Senate Bill No. 451
(By Senators Bowman, Bailey, Ball, Dawson,
Kessler, McCabe, Minard, Redd, Snyder,
Boley and Minear)
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[Originating in the Committee on Government Organization;
reported February 10, 2000.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact section two, article two, chapter
fifteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to continuing the
West Virginia state police.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section two, article two, chapter fifteen of the code of
West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be
amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. WEST VIRGINIA STATE POLICE.
§15-2-2. Superintendent; departmental headquarters; continuation
of the state police.
The department of public safety, heretofore established, shall
be continued and hereafter shall be known as the West Virginia
state police. Wherever the words "department of public safety" or
"division of public safety" appear in this code, they shall mean
the West Virginia state police. The governor shall appoint, by and
with the advice and consent of the Senate, a superintendent to be
the executive and administrative head of the department.
Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, the
superintendent shall be paid an annual salary of sixty thousand
dollars. The superintendent shall hold the rank of colonel and is
entitled to all rights, benefits and privileges of regularly
enlisted members. On the date of his or her appointment, the
superintendent shall be at least thirty years of age. Before
entering upon the discharge of the duties of his or her office, he
or she shall execute a bond in the penalty of ten thousand dollars,
payable to the state of West Virginia and conditioned upon the
faithful performance of his or her duties. Such bond both as to
form and security shall be approved as to form by the attorney
general, and to sufficiency by the governor.
Before entering upon the duties of his or her office, the
superintendent shall subscribe to the oath hereinafter provided.
The headquarters of the department shall be located in Kanawha County.
Pursuant to the provisions of article ten, chapter four of
this code, the West Virginia state police shall continue to exist
until the first day of July, two thousand one, unless sooner
terminated, continued or reestablished by act of the Legislature.
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(NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to continue the West
Virginia state police until July 1, 2001, pursuant to the
provisions of the West Virginia sunset law.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates language that would be
added.
This bill is recommended by the joint committee on government
operations for passage during the regular 2000 legislative
session.)