COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE

FOR


Senate Bill No. 157

(By Senators McKenzie, Bowman and Jenkins)

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[Originating in the Committee on Government Organization;

reported February 2, 2006.]

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A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §8-13-13a, relating to municipalities; and allowing municipal treasurers to obtain limited information to collect debts owed to the municipality.

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 §8-13-13a, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 13. TAXATION AND FINANCE.
§8-13-13a. Information for debt collection.
(a) To collect municipal debts and enforce other laws, the treasurer of a municipality, or another officeholder designated by the municipality, may obtain the following information from any record kept by any department or independent board of the municipality concerning or related to persons who receive services from the municipality:
(1) The name of the owner of the property;
(2) The address of the owner of the property; and
(3) The commencement date of residency or occupancy at an address.
(b) The information acquired in subsection (a) of this section may only be used by the municipality for the collection of debts owed to the municipality and to enforce other laws.
(c) Before acquiring any information, the municipality must provide written notice. The written notice may be included in billing statements and on service application forms.
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JUDICIARY COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

On page one, section thirteen-a, line twenty-one, by striking out the words "and enforce other laws";
And,
On page two, section thirteen-a, line six, by striking out the words "and to enforce other laws".