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Introduced Version Senate Bill 528 History

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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted


Senate Bill No. 528

(By Senator Bowman)

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[Introduced February 6, 2002; referred to the Committee

on the Judiciary.]

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A BILL to amend and reenact section one-a, article three, chapter six of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to prohibiting reserve officers from carrying firearms.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section one-a, article three, chapter six of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 3. DEPUTY OFFICERS AND CONSERVATORS OF THE PEACE.
§6-3-1a. Deputy sheriff's reserve; purpose; appointment and qualifications of members; duties; attire; training; oath; bond; not employee of sheriff or county commission for certain purposes; limitation on liability.
(a) The sheriff of any county may, for the purposes hereinafter set forth, designate and appoint a deputy sheriffs' reserve, hereinafter referred to as "reserve" or "reserves." No such reserve shall be A reserve may not be designated or created without the prior approval of the county commission for the establishment thereof the reserve.
(b) Each sheriff is authorized to may appoint as members of the reserve bona fide citizens of the county who are of good moral character and who have not been convicted of a felony or other crime involving moral turpitude. Any person so appointed shall serve at the will and pleasure of the sheriff and shall not be is not subject to the provisions of article fourteen, chapter seven of this code. No member of the reserves shall A member of the reserve may not engage in any political activity or campaign involving the office of sheriff or from which activity or campaign the sheriff or candidates therefor appointing such the member would directly benefit.
(c) Members of the reserves shall may not carry weapons firearms nor serve as law-enforcement officers. Such The reserves may, however, be provided with radio communication equipment for the purpose of maintaining contact with the sheriff's department or other law-enforcement agencies. The duties of the reserves shall be limited to crowd control or traffic control and direction within the county. In addition, such the reserves may perform such other duties of a nonlaw-enforcement nature as are designated by the sheriff or by a deputy sheriff designated and appointed by the sheriff for that purpose: Provided, That in no case shall any a member of the reserves may not aid or assist any law-enforcement officer in enforcing the statutes and laws of this state in any labor trouble or dispute between employer and employee.
(d) Members of the reserves may be uniformed; however, if so uniformed, such the uniforms shall clearly differentiate such these members from other law-enforcement deputy sheriffs.
(e) After appointment to the reserves but prior to service as such, each member of the reserves shall receive appropriate training and instruction in their functions and authority as well as the limitations of such authority. In addition, each member of the reserves shall annually receive in-service training.
(f) Each member of the reserve shall take the same oath as prescribed by section five, article IV of the constitution of the state of West Virginia, but the taking of such the oath shall does not serve to make such the member a public officer.
(g) The county commission of each county shall provide for the bonding and liability insurance of each member of the reserve.
(h) No A member of the reserve shall be regarded as is not an employee of either the sheriff or of the county commission for any purpose or purposes including, but not limited to, the purposes of workers' compensation, civil service, unemployment compensation, public employees retirement, public employees insurance or for any other purpose. No A member of the reserves shall may not receive any compensation or pay for any services performed as such a member nor shall such may a member use the designated uniform for any other similar work performed.
(i) Neither the county commission nor the sheriff shall be is liable for any of the acts of any member of the reserves except in the case of gross negligence on the part of the county commission or sheriff in the appointment of such the member or in the case of gross negligence on the part of either the sheriff or any of his or her deputies in directing any action on the part of such the member.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to prohibit reserve officers from carrying "firearms." The current statute prohibits the carrying of "weapons".

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