sb101 intr

Senate Bill No. 101
(By Senators Ross, Sharpe, Dempsey, Rowe and Sprouse)
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[Introduced January 10, 2003; referred to the Committee on Government Organization; and then to the Committee on Finance.]

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A BILL to amend and reenact section two, article one, chapter five-f of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to combining the offices and duties of the state commissioner of highways and the secretary of transportation; and designating salary.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That section two, article one, chapter five-f of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS.

§5F-1-2. Executive departments created; offices of secretary created.

(a) There are created, within the executive branch of the state government, the following departments:

(1) Department of administration;

(2) Department of education and the arts;

(3) Department of environmental protection;

(4) Department of health and human resources;

(5) Department of military affairs and public safety;

(6) Department of tax and revenue; and

(7) Department of transportation.

(b) Each department ~~will be~~ is headed by a secretary appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. Each secretary serves at the will and pleasure of the governor.

(c) The secretary of the department of transportation shall also serve as the commissioner of highways, with compensation for this dual position to be paid at the higher of the annual salary of either the commissioner of highways or the secretary of transportation.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to mandate that the Secretary of the Department of Transportation also serve as the State Commissioner of Highways and that the salary for this dual position be paid at the higher of the two salaries.

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