Chap. 239.—An ACT to authorize and empower the heads of the several admini-
strative departments, divisions, institutions and agencies of the State to cause,
with the approval of the Governor, the records and papers of their respective
departments, divisions, institutions and agencies to be photographed or micro-
photographed and destroyed, under certain conditions to authorize the acquisi-
tion and use of certain facilities and equipment relating thereto, and to provide
for the admissibility in evidence of such photographs, microphotographs and
photographic and photostatic copies thereof. {[H B 289]

Approved March 27, 1940

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

Section 1. The respective heads of the several administrative
departments, divisions, institutions and agencies of the State are
hereby authorized and empowered to cause, with the approval of
the Governor, all or any part of the records and papers kept for a
period of five years by or in their respective departments, divisions,
institutions and agencies to be photographed or microphotographed,
and to acquire, maintain and use such appropriate containers and
files as shall be necessary to accommodate and to preserve the photo-
graphs and microphotographs so obtained, and such microphoto-
scopes and microphotoscopic facilities and equipment as shall be
necessary for the purpose of examining and using such microphoto-
graphs, as well as such other microphotographic apparatus and equip-
ment as shall be necessary or advisable for the purpose of making
such microphotographs.

Section 2. Whenever photographs or microphotographs shall
have been made and put in conveniently accessible files, and pro-
vision has been made for preserving, examining and using the same,
the said respective heads of the said departments, divisions, institu-
tions and agencies may, with the approval of the Governor, cause
the records and papers so photographed or microphotographed, or
any part thereof, to be destroyed; but before any such records or
papers are authorized to be destroyed, the Governor shall obtain
the advice and counsel of the State Librarian or his designated repre-
sentative as to the desirability of placing the said records and papers
in the archives of the State Library; whereupon the Governor may
cause such records and papers to be so transferred.

Section 3. Any photograph or microphotograph of any record or
paper photographed or microphotographed as hereinabove provided,
and any photographic, microphotographic or photostatic copy of
any such photograph or microphotograph, if duly authenticated,
shall be admissible as evidence, in any court of this Commonwealth,
for any purpose for which the record or paper so photographed or
microphotographed might have been introduced, and with like effect.