WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2025 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 2495

By Delegates Hite and Hornby

[Introduced February 17, 2025; referred to the Committee on Government Organization]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §29-1-8e, relating to making the Berkeley County Roundhouse Authority a part of the Division of Culture and History.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

article 1. division of culture and History.

§29-1-8e. Berkeley County Roundhouse Authority.

(a) The West Virginia Legislature finds that there continues to be a significant need for a public body to promote and enhance historic preservation, tourism, and economic development activities that relate to the state’s history as it relates to the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Martinsburg Shops, currently owned and operated by the Berkeley County Roundhouse Authority.  The Berkeley County Roundhouse Authority is a public, nonprofit corporation established by an act of the West Virginia Legislature in 1999.

(b) The Legislature additionally finds that the state entity known as The Berkeley County Roundhouse Authority may more effectively serve the people of West Virginia through the Department of Arts, Culture, and History, where it will continue to work with county officials, and community leaders, state and federal government agencies, and other interested parties to enable and facilitate the development of sustained preservation of these facilities and grounds for public education, tourism, and community involvement.

(c) The Legislature additionally finds that the shop complex has immeasurable value to the state’s history as it was designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2001; designated a National Historic Landmark and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003; and is the last complete roundhouse in the State of WV.

(d) The Berkeley County Roundhouse Authority shall operate through the Department of Arts, Culture, and History and will be subject to the authority of the Department of Arts, Culture, and History.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to make the Berkeley County Roundhouse Authority a part of the Division of Culture and History.

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