Chap. 223.—-An ACT to appropriate, subject to certain conditions $950,000.00
for each year of the biennium beginning July 1, 1936, to assist counties and
cities to provide assistance to and for destitute persons in this State in need
of public relief and for the purpose of providing for administration of the
provisions of this act; to authorize the Governor to transfer certain funds
to the State treasury; to provide for the distribution and expenditure of
the funds herein appropriated; to require and empower counties and cities to
match State funds to be paid to them hereunder; and to prescribe the
powers and duties of the State Commissioner of Public Welfare relating to
the distribution and expenditure of funds, hereunder. [H B 250]

Approved March 23, 1936

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, as follows:
Section 1. For the purpose of assisting counties and cities to pro-
vide assistance to and for destitute persons in this State in need of
public relief, there is hereby appropriated, from funds in the State
treasury not otherwise appropriated, for each year of the biennium
beginning July first, nineteen hundred and thirty-six, the sum of nine
hundred and fifty thousand dollars, or so much thereof as shall be
necessary. The foregoing appropriation for the fiscal year beginning
July first, nineteen hundred and thirty-seven, is made subject to the
condition that no part of the amount appropriated in excess of five
hundred and eighty thousand dollars shall be used or disbursed if to do
so would bring about a deficit in the treasury of the State or if at
the time of such use or disbursement there exists a deficit in the
treasury of the State. In order to provide the minimum amount of
five hundred and eighty thousand dollars herein appropriated for the
fiscal year beginning July first, nineteen hundred and thirty-seven, the
Governor is hereby authorized and directed to transfer or require or
cause to be transferred to the State treasury all moneys heretofore set
aside as a reserve fund under the provisions of section sixteen of chapter
ninety-four of the Acts of the General Assembly of nineteen hundred
and thirty-four, approved March seventh, nineteen hundred and thirty-
four, and known, designated and cited as the Alcoholic Beverage Con-
trol Act. It is provided, however, that any balance which may remain
unexpended at the close of business on June thirtieth, nineteen hundred
and thirty-seven in the appropriation of nine hundred and fifty thou-
sand dollars herein made for the year ending June thirtieth, nineteen
hundred and thirty-seven, is hereby reappropriated as an addition to
the amount of five hundred and eighty thousand dollars hereby uncon-
ditionally appropriated for the year ending June thirtieth, nineteen hun-
dred and thirty-eight.

Section 2. The funds hereinabove appropriated shall, subject to the
terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, be allocated and distributed
to the counties and cities of the State on the basis of population, as
shown by the last preceding United States census, the said distribution
to be made by the State Treasurer on warrants of the Comptroller
issued upon vouchers signed by the State Commissioner of Public
Welfare or such other person or persons as he shall designate for
that purpose.

lf the population of any city shall have been increased through the
annexation of any territory since the last preceding United States
census, such increase shall, for the purpose of this act, be added to
the population of such city as shown by the said last preceding United
States census and a proper reduction made in the population of the
county or counties from which the said annexed territory was acquired.

Section 3. The State Commissioner of Public Welfare shall cause
the foregoing funds to be allocated and distributed to the counties and
cities of the State monthly or quarterly or at such other time or times
as the Governor may deem proper to assist the said counties and cities
to provide assistance to and for destitute persons in this State in need
of public relief, but no part of the funds herein provided for shall be
distributed to any county or city unless the said county or city shall
provide and have available for like purposes local funds in an amount
equal to sixty per centum of the amount to be received under the
provisions of this act, and shall agree to use, in providing assistance
to and for destitute persons in such county or city in need of public
relief, local funds in an amount at least equal to sixty per centum of
the amount received by said county or city under the provisions of this
law. Any county or city shall be entitled to receive any part of the
funds allocated to them which they may request if such county or city
has provided local funds in an amount at least equal to sixty per centum
of the amount so requested. Notwithstanding any charter or statutory
provision to the contrary, counties and cities are hereby authorized and
empowered to provide and make available such funds, and to enter into
such agreements, as may be required under the provisions of this act.

Section 4. Funds paid to the counties and cities pursuant to the
provisions of this act shall be used for the purposes hereinabove pro-
vided, except that not to exceed ten per centum of such funds received
by any county or city, including a like amount of local funds set aside
to match the same, may be used to provide for the administration and
distribution of such funds, and all of such funds shall be expended
and disbursed, subject to such requirements as the Governor may
impose to have such funds used for the purpose for which appro-
priated, in such manner as the boards of supervisors, councils or other
governing bodies of the respective counties and cities shall provide.
The board of supervisors or other governing body of any county shall
on the request of the council of any town in such county and with the
approval of the State Commissioner of Public Welfare, allocate and
distribute to any town therein having a population of one thousand or
more inhabitants according to the last preceding United States census
such proportionate part of the funds paid to such county and the local
funds appropriated by such county to match the said State funds as
the population of such town bears to that of the entire county, in
which event the said funds so allocated and distributed to the said
town shall be expended and disbursed by the council of such town,
in lieu of the board of supervisors or other governing body of the
said county, in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth. No
part of any funds paid to counties and cities pursuant to the provisions
of this act shall be used to provide assistance to or for any person
who, at the time of receiving such assistance, is an inmate of any
county, municipal, State or national institution, nor shall any part of
such funds be used to provide, maintain or operate any almshouse,
district home or other similar institution; local funds used for such
purposes shall not constitute any part of the local funds required to
match State funds herein provided for, nor shall any county or city
be given any credit under the provisions of this act for any local
funds so expended.

Section 5. The State Commissioner of Public Welfare may require
the boards of supervisors, councils or other governing bodies of the
said counties, cities and towns to file with him such reports, state-
ments, and other information as he shall deem necessary to show that
the funds paid to such counties and cities are properly administered
and expended, and may, subject to the approval of the Governor, with-
hold from any county or city the payment of any funds herein provided
for, if the board of supervisors, council or other governing body thereof
shall fail or refuse to use, in providing assistance to and for destitute
persons in such county or city in need of public relief, local funds in an
amount at least equal to sixty per centum of funds received under the
provisions of this act, or shall use any funds received under the provi-
sions of this act for any purpose other than that herein provided for,
or shall fail or refuse to file any report, statement or information
required in accordance with the provisions of this section. The State
Commissioner of Public Welfare, personally or through his duly au-
thorized agents, may at all times have access to the records of the
counties, cities and towns relating to the expenditure and distribution
of such funds received pursuant to the provisions of this act and
appropriated by counties and cities to match such funds.

The State Commissioner of Public Welfare is hereby authorized
to certify, from time to time, such part or parts of the funds appro-
priated by this act and such part or parts of the funds appropriated
by counties and cities to match funds appropriated by this act, as shall
be used to furnish financial assistance to dependent children, for the
purpose of matching any sum or sums which may have been or may
hereafter be appropriated by the United States government to furnish
financial assistance to dependent children.

Section 6. In order to provide for the necessary expenses of the
State Commissioner of Public Welfare incurred in performing the
duties imposed upon him hereunder, there is hereby set aside annually
out of the funds herein appropriated the sum of twenty-five thousand
dollars, or so much thereof as shall be required.