WEST virginia legislature

2017 regular session

Committee Substitute

for

Senate Bill 183

By Senators Blair, Sypolt, Gaunch, Rucker and Trump

[Originating in the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development; reported on March 17, 2017]

 

 

A BILL to repeal §19-12A-1, §19-12A-2, §19-12A-3, §19-12A-4, §19-12A-5, §19-12A-6, §19-12A-7 and §19-12A-8 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend and reenact §5B-1-2 of said code; to amend and reenact §5F-2-1 of said code; to amend and reenact §6-7-2a of said code; to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §19-1-3b; to amend and reenact §19-1A-5 of said code; and to amend and reenact §19-1B-3 of said code, all relating to transferring the Division of Forestry from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Agriculture; transferring all authorities, powers, funds, duties and affiliated boards or commissions of the Division of Forestry to the division under the department; ensuring legislative rules remain in effect and transfer; permitting the commissioner to hire the director and set the director’s salary; transferring Division of Forestry employees and director at hourly rate and salary and with benefits; making employees and director will and pleasure employees of the commissioner; requiring a transition plan be submitted to the Joint Committee of Government and Finance; and repealing outdated code sections.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That §19-12A-1, §19-12A-2, §19-12A-3, §19-12A-4, §19-12A-5, §19-12A-6, §19-12A-7 and §19-12A-8 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be repealed; that §5B-1-2 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §5F-2-1 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §6-7-2a of said code be amended and reenacted; that said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §19-1-3b; that §19-1A-5 of said code be amended and reenacted; and that §19-1B-3 of said code be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:

chapter 5b.  Economic development act of 1985.

article 1.  Department of Commerce.

§5B-1-2. Agencies, boards, commissions, divisions and offices comprising the Department of Commerce.

The Department of Commerce consists of the following agencies, boards, commissions, divisions and offices, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated or related entities, which are incorporated in and administered as part of the Department of Commerce:

(1) Division of Labor provided in article one, chapter twenty-one of this code, which includes:

(A) Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission provided in article three-a, chapter twenty-one of this code; and

(B) Board of Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety provided in article nine, chapter twenty-one of this code;

(2) Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training provided in article one, chapter twenty-two-a of this code. The following boards are transferred to the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training for purposes of administrative support and liaison with the Office of the Governor:

(A) Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety and Coal Mine Safety and Technical Review Committee provided in article six, chapter twenty-two-a of this code;

(B) Board of Miner Training, Education and Certification provided in article seven, chapter twenty-two-a of this code; and

(C) Mine Inspectors’ Examining Board provided in article nine, chapter twenty-two-a of this code;

(3) The West Virginia Development Office provided in article two of this chapter;

(4) Division of Natural Resources and Natural Resources Commission provided in article one, chapter twenty of this code;

(5) Division of Forestry provided in article one-a, chapter nineteen of this code;

(6) (5) Geological and Economic Survey provided in article two, chapter twenty-nine of this code;

(7) (6) Workforce West Virginia provided in chapter twenty-one-a of this code, which includes:

(A) Division of Unemployment Compensation;

(B) Division of Employment Service;

(C) Division of Workforce Development; and

(D) Division of Research, Information and Analysis;

(8) (7) Division of Energy provided in article two-f of this chapter; and

(9) (8) Division of Tourism and the Tourism Commission provided in article two of this chapter.

Chapter 5F.  Reorganization of the executive branch of state Government.

Article 2.  transfer of agencies and boards.

§5F-2-1. Transfer and incorporation of agencies and boards; funds.

(a) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated or related entities and funds associated with any agency or board, are incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Administration:

(1) Building Commission provided in article six, chapter five of this code;

(2) Public Employees Insurance Agency provided in article sixteen, chapter five of this code;

(3) Governor’s Mansion Advisory Committee provided in article five, chapter five-a of this code;

(4) Commission on Uniform State Laws provided in article one-a, chapter twenty-nine of this code;

(5) West Virginia Public Employees Grievance Board provided in article three, chapter six-c of this code;

(6) Board of Risk and Insurance Management provided in article twelve, chapter twenty-nine of this code;

(7) Boundary Commission provided in article twenty-three, chapter twenty-nine of this code;

(8) Public Defender Services provided in article twenty-one, chapter twenty-nine of this code;

(9) Division of Personnel provided in article six, chapter twenty-nine of this code;

(10) The West Virginia Ethics Commission provided in article two, chapter six-b of this code;

(11) Consolidated Public Retirement Board provided in article ten-d, chapter five of this code; and

(12) Real Estate Division provided in article ten, chapter five-a of this code.

(b) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated or related entities and funds associated with any agency or board, are incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Commerce:

(1) Division of Labor provided in article one, chapter twenty-one of this code, which includes:

(A) Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission provided in article three-a, chapter twenty-one of this code; and

(B) Board of Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety provided in article nine, chapter twenty-one of this code.

(2) Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training provided in article one, chapter twenty-two-a of this code. The following boards are transferred to the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training for purposes of administrative support and liaison with the Office of the Governor:

(A) Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety and Coal Mine Safety and Technical Review Committee provided in article six, chapter twenty-two-a of this code;

(B) Board of Miner Training, Education and Certification provided in article seven, chapter twenty-two-a of this code; and

(C) Mine Inspectors’ Examining Board provided in article nine, chapter twenty-two-a of this code.

(3) The West Virginia Development Office provided in article two, chapter five-b of this code;

(4) Division of Natural Resources and Natural Resources Commission provided in article one, chapter twenty of this code;

(5) Division of Forestry provided in article one-a, chapter nineteen of this code;

(6) (5) Geological and Economic Survey provided in article two, chapter twenty-nine of this code; and

(7) (6) Workforce West Virginia provided in chapter twenty-one-a of this code, which includes:

(A) Division of Unemployment Compensation;

(B) Division of Employment Service;

(C) Division of Workforce Development; and

(D) Division of Research, Information and Analysis.

(8) (7) Division of Energy provided in article two-f, chapter five-b of this code.

(9) (8) Division of Tourism Commission provided in article two-h, chapter five-b of this code.

(c) The Economic Development Authority provided in article fifteen, chapter thirty-one of this code is continued as an independent agency within the executive branch.

(d) The Water Development Authority and the Water Development Authority Board provided in article one, chapter twenty-two-c of this code is continued as an independent agency within the executive branch.

(e) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory and affiliated entities, are transferred to the Department of Environmental Protection for purposes of administrative support and liaison with the Office of the Governor:

(1) Air Quality Board provided in article two, chapter twenty-two-b of this code;

(2) Solid Waste Management Board provided in article three, chapter twenty-two-c of this code;

(3) Environmental Quality Board, or its successor board, provided in article three, chapter twenty-two-b of this code;

(4) Surface Mine Board provided in article four, chapter twenty-two-b of this code;

(5) Oil and Gas Inspectors’ Examining Board provided in article seven, chapter twenty-two-c of this code;

(6) Shallow Gas Well Review Board provided in article eight, chapter twenty-two-c of this code; and

(7) Oil and Gas Conservation Commission provided in article nine, chapter twenty-two-c of this code.

(f) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated or related entities and funds associated with any agency or board, are incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Education and the Arts:

(1) Library Commission provided in article one, chapter ten of this code;

(2) Division of Culture and History provided in article one, chapter twenty-nine of this code; and

(3) Division of Rehabilitation Services provided in article ten-a, chapter eighteen of this code.

(g) The Educational Broadcasting Authority provided in article five, chapter ten of this code is part of the Department of Education and the Arts for the purposes of administrative support and liaison with the Office of the Governor.

(h) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated or related entities and funds associated with any agency or board, are incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Health and Human Resources:

(1) Human Rights Commission provided in article eleven, chapter five of this code;

(2) Division of Human Services provided in article two, chapter nine of this code;

(3) Bureau for Public Health provided in article one, chapter sixteen of this code;

(4) Office of Emergency Medical Services and the Emergency Medical Service Advisory Council provided in article four-c, chapter sixteen of this code;

(5) Health Care Authority provided in article twenty-nine-b, chapter sixteen of this code;

(6) Commission on Mental Retardation provided in article fifteen, chapter twenty-nine of this code;

(7) Women’s Commission provided in article twenty, chapter twenty-nine of this code; and

(8) The Child Support Enforcement Division provided in chapter forty-eight of this code.

(i) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated or related entities and funds associated with any agency or board, are incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety:

(1) Adjutant General’s Department provided in article one-a, chapter fifteen of this code;

(2) Armory Board provided in article six, chapter fifteen of this code;

(3) Military Awards Board provided in article one-g, chapter fifteen of this code;

(4) West Virginia State Police provided in article two, chapter fifteen of this code;

(5) Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and Disaster Recovery Board provided in article five, chapter fifteen of this code and Emergency Response Commission provided in article five-a of said chapter;

(6) Sheriffs’ Bureau provided in article eight, chapter fifteen of this code;

(7) Division of Justice and Community Services provided in article nine-a, chapter fifteen of this code;

(8) Division of Corrections provided in chapter twenty-five of this code;

(9) Fire Commission provided in article three, chapter twenty-nine of this code;

(10) Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority provided in article twenty, chapter thirty-one of this code; and

(11) Board of Probation and Parole provided in article twelve, chapter sixty-two of this code.

(j) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated or related entities and funds associated with any agency or board, are incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Revenue:

(1) Tax Division provided in chapter eleven of this code;

(2) Racing Commission provided in article twenty-three, chapter nineteen of this code;

(3) Lottery Commission and position of Lottery Director provided in article twenty-two, chapter twenty-nine of this code;

(4) Insurance Commissioner provided in article two, chapter thirty-three of this code;

(5) West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Commissioner provided in article sixteen, chapter eleven of this code and article two, chapter sixty of this code;

(6) Board of Banking and Financial Institutions provided in article three, chapter thirty-one-a of this code;

(7) Lending and Credit Rate Board provided in chapter forty-seven-a of this code;

(8) Division of Banking provided in article two, chapter thirty-one-a of this code;

(9) The State Budget Office provided in article two of this chapter;

(10) The Municipal Bond Commission provided in article three, chapter thirteen of this code;

(11) The Office of Tax Appeals provided in article ten-a, chapter eleven of this code; and

(12) The State Athletic Commission provided in article five-a, chapter twenty-nine of this code.

(k) The following agencies and boards, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated or related entities and funds associated with any agency or board, are incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Transportation:

(1) Division of Highways provided in article two-a, chapter seventeen of this code;

(2) Parkways, Economic Development and Tourism Authority provided in article sixteen-a, chapter seventeen of this code;

(3) Division of Motor Vehicles provided in article two, chapter seventeen-a of this code;

(4) Driver’s Licensing Advisory Board provided in article two, chapter seventeen-b of this code;

(5) Aeronautics Commission provided in article two-a, chapter twenty-nine of this code;

(6) State Rail Authority provided in article eighteen, chapter twenty-nine of this code; and

(7) Public Port Authority provided in article sixteen-b, chapter seventeen of this code.

(l) Effective July 1, 2011, the Veterans’ Council provided in article one, chapter nine-a of this code, including all of the allied, advisory, affiliated or related entities and funds associated with it, is incorporated in and administered as a part of the Department of Veterans’ Assistance.

(m) Except for powers, authority and duties that have been delegated to the secretaries of the departments by the provisions of section two of this article, the position of administrator and the powers, authority and duties of each administrator and agency are not affected by the enactment of this chapter.

(n) Except for powers, authority and duties that have been delegated to the secretaries of the departments by the provisions of section two of this article, the existence, powers, authority and duties of boards and the membership, terms and qualifications of members of the boards are not affected by the enactment of this chapter. All boards that are appellate bodies or are independent decisionmakers shall not have their appellate or independent decision-making status affected by the enactment of this chapter.

(o) Any department previously transferred to and incorporated in a department by prior enactment of this section means a division of the appropriate department. Wherever reference is made to any department transferred to and incorporated in a department created in section two, article one of this chapter, the reference means a division of the appropriate department and any reference to a division of a department so transferred and incorporated means a section of the appropriate division of the department.

(p) When an agency, board or commission is transferred under a bureau or agency other than a department headed by a secretary pursuant to this section, that transfer is solely for purposes of administrative support and liaison with the Office of the Governor, a department secretary or a bureau. Nothing in this section extends the powers of department secretaries under section two of this article to any person other than a department secretary and nothing limits or abridges the statutory powers and duties of statutory commissioners or officers pursuant to this code.

chapter 6. general provisions respecting officers.

ARTICLE 7. COMPENSATION AND ALLOWANCES.

§6-7-2a. Terms of certain appointive state officers; appointment; qualifications; powers and salaries of officers.

(a) Each of the following appointive state officers named in this subsection shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Each of the appointive state officers serves at the will and pleasure of the Governor for the term for which the Governor was elected and until the respective state officers’ successors have been appointed and qualified. Each of the appointive state officers are subject to the existing qualifications for holding each respective office and each has and is hereby granted all of the powers and authority and shall perform all of the functions and services heretofore vested in and performed by virtue of existing law respecting each office.

The annual salary of each named appointive state officer is as follows:

Commissioner, Division of Highways, $92,500; Commissioner, Division of Corrections, $80,000; Director, Division of Natural Resources, $75,000; Superintendent, State Police, $85,000; Commissioner, Division of Banking, $75,000; Commissioner, Division of Culture and History, $65,000; Commissioner, Alcohol Beverage Control Commission, $75,000; Commissioner, Division of Motor Vehicles, $75,000; Chairman, Health Care Authority, $80,000; members, Health Care Authority, $70,000; Director, Human Rights Commission, $55,000; Commissioner, Division of Labor, $70,000; prior to July 1, 2011, Director, Division of Veterans Affairs, $65,000; Chairperson, Board of Parole, $55,000; members, Board of Parole, $50,000; members, Employment Security Review Board, $17,000; and Commissioner, Workforce West Virginia, $75,000. Secretaries of the departments shall be paid an annual salary as follows: Health and Human Resources, $95,000: Provided, That effective July 1, 2013, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources shall be paid an annual salary not to exceed $175,000; Transportation, $95,000: Provided, however, That if the same person is serving as both the Secretary of Transportation and the Commissioner of Highways, he or she shall be paid $120,000; Revenue, $95,000; Military Affairs and Public Safety, $95,000; Administration, $95,000; Education and the Arts, $95,000; Commerce, $95,000; Veterans’ Assistance, $95,000; and Environmental Protection, $95,000: Provided further, That any officer specified in this subsection whose salary is increased by more than $5,000 as a result of the amendment and reenactment of this section during the 2011 regular session of the Legislature shall be paid the salary increase in increments of $5,000 per fiscal year beginning July 1, 2011, up to the maximum salary provided in this subsection.

(b) Each of the state officers named in this subsection shall continue to be appointed in the manner prescribed in this code and shall be paid an annual salary as follows:

Director, Board of Risk and Insurance Management, $80,000; Director, Division of Rehabilitation Services, $70,000; Director, Division of Personnel, $70,000; Executive Director, Educational Broadcasting Authority, $75,000; Secretary, Library Commission, $72,000; Director, Geological and Economic Survey, $75,000; Executive Director, Prosecuting Attorneys Institute, $80,000; Executive Director, Public Defender Services, $70,000; Commissioner, Bureau of Senior Services, $75,000; Executive Director, Women’s Commission, $45,000; Director, Hospital Finance Authority, $35,000; member, Racing Commission, $12,000; Chairman, Public Service Commission, $85,000; members, Public Service Commission, $85,000; Director, Division of Forestry, $75,000 Director, Division of Juvenile Services, $80,000; and Executive Director, Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority, $80,000.

(c) Each of the following appointive state officers named in this subsection shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. Each of the appointive state officers serves at the will and pleasure of the Governor for the term for which the Governor was elected and until the respective state officers’ successors have been appointed and qualified. Each of the appointive state officers are subject to the existing qualifications for holding each respective office and each has and is hereby granted all of the powers and authority and shall perform all of the functions and services heretofore vested in and performed by virtue of existing law respecting each office.

The annual salary of each named appointive state officer shall be as follows:

Commissioner, State Tax Division, $92,500; Insurance Commissioner, $92,500; Director, Lottery Commission, $92,500; Director, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, $65,000; and Adjutant General, $125,000.

(d) No increase in the salary of any appointive state officer pursuant to this section may be paid until and unless the appointive state officer has first filed with the State Auditor and the Legislative Auditor a sworn statement, on a form to be prescribed by the Attorney General, certifying that his or her spending unit is in compliance with any general law providing for a salary increase for his or her employees. The Attorney General shall prepare and distribute the form to the affected spending units.

Chapter 19.  Agriculture.

Article 1.  Department of Agriculture.

§19-1-3b. Division of Forestry transfer to Department of Agriculture.

(a) Effective July 1, 2017, the Division of Forestry, under the Department of Commerce, is transferred to the Department of Agriculture, including all the allied, advisory, affiliated or related entities, boards, commissions or funds associated with the division.  All real and personal property of the division, or held by the Department of Commerce on behalf of the division, is transferred to the Department of Agriculture. All general revenue appropriated to the division is transferred to the Department of Agriculture.

(b) Employees of the Division of Forestry are transferred to the Department of Agriculture, at their existing hourly rate or salary with all accrued benefits.  All employees of the division are will and pleasure employees of the Commissioner of Agriculture in accordance with section four, article six, chapter twenty-nine of this code, and are exempt from coverage by classified service.

(c) The legislative rules of the Division of Forestry that were previously authorized remain in effect as if they were proposed by the Division of Forestry under the Department of Agriculture.

(d) The Division of Forestry’s authorities, powers and duties remain unchanged by this transfer or this section.

(e) The rights and authority over the funds administered by the Division of Forestry are transferred to the Department of Agriculture: Division of Forestry Fund (3081), authorized in section three, article one-a of this chapter; Timbering Operations Enforcement Fund (3082), authorized in section eight, article one-b of this chapter; Severance Tax Operations Fund (3084), authorized in subsection (c), section twenty-a, article thirteen-a, chapter eleven of this code; Gifts, Grants and Donations Fund (3090), authorized in section four, article one-a of this chapter; West Virginia Outdoor Heritage Conservation Fund (3091), authorized in section eight, article two-g, chapter five-b of this code; and Cons. Federal Funds (8703), authorized in section two, article eleven, chapter four of this code.

(f) The Commissioner of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Director of the Division of Forestry, shall develop a plan to provide for the division’s orderly transition to the department.  Prior the effective date of July 1, 2017, the department shall submit the transition plan to the Joint Committee of Government and Finance for review.

Article 1A.  Division of Forestry.

§19-1A-5. Director of Division of Forestry; appointment; qualifications.

The Director of the Division of Forestry shall be appointed by the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, hired by the Commissioner of Agriculture and shall serve at the will and pleasure of the Governor commissioner. The director shall be a graduate of a school of forestry accredited by the Society of American Foresters and have a minimum of ten years’ experience in forest management. The commissioner shall establish the director shall be paid an annual salary as provided in section two-a, article seven, chapter six of this code for the director: Provided, That the director’s salary shall be paid solely from budget appropriations to the division.

Article 1B.  Sediment control during commercial timber harvesting operations.

§19-1B-3. Definitions.

(a) “Best management practices” means sediment control measures, structural or nonstructural, used singly or in combination, to reduce soil runoff from land disturbances associated with commercial timber harvesting.

(b) “Chief” means the Director of the Division of Water and Waste Management of the Department of Environmental Protection, or his or her designee.

(c) “Director” means the Director of the Division of Forestry of the Department of Commerce Agriculture or his or her designee.

(d) “Operator” means any person who conducts timbering operations.

(e) “Timbering operation”, or the plural, means activities directly related to the severing or removal of standing trees from the forest as a raw material for commercial processes or purposes. For the purpose of this article, timbering operations do not include the severing of evergreens grown for and severed for the traditional Christmas holiday season; the severing of trees incidental to ground-disturbing construction activities, including well sites, access roads and gathering lines for oil and natural gas operations; the severing of trees for maintaining existing, or during construction of, rights-of-way for public highways or public utilities or any company subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission unless the trees so severed are being sold or provided as raw material for commercial wood product purposes; or the severing of trees by an individual on the individual’s own property for his or her individual use provided that the individual does not have the severing done by a person whose business is the severing or removal of trees.

(f) “Sediment” means solid particulate matter, usually soil or minute rock fragments, moved by wind, rainfall or snowmelt into the streams of the state.

 

 

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to transfer the Division of Forestry and its authorities, powers and duties from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Agriculture.

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