ENROLLED
Senate Bill No. 438
(By Senators Wooton, Bailey and Hunter)
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[Passed March 9, 2002; in effect ninety days from passage.]
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AN ACT to amend chapter seventeen-b of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto a new article, designated article two-a, relating to requiring division of motor vehicles to provide a mechanism on certain applications to allow persons to indicate their preference to register with selective service system; and specifying the effect of signing the application under certain circumstances.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That chapter seventeen-b of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new article, designated article two-a, to read as follows:

§17B-2A-1. Legislative intent.

It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article to protect state residents from the penalties associated with failing to register with the United States selective service system and to help ensure that any future draft is fair and equitable to all potential draftees.
The Legislature finds and declares that the penalties associated with noncompliance are severe, including, but not limited to, a felony conviction and forfeiture of the ability to seek state employment from certain state agencies and departments. In addition, failure to register may permanently preclude the violator from acquiring many federal benefits, such as federal employment, including employment with the United States postal service, federal and state student financial assistance, participation in federally funded job training programs and eligibility for United States citizenship for immigrants seeking citizenship.
Therefore, in recognition of the severe consequences of noncompliance and the importance of helping ensure that any future draft is fair and equitable, it is the intent of the Legislature to notify state residents of their responsibility to register with selective service and to provide them the opportunity to register concurrent with applying for a driver's license or identification card.

§17B-2A-2. Compliance with registration requirements of military selective service act.

The division of motor vehicles shall provide a mechanism on each application for the issuance, renewal or duplicate of an instruction permit, a driver's license, a professional driver's license, a commercial driver's license or an identification card by which those persons required to register in compliance with the requirements of section three of the "Military Selective Service Act", 50 U.S.C. App. 451, et seq., may indicate their preference to allow the division to forward required information to the selective service system. If the applicant so indicates, his signature on the application may serve as his consent to registration with the selective service system, if he is not already registered.