CHAPTER 585

An Act to amend and reenact § 46-81, as amended, of the Code of Vir-
ginia, relating to branch offices of the Division of Motor Vehicles.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That § 46-31 as amended of the Code of Virginia be amended and
reenacted as follows:

§ 46-31. The personnel of each branch office and each agency shall
be appointed by the Commissioner and shall be bonded in an amount
fixed by the Commissioner. The person in charge of the branch office and
each agency shall remit weekly to the Commissioner al] moneys collected,
accompanied by a complete record of what such remittance is intended
to cover. The Commissioner shall not be held liable in the event of the
loss of any moneys collected by such agents resulting from their failure to
forward such moneys to the Division, or because of the failure or insol-
vency of any bank or banking institution in which such funds are
deposited to the credit of the Commissioner or because of any defalcation
of any officer or employee of any such bank or banking institution.

The compensation of the personnel of each branch office and each
agency is to be fixed by the Commissioner. The compensation fixed for
each agency shall not exceed an amount in excess of the aggregate of
thirty-five cents for each set of number plates issued or sold annually at
each agency. For the purpose of maintaining adequate annual service at
places established solely for the sale of number plates, the Commissioner
may, in his discretion, prorate the annual compensation fixed at each
agency in such manner as will best secure adequate service at all times
throughout each calendar year and no agent selling and issuing licenses
shall be entitled to the fees for each license issued by him.

The compensation awarded shall belong to the agents for their
services under this section, * and the Commissioner shall cause to be paid
all freight, cartage, premium on bond and postage, * but not for any
extra clerk hire or other expense occasioned by their duties.

2. An emergency exists and this act is in force from its passage.