H. B. 2787
(By Delegates Stalnaker, Everson,
Mezzatesta and Willison)
[Introduced February 16, 1999; referred to the
Committee on Government Organization.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section four, article one, chapter
nineteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty one, as amended; and to amend article
twenty-one-a of said chapter by adding thereto a new
section, designated section eight-a, all relating to placing
the soil conservation service committee and the soil
conservation districts within the supervisory authority of
the commissioner of agriculture.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section four, article one, chapter nineteen of the code
of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted; and that article twenty-one-a
of said chapter be amended by adding thereto a new section,
designated section eight-a, all to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
§19-1-4. Duties of commissioner.
The commissioner of agriculture shall perform the following
duties:
(a) Devise means of advancing the agricultural interests of
the state, and, in the performance of such duty, he or she shall
have authority to call upon any state department, or officer of
the state or county, to cooperate with him or her in promoting
the agricultural interests of the state. It shall be the duty of
any such department, or officer, upon request of the commissioner
to render the assistance desired;
(b) Promote and encourage the organization of such the
societies and associations as have for their object the
improvement and development of the state's agricultural,
horticultural and kindred interests, especially in production,
processing for market and distribution;
(c) Conduct cooperative work with the United States
department of agriculture in inspecting and determining the grade
and condition of farm produce at collecting centers, receiving
centers and shipping points;
(d) Induce the investment of capital in, and immigration
into, this state by the dissemination of information relative to
the soil, climate, health, natural resources, market
opportunities and advantages of the state;
(e) Investigate and report upon the kinds, conditions and
extent of the mineral products of the state and their value;
(f) Take charge of the museum of the department of
agriculture, collect, preserve and exhibit therein specimens of
agricultural, horticultural and kindred products, products of the
forests, minerals, flora and fauna of the state;
(g) Publish and distribute from time to time such the
reports and bulletins concerning agriculture, horticulture and
kindred subjects as may be of value to the farmers of the state,
and, as conditions may demand, publish a handbook giving the
resources of the several counties of the state, the varieties of
soil and products, both mineral and vegetable, and the
adaptability of the different sections of the state to the
different branches of agriculture, horticulture and kindred
interests;
(h) Submit a biennial report to the governor and Legislature
containing such any information as to the operations of the
department as may be helpful to the agricultural interests of the
state, together with an itemized statement of all receipts and
disbursements during the biennial period covered thereby, and
giving the name of every person employed during such the period,
the time employed and the amount paid each employee;
(i) Supervise the soil conservation committee and soil
conservation districts, established pursuant to article twenty
one-a of this chapter, and acting as an oversight authority to
ensure the proper administration of the committee and districts,
all in furtherance of the purposes set out in this article and in
article twenty-one-a of this chapter, including the proposing for
legislative approval in accordance with article three, chapter
twenty-nine-a of this code any rules necessary for the purpose of
carrying out this requirement;
(i) (j) Perform such other duties and exercise such other powers as are provided in this chapter and by general law;
(j) (k) Promulgate and adopt Propose for legislative
approval in accordance with article three, chapter twenty-nine-a
of this code rules regulations and standards for the purpose of
carrying out the requirements of this chapter.
ARTICLE 21A. SOIL CONSERVATION DISTRICTS.
§19-21A-8a. Soil conservation committee and districts to be under the authority of the agricultural commissioner.
The soil conservation committee established pursuant to
section four of this article, as well as the soil conservation
districts established pursuant to section five of this article,
shall be under the oversight and supervisory authority of the
commissioner of agriculture, as set forth in section four,
article one of this chapter.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.
Section eight-a of article twenty-one-a is new; therefore,
strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.
GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
On page four, section four, line ten, following the word
"including", by inserting a comma, and the words "by the thirty- first day of December, one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine"
followed by a comma.