H. B. 4340
(By Delegates Michael, Williams, Varner,
Border, Beane, Anderson and Everson)
[Introduced February 11, 1998; referred to the
Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section thirty-four, article two,
chapter twenty of the code of West Virginia, one thousand
nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to changing
the percentage allocations of the annual license fund income
to certain sections and programs within the division of
natural resources.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section thirty-four, article two, chapter twenty of the
code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. WILDLIFE RESOURCES.
§20-2-34. Disposition of license fees; reports of agents;
special funds and uses.
All persons in this state who receive money for licenses and
permits required by this chapter shall, on the first day of each month, pay over to the director all moneys so collected by them
during the preceding month. Such payment shall be accompanied by
a report showing, in the case of license money, the name of the
county, the class of license sold, the names and addresses of the
persons paying the same, the date of the receipt thereof, the
signature of the person receiving and remitting such funds and
such other information as the director may deem necessary.
Except where other provisions of this chapter specifically
require and direct payment of any such moneys into designated
funds for specific uses and purposes, all moneys so received by
the director hereunder shall be by him promptly paid into the
state treasury and shall be credited to the department of natural
resources and shall be further credited to and kept in a separate
fund designated "license fund--wildlife resources" which shall be
used and paid out, upon order of the director solely for law
enforcement and for purposes directly relating to the
conservation, protection, propagation and distribution of
wildlife in this state pursuant to the provisions of this
chapter.
No funds from the "license fund--wildlife resources" shall
be expended for recreational facilities or activities that are
used by or for the benefit of the general public, rather than
purchasers of hunting and fishing licenses.
Of the annual license fund income, the director shall retain ten percent for capital improvements and land purchases
benefiting state wildlife, forty percent shall be budgeted to the
wildlife resources division, forty fifty percent to law
enforcement and ten percent apportioned by the director within
provisions of this section. Any unexpended moneys for capital
improvements and land purchases shall be carried forward.
All interest generated from game and fish license fees after
the thirty-first day of July, one thousand nine hundred
ninety-one, shall be used by the director for the department of
natural resources in the same manner as is provided for the use
of license fees.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to change the percentage
allocations of the annual license fund income to certain sections
and programs within the Division of Natural Resources.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.