ENROLLED


H. B. 2554


(By Delegates Beane, Kuhn, Butcher, Manuel,

Spencer, Leggett and Schoen)


[Passed March 8, 2003; in effect ninety days from passage.]



AN ACT to amend and reenact section three-a, article one, chapter nineteen 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 three-b, all relating to the continuation of the marketing and development division of the department of agriculture.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section three-a, article one, chapter nineteen 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 three- b, all to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

§19-1-3a. Marketing and development division; duties.
In recognition that article ten, chapter four of this code requires a preliminary performance review of the rural resource division of the department of agriculture and that performance standards must be stated before such audit can be performed, the rural resources division is hereby formally established and renamed the marketing and development division in the department of agriculture. The duties of the division are to establish marketing, promotional and development programs to advance West Virginia agriculture in the domestic and international markets; to provide grading, inspection and market news services to the various elements of the West Virginia agricultural industry; and to regulate and license individuals involved in the marketing of agricultural products.
§19-1-3b. Continuation of division.
The marketing and development division of the department of agriculture shall continue to exist, pursuant to the provisions of article ten, chapter four of this code, until the first day of July, two thousand eight, unless sooner terminated, continued or reestablished pursuant to the provisions of that article.