H. B. 4588


(By Delegates Doyle and Manuel)

[Introduced February 21, 2000; referred to the

Committee on Education then Finance.]





A BILL to amend and reenact section two-a, article two-b, chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to allowing Jefferson County, an existing participant of a multicounty vocational center, to withdraw from participation in the vocational center; recognizing, due to demographic trends, that unique and compelling circumstances exist that have given rise to the need for Jefferson County to have its own vocational center solely to meet the needs of its own resident population; providing that Jefferson County constitutes an area for purposes of establishing an area vocational program; and, providing that students from Jefferson County remain eligible to participate in the existing local multicounty vocational center.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section two-a, article two-b, chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2B. AREA VOCATIONAL PROGRAM.
§18-2B-2a. Withdrawal from multicounty vocational center prohibit.

Any No county, with the exception of Jefferson, which participates in the operation of a multicounty vocational center shall not be permitted to withdraw from such participation. In the case of Jefferson County, the Legislature hereby recognizes, based upon recent and historical demographic trends, that the continuing and substantial growth of population in that county has created unique and compelling circumstances that require the establishment of an area vocational education center solely to meet the demand and needs of residents of that county. The county of Jefferson, therefore, shall constitute an area vocational program which shall be available to meet the vocational training needs solely existing in that county: Provided, That students from Jefferson County shall remain eligible to participate in the existing local multicounty vocational center.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to allow Jefferson County, an existing participant of a multicounty vocational center, to withdraw from participation in the vocational center while providing that Jefferson County constitutes an area in which a vocational program shall be conducted to meet the needs of its own residents. In making this designation, the Legislature recognizes that demographic trends have presented compelling circumstances that have created the need for Jefferson county to have its own vocational center. Finally, the bill provides that students from Jefferson County remain eligible to participate in the existing local multicounty vocational center.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.