CHAPTER 567

An Act to establish the Commission of the Arts and Humanities; to
provide for the appointment, qualifications, terms of office and com-
pensation of the members thereof; to prescribe certain powers and
duties of the Commission; to require departments, commissions,
boards, agencies, officers and institutions of the State or political sub-
divisions thereof to cooperate with the Commission in certain respects;
and to repeal certain acts.

[H 862]

Approved April 4, 1968

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. There is hereby created the Virginia Commission of the Arts
and Humanities hereafter referred to as ‘“‘Commission,” to consist of nine
members to be appointed by the Governor. No employee of the Common-
wealth or member of the General Assembly shall be eligible for appointment
as a member of the Commission. All members shall be deemed members at
large charged with the responsibility of serving the best interests of the
whole State and no member shall act as the representative of any particular
region or of any particular cultural agency or activity.

§ 2. The term of office of each member shall be five years; provided,
however, that of the members first appointed, three shall be appointed for
terms of one year, three for terms of three years, and three for terms of five
years. No member of the Commission who serves a full five-year term shall
be eligible for appointment during the five-year period following the ex-
piration of his term. The Commission shall designate one of its members
as chairman. All vacancies shall be filled for the balance of the unexpired
term in the same manner as original appointments. The members of the
Commission shall not receive any compensation for their services, but shall
be reimbursed for the actual and necessary expenses incurred in the per-
formance of their duties as members of the Commission.

§ 8. The Commission shall perform among others the following
duties:

(a) Stimulate and encourage throughout the State public interest
and participation in the arts and humanities and to make recommenda-
tions concerning appropriate methods to encourage participation in and
appreciation of the arts to meet the legitimate needs and aspirations of
persons in all parts of the State;

Apply to any appropriate agency or officer of the United States
for participation in or receipt of aid from any federal program respecting
the arts and humanities, and in respect thereto, to enter into contracts
and agreements with the United States or any appropriate agency thereof ;

(c) Accept gifts, contributions and bequests of money or any other
thing to be used for carrying out the purposes of this Act.

(d) Administer any funds available to the Commission and to dis-
burse such funds in accordance with the purposes of this Act.

. The Commission is hereby designated the official agency of the
State to receive and disburse any funds made available to the State by the
National Foundation on the Arts.

§ 5. All departments, commissions, boards, agencies, officers and
institutions of the State or any political subdivision thereof shall cooperate
with the Commission in carrying out the purposes of this Act.

2. Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect the statutory purposes
of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

3. All acts or parts of acts in conflict herewith are repealed to the extent
of such conflict.