H. B. 2320
(By Delegates Blass, Riggs, Thompson and Beach)
[Introduced February 1, 1995; referred to the
Committee on Roads and Transportation then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section four-b, article two-a,
chapter seventeen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand
nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to providing
for other training programs, increasing the scholarship
amount, eliminating the state treasurer from the process and
changing the credit received for service time with the
division of highways.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section four-b, article two-a, chapter seventeen of the
code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2A. WEST VIRGINIA COMMISSIONER OF HIGHWAYS.
§17-2A-4b. Scholarships for training highway personnel; other
training programs; notes for money advanced;
payment or cancellation of notes.
The Legislature hereby declares that there is a wide and
continuing need for trained personnel in the state road
commission division of highways of this state and that the
scholarships herein provided will aid the state road commission
division of highways in attracting and holding competent
employees.
The state road commissioner of highways is empowered to
enter into contracts for training programs with state colleges,
universities and other training sources and to award scholarships
to competent persons, whether presently employed by the state
road commission division of highways or not, for the purpose of
enabling and encouraging such persons to attend a college or
university to pursue such the course of study as may be approved
by the state road commissioner of highways, but the number of
persons holding such scholarships at any one time shall not
exceed twelve four. Each scholarship shall carry a stipend in an
amount fixed by the state road commissioner of highways not in excess of four fifteen thousand dollars in the aggregate yearly,
such the sum to be paid to the recipient in equal installments at
the beginning of each quarter or semester for which the recipient
has agreed to pursue his or her course of study. The necessary
expenditures for such the scholarships shall be made from the
funds available to the state road commission division of
highways. The recipient of a scholarship shall execute notes and
shall deliver said notes to the state road commissioner division
of highways. Each such note shall be in the amount of the sum
received from the state road fund and shall be payable on demand
to the state treasurer division of highways. The state road
commissioner of highways shall hold said notes and if, for any
reason, except death or physical or mental disability, or being
drafted into the armed services, the recipient of a scholarship
fails successfully to complete the course of study for which the
scholarship was granted or if after the completion of the
prescribed course of study does not continue or become an
employee of the state road commission division of highways, or
ceases to be an employee before all such the notes have been paid
or canceled, the state road commissioner of highways shall make demand for payment of all of said unpaid and uncanceled notes and
shall transmit all such notes promptly to the state treasurer who
shall enforce collection thereon and shall deposit such the sums
so collected thereon in the state road fund. The state road
commissioner of highways is authorized to credit the oldest
outstanding note notes in the sum of four hundred dollars an
amount equal to one eighth of the total sum advanced every six
months that the recipient of the scholarship is employed by the
state road commission division of highways after having completed
the course of study for which the scholarship was granted. The
state road commissioner of highways shall have the power and
authority to make all necessary rules and regulations to carry
this section into effect.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to further professional
development.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.