Senate Bill No. 231
(By Senators Helmick, Rowe and Fanning)
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[Introduced February 26, 2001; referred to the Committee on
Finance.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact section three-b, article thirteen-a,
chapter eleven of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to increasing the
severance tax on timber; and dedicating the increase to
support public libraries.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section three-b, article thirteen-a, chapter eleven of
the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 13A. SEVERANCE TAXES.
§11-13A-3b. Imposition of tax on privilege of severing timber.
(a) Imposition of tax. -- For the privilege of engaging or
continuing within this state in the business of severing timber for
sale, profit or commercial use, there is hereby levied and shall be
collected from every person exercising such privilege an annual
privilege tax.
(b) Rate and measure of tax. -- The tax imposed in subsection (a) of this section shall be three and twenty-two hundredths is
five percent of the gross value of the timber produced, as shown by
the gross proceeds derived from the sale thereof by the producer,
except as otherwise provided in this article.
(c) Tax in addition to other taxes. -- The tax imposed by this
section shall apply to all persons severing timber in this state,
and shall be in addition to all other taxes imposed by law.
(d) Effective date. -- This section, as amended in the year
one thousand nine hundred ninety-three two thousand one, shall
apply applies to gross proceeds derived after the thirty-first day
of May of such year. The language of section three of this
article, as in effect on the first day of January of such that
year, shall apply applies to gross proceeds derived prior to the
first day of June of such that year and, with respect to such the
gross income, shall be is fully and completely preserved.
(e) Dedication of increase to support public libraries. --
The increase in severance tax imposed by the amendment to this
section, one and seventy-eight hundredths percent, is hereby
dedicated to the support of public libraries and shall be
distributed equally to each county in the state.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to increase the severance
tax on timber and dedicate the increase to the support of public
libraries, distributing the funds equally to the counties of the
state.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.