H. B. 2776


(By Delegates Fleischauer, Leach, Johnson,

Amores, Doyle, Manuel and Hunt)

[Introduced February 24, 1995; referred to the

Committee on Government Organization.]




A BILL to amend and reenact section two, article five, chapter six of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended; and to further amend said article by adding thereto a new section, designated section two-b, all relating to the status of holdover board and commission members and gender balance.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section two, article five, chapter six of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted; and that said article be further amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section two-b, all to read as follows:

ARTICLE 5. TERMS OF OFFICE; MATTERS AFFECTING THE RIGHT TO HOLD
OFFICE.

§6-5-2. Continuance until successor qualified.
The term of every officer shall continue (unless the office be vacated by death, resignation, removal from office, or otherwise) until his successor is elected or appointed, and shall have qualified. Such holdover status shall be for no more than a one-year period or until the last day of the legislative session occurring immediately after the end of the officer's term, whichever occurs first.
§6-5-2b. Gender balance on state boards and commissions.
As vacancies occur as boards are formed and reformed and as appointments are made in any fashion, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, but in any event no later than one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, all boards and commissions shall have a majority of no more than one person of either sex.




NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to limit board membership to no more than one year and to mandate gender balanced boards and commissions by 1999.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.

§6-5-2b is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.