CHAPTER 152

An Act to amend and reenact § 42-66 of the Code of Virginia, relating to
approval of highway historical markers; and to amend the Code of
Virginia by adding sections numbered 42-66.8, 42-66.4 and 42-66.5,
authorizing creation of an Advisory Committee on Historical Markers,
authorizing erection of markers by local governing bodies, and ex-
pressing the sense of the General Assembly as to bills relating to
historical markers.

[H 46]

Approved March 3, 1964

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That § 42-66 of the Code of Virginia be amended and reenacted, and
that the Code of Virginia be amended by adding sections numbered 42-66.3,
42-66.4 and 42-66.5, as follows:

§ 42.66. It shall be unlawful to post or erect any historical marker,
monument, sign or notice, on public property or upon any public street, road
or highway in the State bearing any legend, inscription or notice which
purports to record any historic event, incident or fact, or to maintain
any such historical marker, monument, notice, or sign posted or erected
after June seventeenth, nineteen hundred and thirty, unless a written
certificate has been issued prior to July first, nineteen hundred fifty by the
former division of archeology and history of the Virginia Conservation
Commission, with the approval of the Commission, or has been issued on
or after July first, nineteen hundred fifty by the State Library Board or by
its designation the State Librarian or his duly authorized agent or employee,
such certificate setting forth that after due investigation and inquiry such
legend, inscription or notice appears to be a true and correct record of the
historic event, incident or fact set forth therein.

* Applications for such certificates * shall be acted on as promptly as
may be reasonably practicable under all the circumstances of each case.

§ 42-66.8. The State Library Board is authorized to create an Ad-
visory Committee on Historical Markers, to consist of the Chairman of
the State Library Board or his designee, the President of the Virginia
Historical Society or his designee, and the State Highway Commissioner
or his designee. Such Committee shall make an investigation into and
render an opinion on the accuracy of the proposed text for any marker,
the historical significance of the person, event or place, and the appro-
priateness of the proposed location on request of the State Library Board
or the State Librarian, or any member or committee of the General Assem-
bly. The Board shall also, on such request, review the text of any existing
marker and if any inaccuracy is found, recommend appropriate corrective
action. Any expenses incurred in connection with the work of the Com-
mittee shall be defrayed from the appropriation to the State Library Board
for erecting and replacing historical markers.

§ 42-66.4. The governing body of any county, city or town may,
at its own expense, have erected a historical marker commemorating any
person, event or place upon any public street, road or highway within its
boundaries, provided the text and location thereof has been approved as
provided in § 42-66.

§ 42-66.5. It is hereby declared to be the sense of the General As-
sembly that, the State Library Board and its Advisory Committee on His-
torical Markers having been designated as the State agencies to determine
the textual accuracy, historical significance and appropriate location of
historical markers, their attention can appropriately be invited to the
desirability of markers in particular cases by resolutions adopted by this

ody.