H. B. 2215
(By Delegate Spencer)
[Introduced February 11, 2005; referred to the
Committee on Education then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §16-9A-4
of the code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to banning the possession of
tobacco products by minors on public school property;
restricting the use of tobacco products by all persons on
public school property; and requiring school principals to
report violations to law-enforcement authorities.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §16-9A-4
of the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 9A. TOBACCO USAGE RESTRICTIONS.
§16-9A-4. Use of tobacco or tobacco products in certain areas of
certain public schools prohibited; penalty.
(a) Every A person who shall smoke smokes a cigarette or
cigarettes, pipe, cigar or other implement, of any type or nature,
designed, used or employed for smoking any tobacco or tobacco product or who shall use uses any tobacco product, whether chewing
tobacco, snuff or otherwise, in a public school building or
structure or on the grounds of any school of this State, any
building or part thereof used for instructional purposes, in any
school of this state as defined in section one, article one,
chapter eighteen of this code, or on any lot or grounds actually
used for instructional purposes of any such school of this state
while such the school is used or occupied for school purposes,
shall be is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof,
shall be punished for each offense by a fine of fined not less than
one fifty nor more than five two hundred fifty dollars: Provided,
That this prohibition shall does not be construed to prevent the
use of any tobacco or tobacco product in any faculty lounge or
staff lounge or faculty office or other area of said a public
school not used for instructional purposes: Provided, however, That
where students do not have no access and no view of thereto those
exempted areas at any time: Provided, further, however, That
nothing herein contained shall be construed to does prevent any
county board of education from promulgating rules and regulations
that further restrict the use of tobacco or tobacco products, in
any form, from any other part or section of any property public
school building under its ownership, control or jurisdiction.
(b) The public school principal or his or her designee shall
immediately notify local law-enforcement officials of violations of the provisions of this section, and sections three and seven of
this article, The report shall include the names of any persons who
may have violated this section and any witnesses or other persons
having information about a violation of this section.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to ban the use and
possession of tobacco by minors on school property; to restrict the
use of tobacco by all persons on school property; and to require
principals to report to law-enforcement officials any violation.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.