WEST virginia Legislature

2017 regular session

Introduced

House Bill 2991

By Delegates Rowe, Frich, Caputo, Pyles and White

[Introduced March 14, 2017; Referred
to the Committee on Roads and Transportation then Government Organization]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §17-2A-24, relating to requiring the Commissioner of Highways to develop a state hotline for travelers to identify road hazards; and requiring the Commissioner of Highways to develop a communications plan to disseminate to the public information about known emergency, life threatening road hazards.

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 §17-2A-24, to read as follows:

ARTICLE 2A. WEST VIRGINIA COMMISSIONER OF HIGHWAYS.

§17-2A-24. West Virginia Road Hazard Hotline.

(a) On or before October 1, 2017, the commissioner shall develop a hotline that would allow travelers to report hazards on the roadways to the Division of Highways. The hotline shall be accessible to travelers by phone, electronic texts and e-mails. The hotline shall be referred to as the “West Virginia Road Hazard Hotline.”

(b) Emergency, life threatening hazards. -- The commissioner shall develop a communications plan to have multimedia outlets communicate to the public that emergency, life threatening road hazards exist.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require the Commissioner of Highways to develop a state hotline for travelers to identify road hazards; and to require the Commissioner of Highways to develop a communications plan to disseminate to the public information about known road hazards.

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