The Virginia Advisory Legislative Council in a report made to the General Assembly of Virginia in 1957, after consideration of what legislation, if any, should be adopted. "to encourage participation in the development and utilization of atomic energy for peaceful purposes to the maximum extent consistent with security and the health and safety of the public", made a report which recommended that no legislation be adopted at the 1958 Session of the Assembly but that the study be continued. Pursuant to this recommendation, the General Assembly at its 1958 Session adopted Senate Joint Resolution No. 9.

Subsequent to the adoption of this resolution it was the view of some members of the Legislature that other forms of radiation than those produced by nuclear material should be included in the study and that attention should also be given to certain potential specific hazards. To accomplish this, there was adopted at the same session Senate Joint Resolution No. 29.

Acting under the authority conferred by Senate Joint Resolution No. 32, the Council consolidated these two studies. Mosby G. Perrow, Jr., of Lynchburg, member of the Senate and member of the Council, was selected as chairman of a committee to make the preliminary study and report to the Council. Chosen to serve with Senator Perrow were the following: Robert F. Baldwin, Jr., member of the Senate; Norfolk; Dr. Harry C. Bates, Jr., President, Medical Society of Virginia, Arlington; Lloyd C. Bird, member of the Senate, Richmond; George M. Cochran, member of the House of Delegates, Staunton; Rollin F. Conaway, E. I. duPont de Nemours & Company, Richmond; Frank A. Ernst, former manager, Allied Chemical and Dye Corporation, Petersburg; M. C. Edlund, Babcock & Wilcox, Lynchburg; Charles R. Fenwick, member of the Senate and member of the Council, Arlington; Guy L. Furr, Appalachian Electric & Power Company, Roanoke; Edward S. Harlow, Research Laboratory, American Tobacco Company, Richmond; H. Lester Hooker, State Corporation Commission, Richmond; Ralph O. Hutchison, American Machine & Foundry Company, Washington; and J. B. Woodward, Jr., Chairman of the Board, Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newport News. John B. Boatwright, Jr., and G. M. Lapsley served as Secretary and Recording Secretary, respectively, to the Committee.

The Committee followed developments in the field of regulation of peaceful uses of atomic energy during the past two years. It assembled voluminous literature dealing with various aspects of the problem and considered carefully what is being done by other states as well as the actions which have been taken by the Congress of the United States and the Atomic Energy Commission looking toward increased State participation in investigation, supervision and regulation of the use of radiation devices and radioactive materials. After due publicity, the Committee held a public hearing to which representatives of industries using this type of material, as well as practitioners of the healing arts and others making use of X-ray and similar devices, and the interested public, were invited to attend and state their views in connection with the subjects under study. The Committee had presented to it, and gave careful study to, several specific proposals connected with the subject of its study.

After careful consideration of the material available to it and the various views and recommendations which were made for its consideration, the Committee reported to the Council. The Council has reviewed the report of the Committee and has reached the conclusions and makes the recommendations summarized below.