Senate Bill No. 622

(By Senators Wells, Palumbo, Walters and McCabe)

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[Introduced February 17, 2014; referred to the Committee on Education; and then to the Committee on Finance.]

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A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-1F-10, relating to creating and funding the establishment of a facility that studies and creates solutions to maintain, improve and protect water quality and quantity in West Virginia; and providing a one-time funding from the Legislature.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-1F-10, to read as follows:

ARTICLE 1F. MANAGEMENT AGREEMENTS FOR THE HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY COMMISSION.

§18B-1F-10. Legislative findings and intent; creating the "West Virginia Water Sustainability Institute"; and one-time funding from the Legislature.

    (a) The Legislature finds that the need to respond to future accidental threats to the security and integrity of west Virginia's water resources. Toward this end, the Legislature supports the creation of the "West Virginia Water Sustainability Institute" to be physically located at the West Virginia Regional Technology Park and subject to the authority of the commission and the powers and duties of the board of directors and corporation as set out in this article. The purpose of the West Virginia Water Sustainability Institute is to create a public-private partnership for promoting innovative technology to identify, invent and use through scientific methodologies, testing, separation, filtration and other purification technologies for detecting and removing pollutants from water supplies. The West Virginia University Water Institute shall partner with the West Virginia Water Sustainability Institute. The West Virginia Water Sustainability Institute shall develop commercially viable technologies that, first and foremost' protect West Virginia water resources, and that may also be deployed for the benefit of worldwide water resource sustainability, as a source of revenue for continuing research and development, as well as job creation and stimulation of West Virginia’s economy.

    (b) The West Virginia Water Sustainability Institute shall be funded by a one-time appropriation from the Legislature sufficient for the establishment of a facility that brings together leading water experts at the West Virginia Regional Technology park to develop, implement, and commercialize innovative technologies and solutions to maintain, improve, and protect water quality and quantity in West Virginia in cooperation with the West Virginia Water Sustainability Institute. Future funding and maintenance of the West Virginia Water Sustainability Institute shall be determined by the executive director and board of directors.

    NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create and fund the establishment of a facility that studies and creates solutions to maintain, improve, and protect water quality and quantity in West Virginia. The bill also provides a one-time funding from the Legislature for the facility which is to be known as the "West Virginia Water Sustainability Institute" and located at the West Virginia Regional Technology Park.

    This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.