H. B. 2789
(By Delegates Trump, Miller, Faircloth,
Stalnaker, L. White and Anderson)
[Introduced February 16, 1999; referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section five, article three, chapter
four of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred
thirty-one, as amended, relating to eliminating charges for
use of the Legislature's computer subscriber system.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section five, article three, chapter four of the code
of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 3. JOINT COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT AND FINANCE.
§4-3-5. Charges for use of the Legislature's computer subscriber
system.
The joint committee on government and finance is hereby
authorized to charge and collect fees from agencies of state
executive and judicial departments and from private persons,
corporations and associations for access to and use of the
Legislature's computer subscriber system data bases in accordance with fees, procedures and restrictions approved by the joint
committee: Provided, That after the thirtieth day of June, one
thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, no fees may be charged to
subscribers for access to and use of the Legislature's computer
subscriber system databases. Fees collected are to be deposited
in a special revolving fund of the joint committee on government
and finance and may be expended for expansion, maintenance and
support of the Legislature's computer system as authorized by the
joint committee. No part of the information contained in the
Legislature's computer system databases in its magnetic or
electronic form is a public record as that term is defined in
section two, article one, chapter twenty-nine-b of this code.
Notwithstanding any provisions of section three, article one,
chapter twenty-nine-b of this code to the contrary, the
Legislature shall not be required or compelled to allow access to
all or a portion of its databases for inspection and copying and
shall not be required to make available copies of all or a
portion of its databases on magnetic or electronic media.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to eliminate user fees
for use of the Legislature's computer system after June 30, 1999.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken
from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language
that would be added.