H. B. 2012
(By Delegate Love)
[Introduced January 12, 1995; referred to the
Committee on the judiciary.]
A BILL to amend article fourteen, chapter seven of the code of
West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section
seventeen-d, relating to authorizing retired deputy sheriffs
to carry a firearm without cost or a license.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article fourteen, chapter seven of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be
amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section
seventeen-d, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 14. CIVIL SERVICE FOR DEPUTY SHERIFFS.
§7-14-17d. Right to carry firearm.
A deputy sheriff, upon retirement or medical discharge with
the written consent of the sheriff, may carry a handgun for a
period of five years following retirement or medical discharge
without the license or bond required by the provisions of article seven, chapter sixty-one of this code. Upon request, each deputy
sheriff shall be presented with a letter of authorization signed
by the sheriff authorizing the retired or medically discharged
member to carry a handgun, and the written authorization shall be
carried by the retired or medically discharged deputy sheriff at
all times that he or she has a handgun on his or her person. The
sheriff may revoke the authority at any time without cause and
without recourse. Conviction of the retired or medically
discharged deputy sheriff for the commission of any felony or for
a misdemeanor involving the improper or illegal use of a firearm
shall cause this authority to terminate immediately without a
hearing or other recourse and without any action on the part of
the sheriff. The authority granted herein shall be for a period
of five years immediately following retirement or medical
discharge and shall not be renewed or extended for a longer term.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to authorize a retiring
deputy sheriff to carry a firearm without cost or a license.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.