Introduced Version
House Bill 3002 History
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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
H. B. 3002
(By Delegates Shott, Gearheart, Canterbury,
Ellington, Moore, Moye, Sumner, Iaquinta,
Cooper and Ambler)
[Introduced March 20, 2013; referred to the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs and Homeland Security then
Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §17-16A-29 of the Code of West
Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to the West Virginia
Parkways, Economic Development and Tourism Authority and
requiring the Parkways Authority to provide free daily toll
passes for veterans traveling to the Veterans Administration
Hospital for treatment.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §17-16A-29 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 16A. WEST VIRGINIA PARKWAYS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND
TOURISM AUTHORITY.
§17-16A-29. Discount program for purchasers of West Virginia EZ
Pass transponders.
(a) The Parkways Authority is hereby authorized to create a
discount program for purchasers of West Virginia EZ Pass
transponders: Provided, That prior to the fixation of any initial rates, tolls or charges or any increase in any rates, tolls or
charges along any portion of the parkway project, the Parkways
Authority shall create a discount program for purchasers of West
Virginia EZ Pass transponders. Any discount program created
pursuant to this section shall provide discounts for each class of
motor vehicles.
(b) The Authority shall provide public notice and hold public
hearings on any proposed discount program as required in section
thirteen-a of this article prior to implementation of such program.
(c) Annually, the Parkways Authority shall hold at least one
public informational session in each of the following counties:
Kanawha, Fayette, Raleigh and Mercer counties. The Authority is to
distribute educational materials and other information concerning
the discount program for purchasers of West Virginia EZ Pass
transponders described in this section.
(d) Upon the effective date of the amendments to this section
enacted during the regular session of the Legislature in the year
2010, the Authority shall make available West Virginia EZ Pass
transponders to the public without the payment of any monetary
security deposit. The Authority shall credit any individual that
has paid a security deposit for a West Virginia EZ Pass transponder
prior to July 1, 2010, on the individual's next billing statement.
(e) For purposes of this section, a "West Virginia EZ Pass
transponder" means a device sold by the Parkways Authority which allows the purchaser to attach the device to his or her motor
vehicle and travel through a Parkways toll facility and be billed
for such travel by the Authority.
(f) The Parkways Authority shall provide to the Beckley VA
Medical Center a sufficient number of free daily toll passes to
permit a veteran who is scheduled for medical care at the center
during the following six months to travel over the parkway project
to and from the center without paying any tolls. The Authority
shall cooperate with the Beckley VA Center to create and implement
a program that will provide to the center, in advance, a sufficient
supply of daily toll free passes and restrict the use of the passes
to only those days on which a veteran needs to travel to and from
the center for medical care. For the purposes of this subsection,
the word "Veteran" has the same meaning as in section seven,
article one, chapter nine-a of this code.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require the Parkways
Authority to provide the Beckley VA Medical Center a sufficient
number of free daily toll passes to permit Veterans who travel to
that center for medical care to travel the West Virginia Turnpike
without paying tolls.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.