Introduced Version
Senate Bill 39 History
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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
Senate Bill No. 39
(By Senator Ross, Dempsey, Love, White, Facemyer, Fanning,
Caldwell, Rowe, McCabe, Minard, Hunter, Weeks, Boley and Smith)
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[Introduced January 14, 2004; referred to the Committee on the
Judiciary.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact §22-13-15 of the code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to allowing landowners to enter
small streams and ditches for the purpose of removing debris
to prevent flooding without criminal or civil liability.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §22-13-15
of the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 13. NATURAL STREAMS PRESERVATION ACT.
§22-13-15. Exceptions as to criminal liabilities.
(a) The criminal liabilities provided for in section fourteen
of this article may not be imposed for any violation resulting from
accident or caused by an act of God, war, strike, riot or other
catastrophe as to which negligence or willful conduct on the part
of such person was not the proximate cause.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the
contrary, landowners are authorized to enter small streams and
ditches for the purpose of removing debris to prevent the flooding
of their homes and property without incurring criminal or civil
liabilities.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to allow landowners to enter
small streams and ditches for the purpose of removing debris to
prevent flooding of their property.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.