WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2022 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

Senate Bill 565

By Senator Maynard

[Introduced February 02, 2022; referred
to the Committee on Natural Resources; and then to the Committee on Finance]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §20-2-43, relating to establishing Class WV resident and Class WVV nonresident, wildlife view stamps; and authorizing the Department of Natural Resources to propose legislative rules for the cost of the stamps and the appropriate uses thereof.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 2. WILDLIFE RESOURCES.

§20-2-43. Class WV resident and Class WVV nonresident wildlife viewing stamp.

A Class WV stamp is a resident wildlife viewing stamp. A Class WVV stamp is a nonresident wildlife viewing stamp. These stamps entitle the licensee to view wildlife in all counties of the state, except as prohibited by rules of the director, on state-owned property and roads, including fire roads, select access roads, and roads that normally are gated, between Memorial Day and Labor Day for the general public, and for the entire year for persons holding a Class Q special hunting permit, in a regularly licensed vehicle, and excluding all utility-terrain vehicles (UTVs) and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), regardless of registration status as a street legal special purpose vehicle. The fee for Class WV and Class WVV stamps shall be proposed by the director in a rule for consideration by the Legislature, pursuant to the provisions of §29A-3-1 et seq. of this code. The revenue derived from the sale of these stamps shall be deposited in the State Treasury and credited to the Division of Natural Resources and shall be used and paid out, upon order of the director, for wildlife resource program expenses. These stamps, issued in a form prescribed by the director, shall be in addition to a hunting or fishing license or Class Q permit. These stamps require that the licensee purchase an appropriate base hunting or fishing license, as determined by the director, before participating in the activities specified in this section. This section shall not apply to Coopers Rock State Forest or Kanawha State Forest.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish a wildlife viewing program through an additional stamp or endorsement upon a state-issued hunting or fishing license.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.