Senate Bill No. 465

(By Senator Bailey)

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[Introduced February 21, 1994; referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary.]

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A BILL to amend article five, chapter sixty-one of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section twenty-seven-a, relating to creating a crime for interfering with or obstructing any employee or agent of the state or any member or employee of the Legislature.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article five, chapter sixty-one of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section twenty-seven-a, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 5. CRIMES AGAINST PUBLIC JUSTICE.

§61-5-27a. Intimidation of legislators, legislative employees and agents and employees of the state; obstructing, etc., administration of state business; penalty.

If any person by threats, force, or otherwise, intimidates, interferes with or impedes, or attempts to intimidate, interferewith or impede any member of the Legislature, any legislative employee or any other state public official or agent or employee of state government in the discharge of any duty attendant with such legislative member or employee or other state public official or state governmental agent or employee's office or employment, or by any means obstructs, interferes with or impedes, or attempts to obstruct, interfere with or impede, the administration of any legitimate governmental function or act by any state governmental agency, official, employee, agent or member or employee of the Legislature, he or she shall be guilty of a felony, and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined one thousand five hundred dollars and imprisoned in the penitentiary not less than one year nor more than three years.



NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create a crime against interfering or obstructing Legislative members or employees or other state governmental officials, agents or employees in the discharge of their duties.

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