CHAPTER 569

AN ACT to amend the Code of 1950 by adding 14 new sections num-
bered 23-35.1 through 23-35.14, to authorize the giving of sev-
eral professional scholarships under certain conditions and
restrictions, and to provide appropriation therefor, and to re-
peal §§ 28-86, 23-36.1, relating to the same subject.

[S 61]

Approved April 11, 1950

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of 1950 be amended by adding fourteen new
sections numbered 23-35.1 through 23-35.14, as follows:

§ 23-35.1. Medical scholarships authorized——The governing
boards of the Medical College of Virginia, and of the University of
Virginia, and of Virginia State College are authorized to establish,
as to the former two, twenty annual medical scholarships, and
as to the last, ten annual medical scholarships, to be awarded to
Virginia students attending Meharry Medical College, Nashville,
Tennessee, each of the value of one thousand dollars to be awarded
and paid subject to the conditions and restrictions set out in the
following sections.

§ 23-35.2. Recipients to be bona fide residents.—Each appli-
cant for a scholarship must be a bona fide resident of the State of
Virginia before such scholarship may be awarded to him. The
award shall be made upon such basis, competitive or otherwise, as
is determined by the president or other proper officer of the school,
with due regard to scholastic attainments, character, and adapta-
bility of the applicant to the service contemplated under such
award, provided that no award shall be made unless applicant
possesses the requisite qualifications.

§ 23-35.3. Must enter into written contract.—Before any
scholarship is awarded, the applicant must sign a written contract,
under the terms of which he agrees to pursue the medical course
of the school awarding the scholarship, or the medical course at
the school at which the scholarship is awarded, until his gradua-
tion and, upon graduating and completing a term not to exceed
two years as an interne at some hospital or institution approved
by the school, shall promptly begin and thereafter engage continu-
ously in the general practice of medicine in a rural community in
Virginia of his selection but his selection shall be from one ap-
proved by the State Health Commissioner and by the State Board
of Health, for a period of years equal in number to the years which
he has been a beneficiary of such scholarship, provided that one
year’s internship in any rural hospital in the State of Virginia
selected by the State Health Commissioner and approved by the
State Board of Health shall be considered equivalent to one year’s
practice of medicine in a rural community.
Ksach recipient, when such scholarship is awarded, shall be
required to insure his life, for the benefit of the school awarding
the scholarship, in a sum equal at least to the value of each
scholarship awarded him, the insurance policy to contain a specific
provision that the school beneficiary shall not be changed without
the consent of the beneficiary. Upon cancellation of each note
executed by the recipient as hereinbefore provided, the schoo] bene-
ficiary shall consent to such change in the beneficiary of the corre-
sponding insurance policy as may be designated by the recipient.
Upon the failure of the recipient to discharge his obligation either
by service or payment, as herein required, vor by reason of his
death or any other cause, the policy or policies and any and all
proceeds derived therefrom shal] become the property of the school
beneficiary. Al] premiums on the insurance policy or policies shall
be paid by the recipient of the scholarship.

§ 23-35.4. Military service suspends obligation.—The contract
shall provide that if applicant enters military service upon com-
pletion of his term as an interne, he shall begin practice in a
rural community of his selection but his selection shall be from
one approved by the State Health Commissioner and by the State
Board of Health upon termination of such military service. The
contract shall contain such other provisions as are considered
necessary, in the opinion of the president or other proper officer of
the school, to accomplish the purposes of such scholarship.

§ 23-35.5. Relief from obligation of contract in case unusual
ability is displayed.—The contract shall have a clause under which
the holder may be relieved of his obligation to practice in a rural
section if, at the end of two scholastic years, he has demonstrated
a peculiar and unusual ability and aptitude in a special branch of
the medical sciences and, in the opinion of the faculty, would be
a loss to the field of medical research and science if he did not go
into that branch of medical science for which he has demonstrated
extraordinary ability. In such case, upon certificate of a faculty
committee, the contract shall provide that he may be released from
his obligation and continue his course without a scholarship, and
shall be under no obligation to engage in general practice in a
rural section of Virginia for a period equal to that during which
he has received such scholarship; provided that he makes satis-
factory arrangements for reimbursing the State for the euicant he
has received on account of such scholarships.

§ 23-35.6. Disposition of funds repaid .—All funds repaid by
any applicant in pursuance of the provisions of the foregoing sec-
tion, or otherwise, shall be paid into the Treasury of Virginia and
shall become a part of the general fund.

§ 23-35.7. Scholarship may be from year to year.—Each
scholarship shall be awarded for a single year, but the same stu-
dent shall, after making satisfactory progress toward his degree

in the discretion of the president or other proper officer of the
school, receive such award for any succeeding year or years, pro-
vided no student shall receive any such scholarship for a longer
period than is necessary for graduation.

§ 23-35.8. Payment of amount to student or to his account.—
The funds making up such scholarship shall be paid to the re-
cipient thereof, or applied toward the payment of his expenses at
the school in such a manner and at such time during the school
year as is determined by the president or other proper officer of
the school, provided that no applicant for any such scholarship
shall receive less than one thousand dollars.

§ 23-35.9. Nursing scholarships authorized.—There are estab-
lished six annual scholarships for each Congressional District of
the value of one hundred fifty dollars. These awards shall be
made by the State Board of Health and the recipients of such
scholarships shall be allowed to attend any accredited nursing
school in this State operated by any nonprofit institution. If any
of the above created scholarships for any Congressional District
are not awarded for any year they shall be awarded from the
State-at-large.

There are established twenty annual nursing scholarships for
Negroes to be awarded from the State-at-large of the value of one
hundred fifty dollars. These awards shall be made by the State
Board of Health and the recipients of such scholarships shall be
allowed to attend any accredited Negro nursing school in this
State.

§ 23-35.10. Must be bona fide resident.—Each applicant for
such scholarship must be a bona fide resident of the State of Vir-
ginia when such scholarship is awarded. Awards shall be made
upon such basis, competitive or otherwise, as determined by the
State Board of Health, with due regard for scholastic attainments,
character, and adaptability of the applicant for the service contem-
plated in such award; provided no award shall be made if the
applicant fails to possess the requisite qualifications. ,

§ 23-35.11. Contract to be signed before award.—Before any
such scholarship is awarded, the applicant must sign a written
contract, under the terms of which the applicant agrees to pursue
the nursing course of the school awarding the scholarship until
completion, and thereupon to promptly begin and thereafter en-
gage continuously in nursing work in the State of Virginia for a
period of years equal in number to the years she has been a bene-
ficiary of such scholarship or scholarships. The contract shall
contain such other provisions as are necessary, in the opinion of
the State Board of Health, to accomplish the purposes of the
scholarship.

§ 23-35.12. Scholarship may be from year to year.—Each said
scholarship shall be awarded for a single year, but the same stu-
dent shall, after making satisfactory progress toward the com-
pletion of her training in the school, receive such award for any
succeeding year or years, provided no student shall receive any
such scholarship for more than a total of three years.

§ 23-35.13. How payments made.—The funds making up each
scholarship shall be paid to the recipient thereof or applied toward
the payment of her expenses at the school in such a manner and at
such a time during the school year as determined by the superin-
tendent or other proper officer of the nursing school attended, pro-
vided no recipient shall receive for any such scholarship less than
one hundred fifty dollars.

§ 23-35.14. To whom payable.—The funds making up each
scholarship shall be paid to the recipient thereof or applied toward
the payment of his expenses at the school, in such manner and at
such times during the school year as determined by the president
or other proper officer of the school, provided no recipient shall
receive for any such scholarship less than one thousand dollars.
2. There is appropriated to the Medical College of Virginia and
to the University of Virginia and to the Virginia State College,
and the State Board of Health, respectively, sums sufficient for
each year of the biennium beginninng July one, nineteen hundred
fifty. All payments out of this appropriation shall be made by the
Treasurer of Virginia on warrants issued by the Comptroller and
signed by the president or other authorized officer of the particular
institution, or by the Chairman of the State Board of Health,
respectively.

3. § 23-36 and § 23-36.1 of the Code of 1950 are repealed.
4. An emergency exists and this act is in force from its passage.