A BILL to amend and reenact section seven-a, article two, chapter seventeen-b of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to continuation of the driver's licensing advisory board .

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section seven-a, article two, chapter seventeen-b of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

§17B-2-7a. Driver's licensing advisory board.
The driver's licensing advisory board is hereby reestablished continued. The board shall consist of five members to be appointed by the governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, for terms of three years, except that as to the members first appointed, two shall be appointed for a term of three years, two shall be appointed for a term of two years and one shall be appointed for a term of one year, all from the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred seventy-four. All vacancies occurring on the board shall be filled by the governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. One member of the board shall be an optometrist duly registered to practice optometry in this state and the other four members of the board shall be physicians or surgeons duly licensed to practice medicine or surgery in this state. The governor shall appoint persons qualified to serve on the board who, in his opinion, will best serve the work and function of the board.
The board shall advise the commissioner of motor vehicles as to vision standards and all other medical criteria of whatever kind or nature relevant to the licensing of persons to operate motor vehicles under the provisions of this chapter. The board shall, upon request, advise the commissioner of motor vehicles as to the mental or physical fitness of an applicant for, or the holder of, a license to operate a motor vehicle. The board shall furnish the commissioner with all such medical standards, statistics, data, professional information and advice as he may reasonably request.
The members of the board shall receive compensation and expense reimbursement in an amount not to exceed the same compensation and expense reimbursement as is paid to members of the Legislature for their interim duties as recommended by the citizens legislative compensation commission and authorized by law, for each day or substantial portion thereof engaged in the performance of official duties.
Pursuant to the provisions of article ten, chapter four of this code, the driver's licensing advisory board shall continue to exist until the first day of July, two thousand three nine.

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(NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to continue the driver's license advisory board until July 1, 2009, 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.)