ENROLLED

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

FOR

H. B. 4354


(By Mr. Speaker, Mr. Kiss, and Delegate Susman)


[Passed March 13, 2004; in effect ninety days from passage.]


AN ACT to amend the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §7-1-3oo, relating to authorizing county commissions to adopt ordinances to reduce false alarms.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §7-1-3oo, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 1. COUNTY COMMISSIONS GENERALLY.

§7-1-3oo. Authority to adopt ordinances relating to false alarms.
(a) In addition to all other powers and duties they now possess, county commissions may enact ordinances, establish a system of administration and enforcement, assess fees and penalties, issue orders and take other necessary and appropriate actions for the reduction and elimination of false alarms.
(b) The provisions of any false alarm ordinance adopted by a county commission pursuant to this section shall take precedence over any other county ordinance pertaining to false alarms.
(c) Any false alarm ordinance adopted by a county commission shall provide that on or before the first day of January, 2006, county 911 centers will only accept calls from Underwriters Laboratories certified central stations and be consistent with the standards relating to burglar, security, medical and fire alarms as established by the National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association, the National Alarm Reduction Association, or their successor organizations.
(d) The county commission shall appoint an alarm administrator to administer the false alarm ordinance. In counties that have an enhanced emergency telephone system pursuant to section six, article six, chapter twenty-four, the enhanced emergency telephone system director shall be the administrator. In counties without an enhanced emergency telephone system, the alarm administrator shall be knowledgeable and qualified in the areas of alarm systems and false alarm reduction efforts.
(e) The false alarm ordinance shall provide for the appointment of a false alarm advisory board, which shall consist of the alarm administrator, the county sheriff or other law-enforcement officer, a chief from a county fire department, or his or her designee, a representative from the alarm industry, and a member-at-large selected by the county commission to serve a two-year term. The advisory board shall review, assist and make recommendations concerning false alarm reduction efforts and report to the commission.