Senate Bill No. 584

(By Senator Minard)

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[Introduced February 20, 2004; referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.]

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A BILL to amend the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §17C-3-10 , relating to making it a crime to alter a traffic-control device with an infrared or electronic device; and providing for penalties.

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 §17C-3-10 , to read as follows:
ARTICLE 3. TRAFFIC SIGNS, SIGNALS AND MARKINGS.
§17C-3-10. Interference with official traffic-control devices by infrared or electronic devices.

Any person who uses an infrared or electronic device to alter a traffic-control device is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars or imprisoned in jail not more than three days, or both fined and imprisoned. For a second or subsequent offense under this section, the person is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned in jail not more than six days. For a third offense under this section, the person is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than five hundred dollars nor more than five thousand dollars or imprisoned in a state correctional facility for not less than one year nor more than three years , or both fined and imprisoned.


NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to make altering a traffic-control device with an infrared or electronic device a crime and setting penalties.

This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.