Chap. 267.—An ACT to provide for the appointment of a commission on medi-
cal education in Virginia; to define its powers and duties; to provide how
the University of Virginia and the Medical College of Virginia may be con-
solidated and prescribing the effect thereof. [H B 176]

Approved March 19, 1920.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That there
shall be appointed a commission on medical education in Virginia,
which commission shall have the powers and duties hereinafter pre-
scribed.

2. The said commission shall be appointed as follows: Two by
the president of the senate from among the membership of the
senate; two by the speaker of the house of delegates from among
1920. ] ACTS OF ASSEMBLY. 389

the membership of the house; and five by the governor, of whom one
shall be nominated to him by the board of visitors of the University
of Virginia from among the medical faculty of the University of Vir-
ginia, and one by the board of visitors of the Medical College of
Virginia from among the medical faculty of the Medical College of
Virginia. All members of the commission shall be qualified voters
of the Commonwealth. The members of the commission shall name
one of its number chairman and another secretary. :

3. The commission aforesaid shall investigate and study the ques-
tion of medical education in Virginia, and upon the basis of such in-
vestigation and study shall make recommendations on the subject of
the consolidation of the two State-owned educational institutions now
giving courses in medicine and kindred subjects, to-wit, the Univer-
sity of Virginia and the Medical College of Virginia. In case the com-
mission shall be of the opinion that consolidation should be effected,
it shall include in its recommendations the terms and conditions upon
which in its opinion the said consolidation should be accomplished.
In its investigation the commission shall seek the assistance of such
trained experts in medical education as may seem necessary or de-
sirable, and may call upon the board of visitors of the two institu-
tions above-named, as well as any officer of either of said institu-
tions, for such suggestions or information as it may desire in aid
of its work.

4. After the commission has completed its investigations and has
formulated its recommendations it shall transmit one copy of its re-
port to the governor and one copy to each of the aforesaid institu-
tions concerned; and, if the commission recommends consolidation,
the governor shall call a joint meeting of the boards of visitors of the
two institutions, after at least one month from the time of trans-
mission of the report to the two institutions, to consider the recom-
mendations of the commission. The boards shall then endeavor to
agree upon a plan of consolidation based in whole or in part upon the
recommendations of the commission; and if agreement is reached the
terms and conditions thereof shall be reported to the governor as
soon thereafter as possible and by him laid before the general as-
sembly at its next regular session for its approval or disapproval.

5. If the boards of visitors of the two institutions are unable to
reach an agreement on the subject of consolidation, as aforesaid, the
report of the commission shall by the governor be transmitted to the
general assembly at its next regular session, with such recommenda-
tions as he may see fit to make.

The members of the commission on medical education in Vir-
ginia shall receive no compensation for serving thereon, but they
shall severally be reimbursed for their actual traveling expenses and
hotel bills in attending meetings of the commission. Furthermore,
the commission is given authority to engage the services of such ex-
pert and clerical assistants as may be necessary to enable it properly
to discharge its duties ; and for the purpose of defraying the expenses
of the commission, as aforesaid, there is hereby appropriated, out of
any moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, the sum of two
thousand dollars. The said sum, or so much thereof as may be
necessary, shall be paid by the treasurer of Virginia on warrants of
the auditor of public accounts issued on certificates signed by the
chairman of the commission and countersigned by its secretary.

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