ENROLLED
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
Senate Bill No. 612
(Senators Prezioso, Unger and Deem, original sponsors)
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[Passed April 8, 2009; in effect ninety days from passage.]
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AN ACT to amend and reenact §61-5-29 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating generally to criminal enforcement
for willful failure to pay child support.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §61-5-29 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 5. CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC JUSTICE.
§61-5-29. Failure to meet an obligation to pay support to a
minor; penalties.
(1) A person who: (a) Repeatedly and willfully fails to pay
his or her court-ordered support which he or she can reasonably
provide and which he or she knows he or she has a duty to provide
to a minor; and (b) is subject to court order to pay any amount for
the support of a minor child and is delinquent in meeting the full
obligation established by the order and has been delinquent for a
period of at least six months' duration is guilty of a misdemeanor
and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $100 nor
more than $1,000, or confined in jail for not more than one year,
or both fined and confined.
(2) A person who repeatedly and willfully fails to pay his or
her court-ordered support which he or she can reasonably provide
and which he or she knows he or she has a duty to provide to a
minor by virtue of a court or administrative order and the failure
results in twelve months without payment of support that remains
unpaid is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be
fined not less than $100 nor more than $1,000, or imprisoned for
not less than one year nor more than three years, or both fined and
imprisoned.