H. B. 2180


(By Delegates Smirl and Yeager)
[Introduced January 14, 1998; referred to the
Committee on Health and Human Resources.]




A BILL to amend article fourteen, chapter seventeen-c of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section fourteen, relating to prohibiting smoking in taxicabs; establishing offense and amount of fine; and providing for the definition of taxicab for purposes of the section.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article fourteen, chapter seventeen-c of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section fourteen, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 14. MISCELLANEOUS RULES.

§17C-14-14. Prohibiting smoking in taxicabs; establishing offense and amount of fine; and definition of taxicabs.

(a) Every person who shall light a pipe, cigar or cigarette in, or who shall enter with a lighted pipe, cigar or cigarette, any taxicab in which is posted in a conspicuous place a notice in plain English letters, stating that no smoking is allowed in the taxicab, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than twenty nor more than one hundred dollars for each separate offense.
(b) For purposes of this section, a taxicab is a chauffeur-driven automobile available on call to carry a passenger between any two points for a fare determined by a taximeter, zone system or flat rate.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to prohibit smoking in taxicabs. The bill establishes an offense and fine.

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