COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
H. B. 3023
(By Delegates Michael, Argento, Beach, DeLong, Ennis, Perry,
Pethtel, Stemple, Swartzmiller, Varner and Yost)
(Originating in the House Committee on Agriculture
and Natural Resources)
[March 23, 2005]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
by
adding thereto a new section, designated §7-7-6e, relating to
assessments and collections of assessment on all breeding age
sheep and all breeding age goats; allocation of assessment
proceeds; duties of county assessors and Commissioner of
Agriculture; creation of special revenue funds; and purposes
for which proceeds to be expended.
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
§7-7-6e,
to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 7. COMPENSATION OF ELECTED COUNTY OFFICIALS.
§7-7-6e. Collection of head tax on sheep and goats; duties of county assessors and Commissioner of Agriculture;
deposit of tax collections; creation of special revenue
fund; purposes.
After the thirtieth day of June, two thousand five, it shall
be the duty of the county assessor and his or her deputies of each
county within the state, at the time they are making assessments of
the personal property within such county, to assess and collect an
assessment of one dollar on all breeding age sheep and one dollar
on all breeding age goats.
The assessor collecting the assessment on breeding age sheep
and goats shall be allowed a commission of ten percent upon all
such taxes collected and shall send the Commissioner of Agriculture
ninety percent of such taxes so collected, who shall deposit the
same in a special account in the State Treasury to be known as the
"Integrated Predation Management Fund." Expenditures from the Fund
shall be for the purposes set forth in this section and are not
authorized from collections but are to be made only in accordance
with appropriation by the Legislature and in accordance with the
provisions of article three, chapter twelve of this code and upon
the fulfillment of the provisions set forth in article two, chapter
eleven-b of this code: Provided, That for the fiscal year ending
the thirtieth day of June, two thousand six, expenditures are
authorized from collections rather than pursuant to an
appropriation by the Legislature.
The money in the Fund shall be used by the Commissioner solely
to enter into a cooperative service agreement with the United
States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service (APHIS) and Wildlife Services (WS) to expand the Coyote
Control Program statewide.
Any person who does not pay this assessment is not eligible
for the services provided by this cooperative agreement.