Chap. 405.—An ACT to provide for the erection of a suitable building to house
the State Library, the State Law Library, the Supreme Court of Appeals,
and the offices of the Attorney General; to that end to create a commission
to be known as the State Library Building Commission; to provide for
the appointment of the members of such commission; to prescribe the powers
and duties of the said commission; to provide for the acceptance by the
Commonwealth of certain land which may be conveyed by the City of
Richmond, and for the erection thereon of a suitable building to house the
State Library, the State Law Library, the Supreme Court of Appeals, and
the offices of the Attorney General; and to continue the State Library
Building Commission created by the General Assembly of 1936 until June
30, 1938, and to prescribe its powers and duties for the said period.

[S B 235]

Approved April 1, 1938

1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia, as follows:

Section 1. There is hereby created a State Library Building Com-
mission, hereinafter referred to as the “Commission’’, to consist of
the Governor, who shall be chairman thereof, the Lieutenant-Governor,
the Speaker of the House of Delegates, two persons from among the
membership of the Senate to be appointed by the President of the
Senate, two persons from among the membership of the House of
Delegates to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates,
the chairman of the State Library Board, the State Librarian, and
two persons to be appointed by the Governor. ‘The members of the
commission shall receive no compensation for serving thereon, but
shall be entitled to be reimbursed for their actual expenses incurred
by them in attending meetings of the commission and in the perform-
ance of their official duties. The State Librarian shall be the secre-
tary of the commission.

Section 2. The said commission is hereby authorized and directed
to continue the negotiations heretofore commenced by the State
Library Building Commission, appointed under the provisions of chap-
ter two hundred and forty-two of the Acts of the General Assembly
of nineteen hundred and thirty-six, with the authorities of the city
of Richmond, for the purpose of having the said city transfer to the
Commonwealth of Virginia, as a gift and without cost and as a site
for a building to house the State Library, the State Law Library, the
Supreme Court of Appeals and the offices of the Attorney General,
the fee simple title to a parcel of land in the said city known as the
Ford Lot, the said land being bounded by Eleventh, Twelfth, Capitol
and Broad Streets. The title to the said lot and any deed or other
instruments conveying the same shall be examined and approved by
the Attorney General, or such other attorney as the Governor may
designate for the purpose, and the Governor is authorized and em-
powered to accept the said land for and on behalf of the Common-
wealth of Virginia.

Section 3. In the event the said land is donated and transferred
to the Commonwealth as a site for such building, the said commission
is authorized and empowered to enter into any necessary agreements
with the authorities of the city of Richmond for closing, relocating,
opening, or changing the grade of any streets and alleys on or adjacent
to such land, and with the said authorities and with others for making
any necessary changes in the location of sewers or other public utilities
therein.

‘Section 4. When the said land shall have been so acquired by
the State of Virginia, the said commission is authorized, empowered
and directed to cause to be erected thereon, with all reasonable dis-
patch, and with the advice and counsel of the Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court of Appeals and of the Attorney General, and with
the approval of the Governor, a suitable building to house the State
Library and the State Law Library, and to include appropriate rooms
and facilities for the Supreme Court of Appeals, its members and
its clerk, and the necessary offices for the Attorney General. Such
building shall be of such size, design and material as may be deter-
mined by the said commission, and shall be constructed upon plans
and specifications submitted to and approved by it. The said com-
mission may in its discretion select a professional architect, or archi-
tects, at a reasonable compensation to advise and consult with it in
the preparation of said plans and specifications, and to supervise the
construction of the said building, and may use any plans and draw:
ings heretofore prepared for the State Library Building Commission
which was created by the General Assembly of nineteen hundred anc
thirty-six. When the said building, or any part thereof, is let tc
contract the said commission shall require the contractor or contrac-
tors to enter into bond with sufficient penalty and with such security
as it shall approve, conditioned upon the faithful and efficient perform-
ance of such contract or contracts.

Section 5. The State Library Building Commission created by
chapter two hundred and forty-two of the Acts of the General Assem-
bly of nineteen hundred and thirty-six is continued until the thirtieth
day of June, nineteen hundred and thirty-eight, for the purpose of com-
pleting any existing contracts it may have entered into under the
authority of the act by which it was so created. The said commis-
sion is directed to deliver to the commission hereby created any pre-
liminary drawings, plans, designs and specifications that it may have
obtained, and the said commission hereby created may avail itself of
any rights or benefits accruing to the former commission under any
uncompleted contract for the professional services of the firm of
architects which prepared such plans and specifications.

Section 6. The funds for carrying out the provisions of this act
shall be such funds as the General Assembly shall appropriate for the
purpose, the money so appropriated to be paid by the Treasurer of
Virginia on warrants of the Comptroller upon vouchers signed by the
chairman of the commission, or such other person or persons as shall
be designated by the commission for the purpose.

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