H. B. 2519
(By Delegates Douglas, Collins, Tucker, Prunty, Claypole,
Stalnaker and Capito)
(Originating in the Committee on Government Organization)
[March 12, 1997]
A BILL to amend and reenact section one-a, article two, chapter
nine of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred
thirty-one, as amended, relating to continuation of the
department of health and human resources and providing for
continuation of the division of human services and its
statutory functions within that department.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section one-a, article two, chapter nine of the code of
West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended,
be amended an reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN RESOURCES, AND OFFICE
OF COMMISSIONER OF HUMAN SERVICES; POWERS, DUTIES AND
RESPONSIBILITIES GENERALLY.
§9-2-1a. Department of welfare renamed department of human
services; continuation of the department of health and human
resources and the division of human services.
The state department of welfare, created pursuant to the
provisions of chapter nine of this code, is hereby continued as an official department of the state of West Virginia, but
effective May twenty-nine, one thousand nine hundred eighty- three, its name shall be the department division of human
services. All references in the code to the department of
welfare shall mean the department division of human services, and
all references to the commissioner of the department of welfare
shall mean the commissioner of the department division of human
services and for all other legal purposes the department of
welfare shall continue as the department division of human
services.
The department of health and human resources and the
division of human services within that department shall be
charged with the administration of this chapter. After having
conducted a performance audit through its joint committee on
government operations, pursuant to section nine, article ten,
chapter four of this code, the Legislature hereby finds and
declares that the department of human services should be
continued and reestablished. Accordingly, notwithstanding the
provisions of section four, article ten, chapter four of this
code, The department of health and human resources shall
continue to exist and the division of human services shall
continue to exist within the department of health and human
resources until the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred
ninety-one ninety-eight, to permit a review of their functions to
be undertaken by the joint committee on government operations as
part of the full performance evaluation of the department of
health and human resources scheduled to continue during the interim of the Legislature in the year one thousand nine hundred
ninety-seven.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to continue the department
of health and human resources and to provide for continuation of
the division of human services and its statutory functions within
that department until June 30, 1998, to permit the joint
committee on Government Operations to continue the full
performance audit of the department of health and human resources
now underway.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.
This bill is recommended for passage during the 1997 Regular
Session of the Legislature by the Joint Committee on Government
Operations.