Chap. 373.—An ACT to create an armory commission for the State of Virginia
and specify its authority and duties; to authorize said commission to construct
and maintain armories, drill and training areas for the National Guard and
Naval Militia and their various units; to authorize municiplities, counties, and
the State and others to co-operate in and about the construction of armories and
providing drill and training areas and to assist in paying therefor; and to
authorize municipalities and counties to convey to the State of Virginia lands
owned by them on which to construct armories, whether such lands already
be used for parks or other purposes. [H B 111]

Approved March 28, 1932

Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia as follows:

1. Organization of armory commission.—There is hereby created
a body corporate to be known as the armory commission of Virginia,
the members of which shall be the governor, who shall be chairman,
the adjutant-general, and the two highest ranking line officers on the
active list of the Virginia national guard, and three qualified voters
of the State of Virginia, said voters to be appointed by the governor
and to serve at his pleasure. Said commission may in its corporate
name sue and be sued, contract and be contracted with, acquire real
and personal property by gift, purchase or condemnation; and may do
all things and exercise all rights and powers reasonably necessary to
carry out and perform the duties intended or required by this act, in
the name of the State of Virginia. The members shall serve without
compensation and shall be allowed their reasonable expenses incurred
in attending meetings of the commission or while traveling under orders
for the performance of duty in connection with the business of said
commission. Said commission shall hold meetings, in Richmond, at
such times as may be specified by the governor, after reasonable notice.
A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum for the con-
sideration of business, but all contracts and agreements creating liabili-
ties or indebtedness against, or requiring appropriation from the armory
fund, shall require the affirmative vote of a majority of all members
of the commission. In the absence of the governor or adjutant-general,
the lieutenant-governor or an active officer of the national guard desig-
nated by the adjutant-general may act for them, respectively.

2. Providing armories and grounds for training purposes.—The
armory commission shall provide adequate armories, buildings and
grounds for the national guard and naval militia of Virginia, for the
purposes of drill, instruction and administration, and for the safe-
keeping of public property of the State and the United States issued
to or for the use of the Virginia national guard and naval militia, in-
cluding animals, and for such purpose shall be charged with the admin-
istration and expenditure of the armory fund. Upon the order in
writing of any three of the commission, but not otherwise, the adjutant-
general shall issue his warrant for such sum as shall be directed, pay-
able out of any appropriation provided.

3. Acquiring buildings and grounds for armory and training pur-
poses.—The armory commission may, either alone or in co-operation
with counties, cities or incorporated towns, private corporations, volun-
tary unincorporated associations or individuals, construct or acquire by
purchase, contract, lease, gift, donation or condemnation, armories,
buildings, or grounds suitable for drill, instruction and administration
and the safekeeping of public property, and make additions and im-
provements in or to such armories and facilities, and either alone or
with the like co-operation of others provide heat, light, water, telephone
service, and other costs of operation and maintenance, including in-
surance. The amounts to be appropriated out of any armory fund
for the construction and/or acquisition of armories, and for the main-
tenance and/or rental of armories shall within the limits hereinbefore
in this section set forth, be wholly within the discretion of the armory
commission.

4. Joint use of public buildings and grounds for armories and train-
ing areas.—The governing body of any county, and the governing body
of any city or incorporated town, wherein a unit or units of the national
guard and naval militia of Virginia have been, or may hereafter be
established, may either severally, or acting jointly with each other, or
with the armory commission, construct or acquire by purchase, con-
tract, lease, gift, donation or condemnation, grounds and/or buildings
which shall be suitable for public assemblages, conventions, exhibitions
and entertainments; provided, that such buildings, or the plans and
specifications therefor, are first approved by the armory commission
as suitable for use as armories by the Virginia national guard units
established or to be established in such county, city or town; provided
further, that said governing bodies or either of them shall have con-
tracted with the armory commission for the use of such buildings as
an armory by such national guard unit or units upon terms not incon-
sistent with this act. :

5. Public grounds for armory building purposes.—Any municipality
or county owning lands on which no permanent building has been
actually constructed whether such lands constitute part of a park or
site for some public structure, is authorized to convey the same to the
State of Virginia for use as a site for an armory for the Virginia na-
tional guard; provided, that such conveyance will not prevent the rea-
sonable use of any such structure for the purpose for which it was
constructed.

6. Military property exempt from taxation—All property actually
used for armory and military training purposes, as hereinabove defined,
shall be exempt from all taxation, 1mpost or assessment. oO

7. Power of condemnation—The power of condemnation herein
granted to the armory commission, and to counties, cities and incor-
porated towns, shall be exercised in manner prescribed in the Code
of Virginia. 4

2 Use of armories.—Whenever in the opinion of the armory com-
mission it is practicable to do so, each armory of the national guard.
shall contain a room suitable for meetings of associations composed of
veterans of the war between the States, the Spanish-American war, and
the world war, and shall be available for such meetings under such
rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the commanding officer
of the national guard unit or units using such armory. The armory
commission may permit the use of any armory for assembly and other
purposes of various patriotic and civic organizations such as Con-
federate veterans, Sons of Confederate and Federal veterans, American
Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Daughters of the Confederacy,
chamber of commerce, etc., as may be deemed advisable, where the use
does not interfere with the use of the armory by the national guard
unit or units occupying same. ay “ Oo

9. Management and care of armories.——The armory commission
shall also constitute a board for the general management and care of
armories, drill and training areas, excluding the State military reserva-
tion, and shall have the power to adopt and prescribe such rules and
regulations for the management and government and for the guidance
of the organizations occupying them as may be necessary and desirable ;
said rules not to conflict with the provisions of this act. For each
armory erected or provided, the governor shall appoint, with the advice
of the armory commission, a board of control to consist of one or more
officers of the organization or organizations quartered therein. Such
board or officer of control may rent the armory for temporary purposes,
subject to regulations to be prescribed by the armory commission, and
the money derived from such rental shall be paid into the treasury of
the organization or organizations quartered therein. ,

10. Sale or lease of armories——When the aforesaid armory com-
mission shall receive information from the governor of the disbandment
of an organization of the national guard or naval militia of Virginia
occupying or using an armory provided by the State under the direc-
tion of the armory commission, it shall be the duty of said commission
to determine whether such armory shall be sold or not, and if it is deter-
mined that such armory be sold that, after due publication as pre-
scribed by the laws of the State of Virginia for the sale of real estate
under a deed of trust, it shall be sold at public auction for the highest
price to be paid for same, and upon such terms and conditions as may
seem best to the said commission. The proceeds of such sale shall be
divided between the State, county, city, or individual, as their interest
may appear. In case an armory becomes vacant by any reason men-
tioned in this section, the armory commission may lease such armory
for a period not to exceed one year, or, when duly authorized by the
governor, may lease the same for a period of years, the proceeds due
the State therefrom in either case to be turned into the State treasury
to be credited to the armory fund. Should there be other owner or
owners than the State then the balance of the proceeds shall be equitably
turned over to them as their interest may appear. During the time that
the troops quartered in an armory are absent from their home station,
in federal service, said armory may be leased as above provided, but
not sold.

11. City and county aid for armories—That, every city and
county in the State of Virginia now having, or that may hereafter
have, an active national guard or naval militia organization or organiza-
tions within its boundaries is hereby authorized and empowered to
render such financial assistance as it may deem wise and patriotic to
such national guard or naval militia organization, either by donating
land or buildings, or donating the use of land or buildings, or by
contributing to their equipment and maintenance.

12. Maintenance of armories.—In order that there shall be provided
maintenance funds for armories and other buildings erected, and areas
provided for drill and training and other military purposes under the
provisions of this act, the adjutant-general, upon authority of the
armory board as provided in section two of this act, is authorized to
draw a voucher for such funds, to be paid from the appropriation here-
inafter provided. ,

13. Reversions of donations—That in the event that any real prop-
erty is donated to a national guard or naval militia organization under
the provisions of this act, and the national guard or naval militia or-
ganization, or organizations, shall fail to refuse same, or shall, after
accepting same, be disbanded, the title to the real property thus donated
shall revert to the person, county, city, or municipality donating the
same as their interest may appear.

14. If any section, paragraph, clause or separate provisions of this
act shall be held to be invalid, such fact shall not affect or render
invalid any other section, paragraph, clause or separate provision of
this act, it being the intention of the legislature in enacting this act to
enact each section, paragraph, clause and provision separately.

15. This act, and all and each of its various sections and provisions,
shall be liberally construed in favor of the purposes of this act.

16. All laws, or parts of laws, inconsistent, or in conflict with the
provisions of this act are hereby repealed.

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