Senate Bill No. 72

(By Senator Kessler (Acting President), Snyder, Browning, Wills, Unger, Palumbo, Foster, McCabe, Beach, Klempa, Plymale, Edgell, D. Facemire, Wells, Williams, Miller, Laird, Stollings, Yost, Prezioso, Minard and Green)

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[Introduced January 13, 2011; referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.]

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A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §4-1-24, relating to providing that references in the constitution, the code, joint rule, or rule of the body to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Delegates, or presiding officer, include any member authorized by the respective body, by rule or otherwise, to act in the place of the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Delegates.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §4-1-24, to read as follows:

ARTICLE 1. OFFICERS, MEMBERS AND EMPLOYEES; APPROPRIATIONS; INVESTIGATIONS; DISPLAY OF FLAGS; RECORDS; USE OF CAPITOL BUILDING; PREFILING OF BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS; STANDING COMMITTEES; INTERIM MEETINGS; NEXT MEETING OF THE SENATE.

§4-1-24. Definition of President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Delegates.

    The terms “President of the Senate” and “Speaker of the House of Delegates” as used in the constitution, this code, joint rule, or rule of the body include any member authorized by the respective body, by rule or otherwise, to act in the place of the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Delegates.

    The term “presiding officer” or “presiding officers” when used in the constitution, this code, joint rule or rule of the body to refer to the presiding officers of the Legislature include any member authorized by the respective body, by rule or otherwise, to act in the place of the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Delegates.

    NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide that references in the constitution, the code, joint rule, or rule of the body to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Delegates, or presiding officer, include any member authorized by the respective body, by rule or otherwise, to act in the place of the President of the Senate or the Speaker of the House of Delegates.

    §4-1-24 is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.