AN ACT to amend and reenact §62-1C-12 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to forfeiture of bail bond for failure of a defendant to appear in court; providing for reimbursement to the bail bondsman for the amount of the forfeited bond if the bail bondsman later returns the bonded person to the custody of court; and authorizing the Administrator of the West Virginia Supreme Court to oversee bondsmen and audit, review and suspend bondsmen who have insufficient assets.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §62-1C-12

ARTICLE 1C. BAIL.

§62-1C-12. Same -- Exoneration; return of deposit.

(a) When the condition of the bond has been satisfied or the forfeiture thereof has been set aside or remitted, the court or magistrate shall exonerate the surety and release any bail and, if the bail be in a form other than a recognizance, the deposit shall be returned to the person who made the same. The surety may be exonerated by a deposit of cash in the amount of the bail or by a timely surrender of the defendant into custody.
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, when a bail bondsman, as defined in article ten, chapter fifty-one of this code, has a surety bond forfeited because of the failure of a defendant to appear before a court or magistrate, that bail bondsman shall be reimbursed the full amount of the bond forfeiture, be it cash or surety, if the bail bondsman returns the defendant to the custody of the court or magistrate, within two years of the forfeiture of the bond.
(c) The Administrator of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals shall, ex officio, be empowered to audit, review and suspend any bail bondsman whose surety on bonds is or becomes insufficient or whose assets are below the amount of bonds he or she has in existence.