93R507

H. B. 2245


(By Delegates Prezioso and Lindsey)
[Introduced February 23, 1993; referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary.]




A BILL to amend article seven, chapter sixty-one of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section eleven-a, relating to carrying dangerous weapons within five hundred feet of a school building or upon school property and requiring school officials to report violations.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That article seven, chapter sixty-one of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section eleven-a, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 7. DANGEROUS WEAPONS.
§61-7-11a. Carrying dangerous or deadly weapons within five hundred feet of a school or upon school property; reporting requirements of school officials.

If any person, other than a duly authorized law-enforcement officer, carry on or about his or her person any revolver, rifle, shotgun, pistol, knife, razor, club or any other dangerous ordeadly weapon of any kind or character, within five hundred feet of a school building or other property owned, leased or operated by a county board of education or the state board of education, that person is guilty of a felony and upon conviction shall be confined in the penitentiary not less than two nor more than ten years and shall be fined not less than five hundred dollars nor more than two thousand dollars:
Provided, That nothing in this section shall prohibit the instruction of gun safety as approved by county boards of education: Provided, however, That school officials shall notify local law-enforcement agencies of the possession of firearms or other deadly weapons on school property and report instances of violations to the state department of education.



NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to make it a felony for any individuals other than law-enforcement officers to have dangerous or deadly weapons within five hundred feet of school property and establishes reporting requirements of violations.

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