or circuit mileage required to
connect such stations with the basic system. :

Section 4. Orders, Rules or Regulations —The basic system herein
provided for shall remain at all times under the control of the Director
of the Division of Motor Vehicles and such control may be exercised
by him through any member of his division as he shall designate for
such purpose. The Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles is
hereby authorized to make and issue such orders, rules or regulations
for the use of this system as in his discretion are necessary for efficient
operation. ; .

Section 5. Appropriation—There is hereby appropriated out of
any moneys in the State treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum
of forty-four thousand dollars, or so much: thereof as may be necessary
for the purpose, for each year of the biennium beginning July first,
nineteen hundred and thirty-eight, to be used by the Governor, in his
discretion, in carrying out the provisions of this act, the same to be
paid by the Treasurer .on warrants of the Comptroller upon vouchers
signed by the Governor or by some person duly authorized by him for
the purpose. It is provided, however, that this appropriation shall not
become available for expenditure either in whole or in part unless and
until the Governor certifies to the Comptroller in writing that expendi-
ture thereof will not create or add to a deficit in the general fund of
the State treasury. , , |