H. B. 2917
(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss (By Request),
and Delegates Kominar, H. White and Cann)
[Introduced
March 20, 2001
; referred to the
Committee on Political Subdivisions then the Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend and reenact section six, article fourteen, chapter
twenty of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred
thirty-one, as amended, relating to allowing Hatfield and
McCoy recreation area rangers to carry guns.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section six, article fourteen, chapter twenty of the code
of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 14. HATFIELD-MCCOY REGIONAL RECREATION AUTHORITY.
§20-14-6. Hatfield-McCoy recreation area rangers.
The board is hereby authorized to appoint bona fide residents
of this state to act as Hatfield-McCoy recreation area rangers upon
any premises which are part of the Hatfield-McCoy recreation area, subject to the conditions and restrictions imposed by this section.
Before performing the duties of ranger, each appointed person shall
qualify for the position of ranger in the same manner as is
required of county officers by the taking and filing of an oath of
office as required by section one, article one, chapter six of this
code and by posting an official bond as required by section one,
article two, chapter six of this code. No ranger may carry a gun
or other dangerous weapon.
It is the duty of any person appointed and qualified to
preserve law and order on any premises which are part of the
Hatfield-McCoy recreation area, the immediately adjacent property
of landowners who are making land available for public use under
agreement with the authority, and on streets, highways or other
public lands utilized by the trails, parking areas or related
recreational facilities, and other immediately adjacent public
lands. For this purpose, the ranger shall be is considered to be
a law-enforcement officer in accordance with the provisions of
section one, article twenty-nine, chapter thirty of this code, and,
as to offenses committed within those areas, have and may exercise
all the powers and authority and are subject to all the
requirements and responsibilities of a law-enforcement officer as well as being authorized to carry firearms upon proper training.
The assignment of rangers to the duties authorized by this section
may not supersede in any way the authority or duty of other peace
officers to preserve law and order on those premises.
The salary of all rangers shall be paid by the board. The
board shall furnish each ranger with an official uniform to be worn
while on duty and shall furnish and require each ranger while on
duty to wear a shield with an appropriate inscription and to carry
credentials certifying the person's identity and authority as a
ranger.
The board may at its pleasure revoke the authority of any
ranger. The executive director shall report the termination of
employment of a ranger by filing a notice to that effect in the
office of the clerk of each county in which the ranger's oath of
office was filed, and in the case of a ranger licensed to carry a
gun or other dangerous weapon, by notifying the clerk of the
circuit court of the county in which the license for the gun or
other dangerous weapon was granted.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to authorize Hatfield and
McCoy recreation area rangers to carry firearms.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.