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Engrossed Version House Bill 2515 History

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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted

WEST virginia legislature

2017 regular session

ENGROSSED

Committee Substitute

for

House Bill 2515

By Delegates Howell and Rohrbach

[Originating in the Committee on Government Organization; Reported March 22, 2017.]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §29-1-8c, relating to the West Virginia Monument and Memorial Protection Act of 2017; prohibiting the removal, renaming, alteration, or relocation, of any statue, monument, memorial, nameplate, plaque, school, street, bridge, building, park, preserve, or reserve recognized by the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office and which is located on public property and has been erected for, or named, or dedicated in honor of certain historical military, labor, civil rights, and Native American events, figures, and organizations; prohibiting any person from preventing the governmental entity having responsibility for maintaining the items, structures, or areas from taking proper measures to protect, preserve, care for, repair, or restore the items, structures, or areas recognized by the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office; and authorizing the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office to grant waivers under certain circumstances.

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 §29-1-8c, to read as follows:

ARTICLE 1. DIVISION OF CULTURE AND HISTORY.

§29-1-8c. Protection of Monuments and Memorials; penalties.


(a) Short title.-- This section shall be known and may be cited as the “West Virginia Monument and Memorial Protection Act of 2017.”

(b) No statue, monument, memorial, nameplate, plaque, school, street, bridge, building, park, preserve, or reserve recognized by the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office which is located on public property may be removed, renamed, altered, or relocated, except as provided in subsection (f) of this section, if such has been erected for, or named or dedicated in honor of leaders, persons and events including for any historical figure, event, organization, in

(A) the military history of West Virginia,

(B) the history of industrial development in West Virginia, including the labor union movement and activities, mining disasters or mine wars;

(C) the struggle for African-American Civil Rights, or the struggle for Women’s Civil Rights; or

(D) the history of Native Americans or American Indians in West Virginia.

(c) For the purposes of this section, “public property” means all property owned or leased by the State of West Virginia; and, any county, municipality, or any other entity or political subdivision that is created by act of the Legislature to perform any public function.

(d) No person may prevent a governmental entity from taking appropriate measures, for the protection, preservation, care, repair, or restoration of those items, structures, or areas described in subsection (b) of this section.

(e) This section shall apply to items, structures, or areas described in subsection (b) which have attained the age of fifty years. This section shall not apply to items, structures, or areas described in subsection (b) that are located on public property under the control of, or acquired by, the Department of Transportation which may interfere with the construction, maintenance, or operation of the public transportation system. The department shall strive to ensure that any such items, structures, or areas are preserved to the greatest extent possible.

(f) Any entity exercising control of public property on which an item, structure or area described in subsection (b) is located may petition the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office for a permit to remove, rename, alter or relocate the item, structure or area. A petition for a permit shall be in writing and shall state the reason, or reasons, upon which the permit is sought. Upon good cause shown, the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office may grant such permit request and may include reasonable conditions and instructions to ensure that any items, structures, or areas are preserved to the greatest extent possible. An entity may lawfully remove, rename, alter or relocate an item, structure or area under authority, and in compliance with, the terms of a permit issued pursuant to this subsection.


NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to prohibit the relocation, removal, alteration, or  renaming, of any statue, monument, memorial, nameplate, or plaque which is located on public property and has been erected for, or named, or dedicated in honor of certain historical military, labor, civil rights, and Native American events, figures, and organizations; to prohibit any person from preventing the governmental entity having responsibility for maintaining the items, structures, or areas from taking proper measures to protect, preserve, care for, repair, or restore the items, structures, or areas; and to establish a process by which the West Virginia State Historic Preservation Office may grant waivers under certain circumstances.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.

 

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