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Introduced Version House Bill 2735 History

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Key: Green = existing Code. Red = new code to be enacted
H. B. 2735


(By Delegates Martin, Argento, Eldridge and Shaver)

[Introduced February 23, 2009; referred to the

Committee on Agriculture then Government Organization.]





A BILL to amend and reenact §19-21A-4 and §19-21A-6 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, all relating to the State Conservation Committee.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That §19-21A-4 and §19-21A-6 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted , all to read as follows:

ARTICLE 21A. CONSERVATION DISTRICTS.

§19-21A-4. State Conservation Committee; continuation.

(a) The State Conservation Committee is continued. It serves as an agency of the state and is to perform the functions conferred upon it in this article. Effective July 1, 2009, the committee consists of the following ten members:

(1) Four citizen members;

(2) The following ex officio members: or His or her designee:

(A) The State Commissioner of Agriculture, who is the
chairperson of the committee;
(A) (B) The Director of the State Cooperative Extension Service; and

(B) (C) The Director of the State Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.

(C) (D) The Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection;

(D) (E) The State Commissioner of Agriculture, who is the chairperson of the committee; and

(E) (F) The Director of the Division of Forestry; and

(F) (G) The President of the West Virginia Association of Conservation Districts.

(b) The Governor shall appoint, by and with the consent of the Senate, the four citizen members. Members shall be appointed for four-year terms, which are staggered in accordance with the initial appointments under prior enactment of this section. In the event of a vacancy, the appointment is for the unexpired term. All committee members must attend at least seventy-five percent of all meetings.

(c) The committee may invite the Secretary of Agriculture of the United States of America to appoint one person to serve with the committee as an advisory member.

(d) The committee shall keep a record of its official actions, shall adopt a seal, which shall be judicially noticed and may
perform those acts, hold public hearings and adopt or propose for legislative approval rules necessary for the execution of its functions under this article.
(e) The State Conservation Committee may shall employ an administrative office director, that is appointed by the Agriculture Commissioner. The State Conservation Committee may employ technical experts and other agents and employees, permanent and temporary, as it requires. The administrative officer director and support staff shall be known as the West Virginia Conservation Agency. The committee shall determine their qualifications, duties and compensation. The committee may call upon the Attorney General of the state for legal services it requires. It may delegate to its chairperson, to one or more of its members, or to one or more agents or employees powers and duties it considers proper. The committee may secure necessary and suitable office accommodations and the necessary supplies and equipment. Upon request of the committee, for the purpose of carrying out any of its functions, the supervising officer of any state agency or of any state institution of learning shall, insofar as may be possible, under available appropriations and having due regard to the needs of the agency to which the request is directed, assign or detail to the committee, members of the staff or personnel of the agency or institution of learning and make special reports, surveys or studies required by the committee.

(f) A member of the committee holds office so long as he or she retains the office by virtue of which he or she is serving on the committee. A majority of the committee is a quorum and the concurrence of a majority in any matter within their duties is required for its determination. The chairperson and members of the committee may receive no compensation for their services on the committee, but are entitled to reimbursement of expenses, including traveling expenses necessarily incurred in the discharge of their duties on the committee. The committee shall:

(1) Require the execution of surety bonds for all employees and officers who are entrusted with funds or property;

(2) Provide for the keeping of a full and accurate public record of all proceedings and of all resolutions, rules and orders issued or adopted; and

(3) Provide for an annual audit of the accounts of receipts and disbursements.

(g) In addition to other duties and powers conferred upon the State Conservation Committee, it may:

(1) Offer appropriate assistance to the supervisors of conservation districts, organized as provided in this article, in the carrying out of any of their powers and programs;

(2) Keep the supervisors of each of the several districts, organized under the provisions of this article, informed of the activities and experience of all other districts organized under
this article and facilitate an interchange of advice and experience between the districts and cooperation between them;
(3) Coordinate the programs of the several conservation districts so far as this may be done by advice and consultation;

(4) Secure the cooperation and assistance of the United States and any of its agencies and of agencies of this state in the work of the districts;

(5) Disseminate information throughout the state concerning the activities and programs of the conservation districts and encourage the formation of the districts in areas where their organization is desirable;

(6) Accept and receive donations, gifts, contributions, grants and appropriations in money, services, materials or otherwise from the United States or any of its agencies, from the State of West Virginia or from other sources and use or expend the money, services, materials or other contributions in carrying out the policy and provisions of this article, including the right to allocate the money, services or materials in part to the various conservation districts created by this article in order to assist them in carrying on their operations; and

(7) Obtain options upon and acquire by purchase, exchange, lease, gift, grant, bequest, devise or otherwise any property, real or personal, or rights or interests in the property; maintain, administer, operate and improve any properties acquired; receive
and retain income from the property and to expend the income as required for operation, maintenance, administration or improvement of the properties or in otherwise carrying out the purposes and provisions of this article; and sell, lease or otherwise dispose of any of its property or interests in the property in furtherance of the purposes and the provisions of this article. Money received from the sale of land acquired in the small watershed program shall be deposited in the special account of the State Conservation Committee and expended as provided in this article.
(8) To promulgate emergency and legislative rules to effectuate the provisions of this article as amended and reenacted by the Legislature during the regular session of the Legislature in the year 2005.

(9) Upon a Governor's proclamation declaring a state of emergency or federal disaster declaration, the state committee, its employees or agents may enter any water of the state for the purpose of removing debris and other obstruction which impede water flow and present additional flood hazards. The agency shall make reasonable efforts to secure the permission of the landowner before entering any private property in connection with these removal activities. The exercise of this limited authority does not constitute taking of private property or trespass. This authority shall continue for the duration of the Governor's proclamation or the federal disaster declaration.

(10) The State Conservation Committee is continued until the first day of July, two thousand twelve, pursuant to the provisions of article four, chapter ten of the Code of West Virginia, unless sooner terminated, continued or reestablished pursuant to the provisions of that article.

(10) Hire an Auditor who shall annually audit each conservation district. The result of the audit shall be posted on the committee's web site.

(11) Hire an independent Auditor every three years to review and confirm each conservation district's audits.

§19-21A-6. Election of supervisors for each district; filling vacancies.

(a) Beginning with the 2008 general election, each county in a district shall elect, two nonpartisan supervisors: Provided, That any county with a population of one hundred thousand based on the most recent decennial census shall elect one additional supervisor and any county with a population over one hundred thousand based on the most recent decennial census shall elect one additional supervisor for each fifty thousand residents over one hundred thousand.
(b) A candidate for supervisor shall own land in the district and have the education, training or experience necessary to carry out the duties required by this article and rules promulgated thereunder. A candidate shall file with the committee a sworn written statement specifying that he or she meets the requirements of office. A candidate may not be placed on the ballot or be seated as a supervisor unless he or she meets the requirements.
(c) The committee shall provide a list of qualified candidates to the Secretary of State no less than ninety days prior to any election for supervisor. in the manner specified by the Secretary
(d) No nominating petition may be accepted by the committee unless it is subscribed by twenty-five or more owners of lands lying within the boundaries of the district and within the boundaries of the county in which the candidate resides. Landowners in the district may sign more than one nominating petition to nominate more than one candidate for supervisor.
(e) (d) All registered voters in the district are eligible to vote in the election for candidates from the county within the boundaries of the district in which the voter resides. The candidates in each county who receive the largest number of votes cast in the election shall be elected supervisors for that county.
(f) (e) Supervisors shall be elected in the general election to be conducted in the year 2008 as nonpartisan candidates. Thereafter, supervisors shall be elected in the primary election. The term of office for the candidate for supervisor receiving the highest number of votes in the general election of 2008 shall be for four years; the candidate for supervisor receiving the second highest number of votes in the general election of 2008 shall be for two years. In counties where more than two supervisors are elected in the general election of 2008 the two supervisors receiving the highest number of votes shall serve for four years and the remaining supervisor or supervisors shall serve for two years. Subsequent terms of office for supervisors elected thereafter shall be for four years. The provisions of chapter three of this code shall apply applies to election of supervisors.
(g) (f) Persons currently holding the position of supervisor shall, regardless of the expiration of the currently designated term of office, continue to serve until the election and qualification of his or her successor.
(h) (g) Any vacancy occurring in the office of supervisor shall be filled by the committee by appointment of a person from the county in which the vacancy occurs. Within fifteen days after the vacancy occurs, the district shall submit a list of names of persons qualified to be a supervisor. If the unexpired term is for less than two years and two months, the appointed person shall hold office until the expiration of the term. If the unexpired term is for more than two years and two months, the appointed person shall hold the office until a successor is elected in the next primary or general election and qualified.


NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to change the membership of the State Conservation Committee, staffing and auditing requirements.

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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