Chap. 82.—-An ACT to create a planning board to be known as the Virginia
State Planning Board; to provide for the appointment thereof, and the filling
of vacancies therein; to prescribe its powers and duties; to provide for its
organization, meetings, and personnel; and to provide for the acceptance by
the board of any funds given it. [fH B 110]

Approved March 8, 1938

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

Section 1. There is hereby created a planning board to be known
as the Virginia State Planning Board, hereinafter referred to in this
act as the board. The board shall consist of twelve members appointed
by the Governor, within four months after he shall take office, who
shall hold office at the pleasure of the Governor. The first board ap-
pointed under this act shall begin serving on July first, nineteen hundred
and thirty-eight. At least eight members of the board shall be chosen
from the executive heads of State administrative departments and the
chiefs of divisions within these departments, one member shall be a
representative of the agricultural department of the Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and three members shall be citizens of the State not holding
any State office. Vacancies in the membership of the board shall be
filled by the Governor. The Governor shall designate one member of
the board to act as chairman and another as vice-chairman. The
chairman shall be one of the three citizen members.

Section 2. It shall be the duty of the board to collect and cor-
relate information relating to the development of the State and the con-
servation of its human and other natural resources, utilizing, in so far
as possible, the research facilities of the various State departments and
institutions and the results of the research work of said departments
and other agencies and to carry on, by its staff, such other research as
may be found necessary to supplement the research activities of said
departments and institutions. It shall be the further duty of the
board to make such studies as may be directed by the Governor or the
General Assembly reporting at such times as the Governor or General
Assembly may direct.
Section 3. It shall also be the duty of the board to:

(a) Prepare a synopsis of planning work in Virginia already
accomplished; obtain reports, plans and other data from all Federal
boards and other agencies which have made plans and surveys in this
State, and all county, city, and town planning commissions within the
State. Prepare a series of “existing condition maps” of the State,
on which will be marked specific areas relating to public-owned lands,
waterways, topography, land utilization, industrial distribution, popula-
tion density, transportation lines, highway, historic sites and resorts,
vacation facilities, post offices, colleges, schools, hospitals, zoning plans,
and other subjects which in the judgment of the board will be for the
benefit of the people and the welfare of the State. Analyze and cor-
relate the basic materials and trends as disclosed by existing conditions
in the State.

(b) Advise with the various State departments, bureaus, and
institutions with a view to the coordination of all development plans
that are related to an ordered and comprehensive development of the
State.

(c) Make studies of all plans and land utilization, which for any
reason are appropriate subjects of, or fall within the scope of, a State
benefit to all citizens as distinguished from a local program to benefit
a limited number. ,

(d) Encourage and aid the organizing of local and intrastate
regional planning boards.

(e) Cooperate with county, city, town and regional planning
boards, Federal planning agencies and with other State planning boards
or commissions for the purpose of aiding and encouraging an orderly
and coordinated development of the State.

Section 4. The board is hereby authorized to prepare and make
maps for the information of the Governor, the General Assembly, the
State departments and the counties, cities, towns and other public
agencies; to make planning studies and surveys for the collection of
data, and is further authorized to enter into cooperative agreements
with State departments, the planning agencies of the political subdi-
visions of the State and with the various interested Federal agencies for
the joint prosecution of this work.

Section 5. The board shall meet on call of the chairman, or, in
case of his disability or absence from the State, on call of the vice-
chairman, in such place or places as it shall from time to time determine.
Six members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the trans-
action of business and a majority thereof shall have authority to act
upon any matter before it for consideration. The board is authorized
to appoint from its membership an executive committee consisting of
the chairman, vice-chairman, and not less than three other members,
which committee between meetings of the board may exercise all powers
of the board, or such powers as the board may determine. The board
is authorized to adopt such rules and regulations, including provisions
for notice of meetings, for its own operation as it may determine, not
inconsistent with this act.

Section 6. In addition to such money as may be appropriated to
the board by law, the board is also authorized to accept any funds which
may be given or granted to it, to be expended in such a manner and
for such purposes not inconsistent with the general provisions of this
act as may be specified in the terms of said gift or grant. All funds
given or granted to the board, whether with or without conditions, are
hereby appropriated to the board for the purpose of carrying out the
provisions of this act.