Chap. 422.—An ACT to amend the Code of Virginia by adding thereto a new sec-
tion, numbered 19-c, relating to the cession by the Commonwealth of Virginia
to the United States of jurisdiction over certain lands in Virginia. [H B 418]

Approved April 1, 1940

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia that the
Code of Virginia be amended by adding thereto a new section, num-
bered nineteen-c, which said section shall read as follows:

19-c-(1) In addition to the jurisdiction and powers over certain
lands ceded to the United States by sections nineteen, nineteen-a and
nineteen-b, there is hereby ceded to the United States concurrent
jurisdiction over crimes and offenses committed on lands acquired
since March twenty-eighth, nineteen hundred and thirty-six, and here-
after acquired by the United States in Virginia by purchase, lease,
condemnation, or otherwise, for sites for custom houses, court houses,
arsenals, forts, naval bases, military or naval airports, or airplane
landing fields, veterans hospitals, or for any military or naval purpose,
and there is hereby ceded to the United States such additional juris-
diction and powers over lands acquired by the United States in Vir-
ginia by purchase or condemnation as hereinafter provided.

(2) Whenever the head or other authorized officer of any depart-
ment or independent establishment or agency of the Government of
the United States shall deem it desirable that said additional jurisdic-
diction or powers be ceded over any lands in Virginia acquired or pro-
posed to be acquired by the United States under his immediate juris-
diction, custody or control, and whenever the Governor and Attorney
General of Virginia shall agree to same, the Governor and Attorney
General shall execute and acknowledge a deed in the name of and
under the lesser seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia ceding such
additional jurisdiction. The said deed shall accurately and speci-
fically describe the area and location of the land over which said addi-
tional jurisdiction and powers are ceded and shall set out specifically
what additional jurisdiction and powers are ceded, and may set out
any reservations in the Commonwealth of jurisdiction which may be
deemed proper in addition to those referred to in subsection (6) hereof.

(3) In the event that the United States does not desire to accept
all or any part of the jurisdiction and powers ceded by sections nine-
teen, nineteen-a or nineteen-b of the Code said deed shall set out
specifically the said jurisdiction and powers which it is desired not to
accept.

(4) No such deed shall become effective or operative until the
jurisdiction therein provided for is accepted on behalf of the United
States as required by section three hundred and fifty-five of the Re-
vised Statutes of the United States. The said head or other au-
thorized officer of the Government of the United States shall indicate
such acceptance by executing and acknowledging said deed, and admit-
ting same to record in the office of the clerk of the court in which
deeds conveying the lands affected would properly be recorded.

(5). When said deed has been executed and acknowledged on
behalf of the Commonwealth and the United States and admitted to
record as hereinbefore set forth the same shall have the effect of
ceding to and vesting in the United States the jurisdiction and powers
therein provided for and none others.

(6). Every such deed as is provided for in this section nineteen-c
of the Code shall reserve in the Commonwealth of Virginia over all
lands therein referred to the jurisdiction and power to serve civil and
criminal process on said lands and in the event that the said lands or
any part thereof shall be sold or leased to any private individual, or
any association or corporation, under the terms of which sale or lease
the vendee or lessee shall have the right to conduct thereon any
private industry or business, then the jurisdiction ceded to the United
States over any such lands so sold or leased shall cease and determine,
and thereafter the Commonwealth of Virginia shall have all jurisdic-
tion and power she would have had if no jurisdiction or power had
been ceded to the United States. This provision, however, shall not
apply to post exchanges, officers’ clubs, and similar activities on lands
acquired by the United States for purposes of National defense. It
is further provided that the reservations provided for in this sub-
section shall remain effective even though they should be omitted
from any deed executed pursuant to this Code section nineteen-c.

Nothing contained in this Act shall be construed as repealing any
special Acts heretofore or at this session passed ceding jurisdiction to
the Federal Government to acquire any specific tract of land.

(7). An emergency existing, this act shall be in force from its
passage.