WEST virginia legislature
2020 regular session
Introduced
House Bill 4437
By Delegates J. Jeffries, Toney, Maynard and Porterfield
(By Request of the State Auditor)
[Introduced January 21, 2020;
Referred
to the Committee on Government Organization.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §12-3A-4 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to the West Virginia Pay Card program; and providing additional eligible unbanked recipients of a pay card.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
Article 3A. Financial Electronic Commerce.
§12-3A-4. Payment by a West Virginia pay card.
The State Auditor and the State
Treasurer may jointly establish a state-stored value debit card program known
as the “West Virginia Pay Card” for recipients of employee payroll, retirement
benefits, or entitlement programs, vocational rehabilitation services
funds disbursed pursuant to §18-10A-6 of this code, foster care and adoption
stipends, subsidies, and other payments made under programs administered by the
Department of Health and Human Resources, payments to contractors of the state,
or other eligible payees of state funds, who do not possess a federally
insured depository institution account. The State Auditor and the State
Treasurer shall use every reasonable effort to encourage all identified
unbanked recipients to obtain a federally insured depository account. The State
Auditor shall include an unbanked recipient in the program upon determining
that good cause exists. Once an unbanked recipient is included in the program,
the State Auditor shall provide the State Treasurer with an electronic file
containing the necessary unbanked recipient information. The State Treasurer
shall issue a request for proposals in accordance with §12-3A-3 of this code to
aid in the administration of the program. The State Auditor shall assist in the
review of pay card proposals. In carrying out the purposes of this article, the
State Treasurer shall not compete with banks or other federally insured
financial institutions, or for profit.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to add additional eligible unbanked payees of state funds to the West Virginia Pay Card Program in order to increase efficiencies and decrease the amount and expense of paper check issuances.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.