Introduced Version
House Bill 2399 History
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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
H. B. 2399
(By Delegates Stalnaker, Williams and Stemple)
[Introduced January 22, 2007; referred to the
Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §20-2-34 of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to increasing the percentage of the
"license fund-wildlife resources" derived from license fees
that may be used for capital improvements and land purchases
for benefitting state wildlife from ten to twenty percent; and
correspondingly decreasing the amount from these fees that are
budgeted for the Wildlife Resources Division by ten percent.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §20-2-34 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. WILDLIFE RESOURCES.
§20-2-34. Disposition of license fees and donations; reports of
agents; special funds and uses.
(a) All persons in this state who receive money for licenses
and permits required by this chapter, or as donations for the hunters helping the hungry program, shall deposit the moneys into
an account at a financial institution at intervals designated by
the director with the approval of the State Treasurer. The payment
shall be accompanied by a sales report. The form and content of
the sales report shall be prescribed by the director.
(b) Except where other provisions of this chapter specifically
require direct payment of moneys into designated funds for specific
uses and purposes, all license fees received by the director shall
be promptly paid into the State Treasury and credited to the
Division of Natural Resources "license fund--wildlife resources"
which shall be used and paid out, upon order of the director,
solely for law enforcement and for other purposes directly relating
to the conservation, protection, propagation and distribution of
wildlife in this state pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
No funds from the "license fund--wildlife resources" may be
expended for recreational facilities or activities that are used by
or for the benefit of the general public, rather than purchasers of
hunting and fishing licenses.
The director shall retain ten twenty percent of the "license
fund-wildlife resources" for capital improvements and land
purchases benefitting state wildlife, forty thirty percent shall be
budgeted to the Wildlife Resources Division, forty percent to law
enforcement and ten percent apportioned by the director within
provisions of this section. Any unexpended moneys for capital improvements and land purchases shall be carried forward.
All interest generated from game and fish license fees shall
be used by the director for the Division of Natural Resources in
the same manner as is provided for the use of license fees.
(c) Moneys received as donations to the hunters helping the
hungry program shall be deposited in the subaccount designated
"Hunters Helping the Hungry Fund".
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to increase the percentage
of the "license fund-wildlife resources" derived from license fees
that may be used for capital improvements and land purchases for
benefitting state wildlife from ten to twenty percent and to
correspondingly decrease the amount from these fees that are
budgeted for the Wildlife Resources Division by ten percent.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.