Senate Bill No. 9
(By Senator White)
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[Introduced January 14, 1998;
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact section seventeen, article six,
chapter sixty-one of the code of West Virginia, one thousand
nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to bomb
threats; and increasing penalties for first and subsequent
offenses.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section seventeen, article six, chapter sixty-one of
the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one,
as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 6. CRIMES AGAINST THE PEACE.
§61-6-17. False reports concerning bombs or other explosive devices; penalties.
(a) Any person who shall impart or convey or cause imparts
or conveys or causes to be imparted or conveyed any false information, knowing or having reasonable cause to believe such
that information to be is false, concerning the presence of any
bomb or other explosive device in, at, on, near, under or against
any dwelling house, structure, improvement, building, bridge,
motor vehicle, vessel, boat, railroad car, airplane or other
place, or concerning an attempt or alleged attempt being made or
to be made to so place or explode any such bomb or other
explosive device, shall be is guilty of a misdemeanor felony and,
upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less
than one hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars, or
by confinement in the county jail for not more than one year, or
both by imprisonment in the state penitentiary for not less than
one year nor more than five years, or both fined and imprisoned.
(b) Any person violating any provision of subsection (a) of
this section, shall for the second or any subsequent offense
under this section, be is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction
thereof, shall be punished by a fine of not less than one five
hundred dollars nor more than one five thousand dollars, or by
imprisonment in the state penitentiary for not less than one year
nor more than five years, or both fined and imprisoned. or in
the discretion of the court, shall be punished by a fine of not
less than one hundred dollars nor more than one thousand dollars
and by confinement in the county jail for not more than one year
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to increase the penalty
for first offenders making bomb threats from a misdemeanor to a
felony.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.