WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2024 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

Senate Bill 182

By Senators Stuart and Karnes

[Introduced January 10, 2024; 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 §5-3-7, relating to permitting the Attorney General to prosecute certain offenses in limited circumstances.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 3. Attorney general.

§5-3-7. Prosecution power of Attorney General in limited circumstances.

(a) In limited circumstances, the Office of the Attorney General shall have original jurisdiction to prosecute certain state agency crime.

(b) Specifically, the Office of the Attorney General is permitted to prosecute the following offenses:

(1) Workforce fraud;

(2) Securities fraud;

(3) Crime involving statewide elected officials; and

(4) Ethics corruption.

(c) The Office of the Attorney General is permitted to pursue multicounty prosecutions when utilizing the limited prosecution power set forth in this section.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to permit the Office of the Attorney General to hold limited prosecution power.

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