HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 18

(By Delegates Ashley, Hines, Rowe, Amores and Perdue)




Requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to make a study of the public record maintenance practices of the clerks of the county commissions of the State.

Whereas, The fifty-five county clerks' offices of the State operate with disparate accommodations, tools and practices in keeping, protecting and indexing the important public records in their charge; and
Whereas, Some part of those offices have spacious vault rooms for storing records and providing work space, computerized indices to save space and serve convenience, an adequate number of employees to perform the duties of the office and other up-to-date improvements and elaborations; and
Whereas, Many offices lack not only many conveniences, they lack the very essentials to adequately maintain and protect the records they are required by law to keep; and
Whereas, There exists no official supervision of the county clerks' offices by which the needs of those offices could be assessed for the purpose of standardization and modernization; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance is hereby requested to review, examine and study the public record maintenance practices of the clerks of the county commissions of the state and make recommendations regarding a comprehensive program of standardization and modernization of the offices; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2001, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.