Chap. 18.—An ACT to amend and re-enact section 3935 of the Code of Virginia.
CHAP n O er

Approved February 10, 1920.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That section
thirty-nine hundred and thirty-five of the Code of Virginia be
amended and re-enacted so as to read as follows:

Sec. 3935. Contracts of surety ‘between common carriers and
their employees and sureties upon such contracts; penalties—If any
common carrier authorized to do business in this State shall employ
any person in any position of trust in this State, and shall apply to
any surety company for security for the faithful performance of duty
by such employee, or for any form of fidelity insurance, and such
surety company shall refuse to become responsible for such employee,
or, having become responsible for such employee, shall thereafter
cancel such responsibility, such surety company shall furnish to such
employee a statement in writing of the reasons therefor, which state-
ment shall be sent by registered mail to such place as he shall desig-
nate, addressed to such employee, promptly on his demand therefor
in writing sent by registered mail to the head office of such surety
company, addressed to such surety company, or any Officer thereof;
and, unless such common carrier shall have other reasons for refusing
toemploy such employee than the fact of said refusal of such surety
company to so become or continue responsible for such employee, such
common carrier shall, on request of such employee, accept as security
for the fidelity of such employee, a bond or obligation in the same
form or substantially in the same form as that under which such surety
refused to become or continue responsible for such employee, when
duly executed and acknowledged by other solvent surety company
authorized to execute such bond or obligation in this State or a per-
sonal bond with satisfactory surety and furnished to such common
carrier by such employee without cost or expense to such common
carrier; but, such surety company shall not be required to disclose
the sources of its information regarding such employee, and all com-
munications, written or verbal, between such surety company or any
officer or representative thereof and such common carrier or any officer
or representative thereof or such employee or any person, firm or
corporation mentioned in any statement made by such employee to
such surety company shall be deemed privileged communications ; and
no action or legal proceeding for libel or slander shall lie against such
surety company or such common carrier by reason thereof. .

Any surety company or any common carrier which shall, by its
officers or representatives, violate any of the provisions of this section
shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and be punished by a fine
of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than one thousand

dollars.
2. An emergency existing, this act shall be in force from its

passage.