H. B. 2804
(By Delegate Boggs, By Request)
[Introduced March 28, 1997; referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section seventeen, article five,
chapter seven of the code of West Virginia, one thousand
nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to authority
of county officials or employees to become members of
voluntary associations.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section seventeen, article five, chapter seven of the
code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 5. FISCAL AFFAIRS.
§7-5-17. Authority of county officials or employees to become
members of voluntary associations.
Any county official or employee is hereby authorized to
become associated and to participate as a member in any voluntary state association or organization, in the discretion of the
county court commission, from which benefits commensurate with
the expense will be derived by the county. The county court
commission is authorized to expend funds for such this purpose
and to reimburse such person or persons for the actual amount
expended by him or her for food and lodging while in attendance
at meetings of such these associations, within this state, with
mileage not to exceed the rate of ten cents per mile, to be
computed according to the distance by the nearest practicable
route for travel to and from such the meeting: Provided, That no
public funds may be expended to any association or organization
which lobbies the Legislature, the United States Congress or any
state or federal regulatory body. Any association or
organization which derives seventy-five percent or more of its
total funding from membership dues, beginning the first day of
September of each year shall cause to be published in accordance
with section (1), article three, chapter fifty-nine of this code
a financial statement of Class 1-0 legal advertisement in each
county from which the organization derives public funds. This
financial statement shall list, in the aggregate and by type, all
sources of revenue and all major categories of expenses.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to prohibit public funds from being expended to any association or organization which
lobbies.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.