H. B. 3178
(By Delegate Armstead)
[Introduced March 30, 2001; referred to the
Committee on Education then Finance.]
A BILL to amend article three, chapter eighteen of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, by
adding thereto a new section, designated section nine-b,
relating to establishing the "Great Family Literacy Act";
creating a voluntary checkoff on income tax returns to obtain
donations from taxpayers to fund program; providing that the
state superintendent of schools administers the program
through the department of education; and, requiring the state
superintendent to propose legislative rules to implement the
program.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article three, chapter eighteen of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be
amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section nine-b,
to read as follows:
ARTICLE 3. STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
§18-3-9b. Great family literacy act; voluntary checkoff; state
superintendent to propose rules.
(a) Each West Virginia individual income tax return form shall
contain a designation as follows:
"Great Family Literacy Act Checkoff
Program.
Check ( ) if you wish to designate $1, $5, $10 or more of your
tax refund for this program. If joint return, check ( ) if spouse
wishes to designate $1, $5, $10 or more."
(b) Each individual taxpayer desiring to contribute to the
voluntary great family literacy act program may designate by
placing an "X" in the appropriate box on the state income tax
return form. His or her contribution shall be credited to the
program.
(c) The tax department shall determine by the first day of
July of each year the total amount designated pursuant to this
section and shall report the amount to the state treasurer who
shall credit the amount to a special department of education fund.
(d) The funds shall be used for the purpose of providing
state grants to schools and libraries in this state to implement
"The Generations Reading, Exploring And Achieving Together (GREAT)
Family Literacy Program," as provided in this section. The program
shall promote and encourage illiterate adults to learn to read with
their children, grandchildren or other family members. The superintendent, through the department of education as provided for
in section nine of this article, shall administer the program and
shall propose legislative rules in accordance with the provisions
of section three, article twenty-nine-a of this code designed to
implement the purposes of this program.
(e) This legislation shall take effect on the first day of
January, two thousand two, and shall apply to tax return forms
filed thereafter.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create the "Great Family
Literacy Act Program" intended to promote and encourage illiterate
adults to learn to read and write. The bill provides that funding
for the program would be from voluntary checkoff donations by
taxpayers and that the superintendent of schools would administer
the program through the department of education.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.