ENGROSSED

Senate Bill No. 212


(By Senators Bowman, Bailey, Burnette, Jackson, Kessler, Minard, Redd, Rowe, Snyder, Wooton, Boley, Minear and Sprouse)

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[Originating in the Committee on Government Organization; reported February 22, 2001.]

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A BILL to amend and reenact section four, article eleven, chapter five of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended; and to further amend said article by adding thereto a new section, designated section twenty-one, all relating to continuing the human rights commission.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section four, article eleven, chapter five of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted; and that said article be further amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section twenty-one, all to read as follows:
 ARTICLE 11. HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION.
 §5-11-4. Powers and objectives.
The West Virginia human rights commission, heretofore created, is hereby continued. The commission shall have the power and authority and shall perform the functions and services as in this article prescribed and as otherwise provided by law. The commission shall encourage and endeavor to bring about mutual understanding and respect among all racial, religious and ethnic groups within the state and shall strive to eliminate all discrimination in employment and places of public accommodations by virtue of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, blindness or handicap and shall strive to eliminate all discrimination in the sale, purchase, lease, rental or financing of housing and other real property by virtue of race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, blindness, handicap or familial status.
Pursuant to the provisions of article ten, chapter four of this code, the West Virginia human rights commission shall continue to exist until the first day of July, two thousand.
§5-11-21. Termination of commission
The human rights commission shall terminate on the first day of July, two thousand seven, pursuant to the provisions of article ten, chapter four of this code, unless sooner terminated, continued or reestablished pursuant to the provisions of that article.

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(NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to continue the human rights commission until July 1, 2007, pursuant to the West Virginia Sunset Law.

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

This bill has been recommended for passage by the Joint Committee on Government Operations.)