WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2024 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 5275

By Delegate Longanacre

[Introduced January 29, 2024; Referred to the Committee on Political Subdivisions then Government Organization]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §15-16-10, relating to requiring political subdivisions to document funds spent on behalf of certain noncitizen immigrants; requiring that political subdivisions make quarterly declarations detailing funds spent on behalf of certain noncitizen immigrants; requiring county commissions and city councils to include on their expense reports expenditures made on behalf of certain noncitizen immigrants; providing that any county or city found to be noncompliant with this section shall be in violation of this state's sanctuary-city laws.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

Article 16. Federal Immigration Enforcement.

§15-16-10. The Saving Citizens' Resources Act

(a) Each political subdivision of this state, as defined in §29-12A-3 of this code, shall declare, on a quarterly basis, the amount of money that it spent on housing, sheltering, feeding, transporting, and educating noncitizen immigrants who reside in its jurisdiction and who do not possess a Permanent Resident Card, work visa, or student visa, or who are otherwise undocumented.

(b) All county commissions and city councils shall report on their expense accounts any expenditures or spending on persons within their jurisdictions who do not possess a Permanent Resident Card, work visa, or student visa, or who are otherwise undocumented and who are receiving county or city resources. The report must include the dates, amounts, purposes of the funding, and the frequency of receipt.

(c) Any county or city found to be noncompliant in this requirement shall be found to be in violation of this state's laws against sanctuary cities, including, but not limited to, the provisions of this article.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require local municipalities, at both the city and county levels, to declare, on a quarterly basis, the amount of money spent meeting the needs of certain noncitizen immigrants.

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