CHAPTER 449

An Act to create the Virginia 850th Anniversary Celebration Commission;
to provide for the appointment of the members thereof, and for the
powers, duties, and functions of such Commission; to authorize polit-
ical subdivisions to assist the Commission; to authorize the receipt and
use of money and property; to authorize the acquisition by lease or
purchase of property by such Commission; to authorize the Commis-
sion to adopt and copyright certain emblems and other material and
to lease or sell the same; to provide how the revenues therefrom shall
be deposited and expended; to appropriate funds. i ;

413

Approved April 3, 1954
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. There is hereby created the Virginia 350th Anniversary Com-
mission hereinafter referred to as Commission. The Commission shall be
composed of seventeen members appointed as follows: eight shall be
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates from the membership
thereof, four members shall be appointed by the President of the Senate
from the membership thereof, and five members shall be appointed by the
Governor from the state at large. All members shall be appointed for
terms to expire December thirty-one, nineteen hundred and fifty-seven and
vacancies may be filled for the unexpired term. The Governor shall be
Honorary Chairman of the Commission. The Commission shall name five
of its members to constitute an executive committee.

§ 2. The Commission may associate with itself an advisory group
to be composed of such persons as it deems especially interested in the
celebration of the 350th anniversary of the landing at Jamestown.

§ 3. The Commission shall employ an executive director and such
other assistants as may be required. They shall be charged with developing
and coordinating the plans of public and private agencies for the celebra-
tion of such landing. All agencies of the State and all political subdivisions
are authorized to cooperate with the Commission and to grant funds and
property to it for the furtherance of such celebration.

§ 4. With the consent of the Governor first obtained, the Commission
may lease or purchase lands, property, and structures deemed necessary
for the purposes of such celebration. The title to property acquired shall
be taken in the name of the Commonwealth.

§ 5. (a) The Commission is authorized to enter into contracts, pro-
vided the same have been approved by the Attorney General, and to do
all things proper and necessary for the proper celebration of such landing.
The Commission is further empowered to receive and expend gifts, grants,
and donations from whatever source derived for the furtherance of such
celebration.

(b) The Commission is hereby authorized to form a nonprofit cor-
poration as an instrumentality for assisting in details of the administra-
tion of the celebration.

(c) The Governor and the Commission are hereby authorized on
behalf of the General Assembly to invite the Governors of other States
and through appropriate channels the heads of foreign governments to
attend the celebration.

§ 6. The Commission is empowered to adopt an official flag, seal,
and other emblems for such celebration, and to copyright the same in the
name of the Commonwealth. With the approval of the Governor, the Com-
mission may lease or sell the title to the use of such seal and other emblems
upon such terms and conditions as seem proper.

§ 7. In the lease or sale of any property or right of use, the Com-
mission shall provide that the revenues therefrom shall be paid into the
State treasury to the credit of the Commission and they are hereby reap-
propriated to the Commission for its purposes.

§ 8. In the discharge of its duties, the Commission shall locate the
major portion or all, of its celebrations and activities incident thereto in
the Jamestown area and shall coordinate its plans with those of other
organizations and agencies holding commemorative celebrations and activ-
ities in other portions of the State, to the end that public attention will
be properly focused on Jamestown and its vicinity. :
2. There is hereby appropriated to the Commission from the general
fund in the State treasury the sum of one hundred thousand dollars for
each year of biennium beginning July one, nineteen hundred fifty-four,
for the expenses and operations of the Commission. Any unexpended
balance from the first year of the biennium shall be available to the Com-
mission for expenditure in the second year of the biennium. The Com-
mission is authorized to use funds heretofore appropriated for the prepa-
ration of plans and purchase of materials for the rebuilding of the old
capitol at Jamestown and undertake the preliminary preparation of ap-
propriate markers to be used abroad in nineteen hundred and fifty-seven.
3. An emergency exists and this act is in effect from its passage.