H. B. 2452


(By Delegates Staton, Manuel and Dempsey)
[Introduced March 3, 1993; referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary.]




A BILL to amend article four, chapter eighteen-a of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section thirteen-a, relating to providing a criminal penalty for willful violation of the provisions of this article and specific sections of article two of this chapter.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That chapter eighteen, article four of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section thirteen-a, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 4. SALARIES, WAGES AND OTHER BENEFITS.

§18A-4-13a. Willful violation, penalties.

If any person willfully and intentionally violates the provisions of this article or section two, six, seven, eight or eight-a of article two of this chapter, he or she is guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall be fined not lessthan five hundred nor more than five thousand dollars. This section shall be separate from and in addition to any other relief that may be available at law for violation of the provisions set forth herein.



NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide a criminal penalty for willful violation of employee rights and thereby deter such actions.

This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.