WEST virginia Legislature

2016 regular session

Introduced

House Bill 4657

By Delegates R. Smith, Cadle, Arvon, Hamrick, Ihle, Stansbury, McGeehan, Weld, Fast and Kessinger

[Introduced February 22, 2016; Referred
to the Committee on the Judiciary.]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §6B-3-12, relating to prohibiting state agencies, boards  and commissions from hiring lobbyists; and declaring that the director of each state agency to have exclusive, non-delegable authority to lobby on behalf of the state agency.

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 §6B-3-12, to read as follows:

ARTICLE 3. LOBBYISTS.

§6B-3-12. Employment by state agencies prohibited.

It is a violation of this chapter for any state agency, board or commission to employ for any form of remuneration, or pay or agree to pay any form of remuneration to, a person to lobby on behalf of the agency. Notwithstanding any provisions of this section, the head of each state agency, board or commission has the exclusive, non-delegable authority to lobby on behalf of the agency.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to prohibit state agencies from hiring lobbyists and declaring that the executive director of each state agency to have exclusive, non-delegable authority to lobby on behalf of the state agency.

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