Senate Bill No. 114
(By Senator Schoonover)
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[Introduced January 26, 1994; referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary; and then to the Committee on Finance.]
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A BILL to amend article fourteen, chapter seven of the code of
West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section
seventeen-d; to amend article fourteen, chapter eight of
said code by adding thereto a new section, designated
section twenty-four; and to amend article two, chapter
fifteen of said code by adding thereto a new section,
designated section seventeen-a, all relating to retired law-
enforcement officers; requiring the law-enforcement agency
to permit retiring members to retain their complete standard
uniform; identifying occasions on which retiree may wear
uniform; and authorizing retired law-enforcement officer to
carry a firearm without a license.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article fourteen, chapter seven of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be
amended by adding thereto a new section, designated sectionseventeen-d; that article fourteen, chapter eight of said code be
amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section
twenty-four; and that article two, chapter fifteen of said code
be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section
seventeen-a, all to read as follows:
CHAPTER 7. COUNTY COMMISSIONS AND OFFICERS.
ARTICLE 14. CIVIL SERVICE FOR DEPUTY SHERIFFS.
§7-14-17d. Right to receive complete standard uniform; and right
to carry firearm.
A deputy sheriff, upon retirement, shall retain from the
law-enforcement agency of which he or she was a member, a
complete standard uniform of that law-enforcement agency and an
identification card indicating his retirement from the law-
enforcement agency. The uniform may be worn by the officer in
retirement only on the following occasions: Police Officer's
Memorial Day, Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, at the funeral of
a law-enforcement officer or during any other police ceremony.
The retired officer is authorized to acquire a badge of the law-
enforcement agency from which he or she is retired with the word
"retired" placed on it. Any retired deputy sheriff has the right
to carry a concealed firearm without the license required by the
provisions of article seven, chapter sixty-one of this code, if
the retiree otherwise meets the qualifications of persons
entitled to be licensed to carry a firearm.
CHAPTER 8. MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS.
ARTICLE 14. LAW AND ORDER; POLICE FORCE OR DEPARTMENTS; POWERS,
AUTHORITY AND DUTIES OF LAW-ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AND
POLICEMEN; POLICE MATRONS; SPECIAL SCHOOL ZONE AND PARKING
LOT OR PARKING BUILDING POLICE OFFICERS; CIVIL SERVICE FOR
CERTAIN POLICE DEPARTMENTS.
§8-14-24. Right to receive complete standard uniform; and right
to carry firearm.
A police officer, upon retirement, shall retain from the
law-enforcement agency of which he or she was a member, a
complete standard uniform of that law-enforcement agency and an
identification card indicating his or her retirement from the
law-enforcement agency. The uniform may be worn by the officer
in retirement only on the following occasions: Police Officer's
Memorial Day, Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, at the funeral of
a law-enforcement officer or during any other police ceremony.
The retired officer is authorized to acquire a badge of the law-
enforcement agency from which he or she is retired with the word
"retired" placed on it. Any retired police officer has the right
to carry a concealed firearm without the license required by the
provisions of article seven, chapter sixty-one of this code, if
the retiree otherwise meets the qualifications of persons
entitled to be licensed to carry a firearm.
CHAPTER 15. PUBLIC SAFETY.
ARTICLE 2. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
§15-2-17a. Right to receive complete standard uniform; and right
to carry firearm.
A member of the division of public safety, upon retirement,shall receive without cost to him or her from the division a
complete standard uniform of that law-enforcement agency and an
identification card indicating his or her retirement from the
division. The uniform may be worn by the member in retirement
only on the following occasions: Police Officer's Memorial Day,
Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, at the funeral of a law-
enforcement officer or during any other police ceremony. The
retired member is authorized to acquire a badge of the division
with the word "retired" placed on it. Any retired member of the
division of public safety has the right to carry a concealed
firearm without the license required by the provisions of article
seven, chapter sixty-one of this code, if the retiree otherwise
meets the qualifications of persons entitled to be licensed to
carry a firearm.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require law-
enforcement agencies to permit retiring members to retain
uniforms upon retirement. It lists occasions on which the
retiree may wear the uniform. It also authorizes the retiring
officer to carry a firearm without a license.
§§7-14-17d, 8-14-24 and 15-2-17a are new; therefore, strike-
throughs and underscoring have been omitted.