The Committee to Study Combining Drug Abuse Programs was established by the 1974 Session of the General Assembly pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution No. 58.

The Committee was organized to study the feasibility of combining the drug and alcohol programs of the Commonwealth, and to evaluate existing State and local programs in order to effectively ascertain in what direction the State should proceed to achieve the best possible delivery of services to alcoholics and drug abusers.

The Council appointed Senator Edward E. Willey of Richmond to serve as Chairman of the study. Senator Willey, with the approval of the Council, appointed the following persons to serve as members of the Committee: Senator Thomas R. McNamara of Norfolk; Delegate Robert R. Gwathmey, III, of Mechanicsville; Delegate Richard W. Elliott of Rustburg; Dr. Joseph J. Bevilacqua of the Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation; Mrs. W. H. Doub, Jr., of the Division of Youth Services; Mrs. Patty W. Fowler of the Division of Drug Abuse Control; Mr. Richard N. Harris of the Division of Justice and Crime Prevention; Dr. James B. Kenley of the Department of Health; and Mr. Wayne T. Tennant of the Bureau of Planning and Program Development, Department of Welfare and Institutions. Mr. Tennant is no longer associated with the Bureau, and, therefore, did not participate in the deliberations of the Committee.