A BILL to establish a pilot program in the county of Ohio and municipality of Wheeling to require that the alcohol beverage control commissioner develop pilot projects with law-enforcement agencies in Wheeling and Ohio County which would allow the pilot law-enforcement agencies to exercise certain alcohol beverage control enforcement powers if the commissioner approves the training received by the law-enforcement personnel.

Effective the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, the alcohol beverage control commissioner shall develop, in coordination with the law-enforcement agencies of the county of Ohio and the municipality of Wheeling, a pilot project which permits the county and municipal law-enforcement agencies to exercise the powers, responsibilities and duties of enforcing the provisions of article sixteen, chapter eleven and articles three-a and seven of chapter sixty of the code of West Virginia one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended. Each participating law-enforcement agency shall agree to provide training for enforcement personnel which meets the approval of the alcohol beverage control commissioner. The commissioner shall authorize the law-enforcement agencies to exercise the powers, responsibilities and duties of enforcing the alcohol beverage control laws in the county of Ohio and the municipality of Wheeling concurrently with the staff of the alcohol beverage control commissioner. The commissioner shall determine the feasibility of expanding this program and shall provide the Legislature with a report of his or her findings, conclusions and recommendations not later than the first day of the regular legislative session convening in January, one thousand nine hundred ninety-five.