WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2024 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 5279

By Delegates Ross and Garcia
[By Request]

[Introduced January 29, 2024; Referred to the Committee on Political Subdivisions then the Judiciary]

A BILL to amend and reenact §7-1-3rr of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, relating to accessible county records; and requiring counties to provide establish a link to public records that each county in the state may access.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 1. COUNTY COMMISSIONS GENERALLY.

§7-1-3rr. Accessible county records; required information.

(a) Beginning December 31, 2020, each county commission shall maintain a website that provides the following information without charge:

(1) The title and name of each elected county office holder;

(2) The contact information of each elected county office holder, including office telephone number, facsimile number, office location, and mailing address: Provided, That the county commission may withhold contact information from disclosure that it deems necessary to protect their safety, the safety of their coworkers, and the integrity of law-enforcement operations;

(3) A secure electronic means of contacting each elected county office holder;

(4) A copy of each county ordinance in effect;

(5) A copy of the approved meeting minutes; and

(6) A schedule of regular meeting days for each calendar year.

(b) Beginning on or before December 31, 2020, and each year thereafter, each county commission shall provide to the Secretary of State the following information:

(1) A list of each elected county official by title, with the name of the elected official;

(2) The office contact information for each county office holder; and

(3) The website address of the county commission website, where available.

(c) The county commission shall update the information required pursuant to this section within 30 days of the date the change occurs and shall provide the updated information to the Office of Technology who shall update the information on the wv.gov website.

(d) Beginning on or before December 31, 2024, each county commission shall establish a website link to the public records of the county accessible by each county commission in the state, which shall include owners' property lines and transfer history of parcels within the county.  Each county commission shall ensure that access to these public record is made available to the public.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require counties to establish a link to the public records of each county in the state and allow access to the public records of all of the counties.

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