H. B. 4612
(By Mr. Speaker, (Mr. Kiss) and Delegates Mahan and Staton)
[Introduced February 17, 2006; referred to the
Committee on Government Organization.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §29-20-1, §29-20-3, §29-20-4 and §29-
20-6 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
relating generally to the West Virginia Women's Commission.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §29-20-1, §29-20-3, §29-20-4 and §29-20-6 of the Code
of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to
read as follows:
ARTICLE 20. WOMEN'S COMMISSION.
§29-20-1. Membership; appointment and terms of members;
organization; reimbursement for expenses.
The West Virginia commission on the status of women is
hereby abolished, and there There is hereby continued within the
department of health and human resources the office of the
governor the West Virginia women's commission, to consist of
eighteen members, seven of whom shall be ex officio members, not
entitled to vote: The attorney general, the state superintendent of schools, the commissioner of labor, the commissioner of the
bureau of human resources of the department of health and human
resources, the director of the human rights commission, the
director of the division of personnel and the chancellor of the
board of directors of the state college system. Each ex officio
member may designate one representative employed by his or her
department to meet with the commission in his or her absence.
The governor shall appoint the additional eleven members, by and
with the advice and consent of the Senate, from among the
citizens of the state. The governor shall designate the chairman
and vice chairman of the commission and the commission may elect
such other officers as it deems necessary. The members shall
serve a term beginning the first day of July, one thousand nine
hundred seventy-seven, three to serve for a term of one year,
four to serve for a term of two years and the remaining four to
serve for a term of three years. The successors of the members
initially appointed as provided herein shall be appointed for a
term of three years each in the same manner as the members
initially appointed under this article, except that any person
appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of
the term for which his or her predecessor was appointed shall be
appointed for the remainder of such term. Each member shall
serve until the appointment and qualification of his or her
successor.
No member may receive any salary for his or her services, but each may be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses
incurred in the performance of his or her duties out of funds
received by the commission under section four of this article,
except that in the event the expenses are paid, or are to be
paid, by a third party, the members shall not be reimbursed by
the commission.
§29-20-3. Commission administrative personnel.
The commission may, consistent with state personnel
procedures and with the approval of the secretary of the
department of health and human resources or his or her designee,
appoint an executive director, who shall act as the chief
administrative officer of the commission, in addition to such
other duties as he or she may be assigned. The commission may
also, consistent with state personnel procedures and with the
approval of the secretary of the department of health and human
resources or his or her designee, appoint such other personnel as
may be deemed necessary to accomplish its objectives. All
persons so employed shall be paid from funds received by the
department of health and human resources or the commission under
section four of this article.
§29-20-4. Power of commission to accept funds.
The commission, or the department of health and human
resources on behalf of the commission, may accept gifts, grants
and bequests of funds from individuals, foundations,
corporations, the federal government, governmental agencies and other organizations or institutions; make and sign any agreements
and do and perform any acts that may be necessary to carry out
the purposes of this article.
§29-20-6. Annual report.
The commission shall, with the approval of the secretary of
the department of health and human resources or his or her
designee, submit an annual report to the Legislature and the
governor, including recommendations based on its studies.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to move the West Virginia
Women's Commission from DHHR to the Governor's Office.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.