HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO.
(By Delegates Love, Pettit, Givens, Ennis,
J. Martin, Michael and Mezzatesta)
(Introduced January 17, 1995; referred to the
Committee on Constitutional Revision.)
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West
Virginia, amending article six thereof, by adding thereto a
new section, designated section fifty-five, relating to
revenues accruing from the sales of all permits and
licenses to hunt, trap, fish or otherwise hold or capture
fish and wildlife resources, money reimbursed and granted by
the federal government for fish and wildlife conservation
and all other income sources and properties related to the
management of fish and wildlife; provided that said revenues
and properties are used solely for the conservation,
restoration, management, educational benefit, recreational
use and scientific study of the state's fish and wildlife
resources; numbering and designating such proposed
amendment; and providing a summarized statement of the
purpose of such amendment.
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, two thirds of
the members elected to each house agreeing thereto:
That the question of ratification or rejection of an
amendment to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia be
submitted to the voters of the State at the next general election
to be held in the year one thousand nine hundred ninety-six,
which proposed amendment is that article six thereof, be amendedby adding thereto a new section, designated section fifty-five,
to read as follows:
ARTICLE VI. THE LEGISLATURE.
§55. Revenues and properties applicable to fish and wildlife conservation.
Fees, moneys, interest or funds arising from all sources by
the operation and transaction of the state fish and wildlife
agency and from the application and administration of the laws
and rules pertaining to fish and wildlife of the state,
including, but not limited to, the sales of all permits and
licenses to hunt, trap, fish or otherwise hold or capture fish
and wildlife resources, money reimbursed and granted by the
federal government for fish and wildlife conservation and all
other income sources and properties related to the management of
fish and wildlife resources and the sale of property used for
said purposes shall be expended solely for the conservation,
restoration, management, educational benefit, recreational use
and scientific study of the state's fish and wildlife, including
the purchases of other acquisitions of property for said purposes
and for the administration of the laws pertaining thereto and for
no other purposes. In the event that any such properties or
facilities are converted to uses other than those specified in
this section, the agency of the state responsible for the
conservation of its fish and wildlife resources shall receive
fair market compensation for the converted properties or
facilities. Such compensation shall be expended only for thepurposes specified in this section. All moneys shall be
deposited with the state treasurer in the "license fund" and
other specific funds created especially for fish and wildlife
conservation and the public's use of fish and wildlife.
Resolved further, That in accordance with the provisions of
article eleven, chapter three of the code of West Virginia, one
thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, such proposed
amendment is hereby numbered "Amendment No. 1" and designated as
the "Fish and Wildlife Conservation Revenue Amendment" and the
purpose of the proposed amendment is summarized as follows: "To
require that all revenues arising from all sources by the
operation and transaction of the state fish and wildlife agency
shall be expended for the control, management, restoration,
conservation, regulation of the fish and wildlife of the state,
including the acquisitions of property for fish and wildlife
management and for the administration of the laws pertaining
thereto and for no other purposes."
NOTE: The purpose of this joint resolution is to propose an
amendment to the State Constitution requiring that all revenues
accruing from all sources intended for the management of the
state's fish and wildlife be used solely for the purposes of fish
and wildlife conservation, management, scientific study and
recreational use.
§55 is new; therefore, underscoring and strike-throughs have
been omitted.