WEST virginia legislature

2017 regular session

Introduced

Senate Bill 611

By Senator Sypolt

[Introduced March 15, 2017; Referred
to the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development; and then to the Committee on Government Organization]

A BILL to amend and reenact §7-7-6e of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to expanding the county assessment and collection of a head tax on certain farm animals to breeding cows, if the owner participates.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That §7-7-6e of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 7. COMPENSATION OF ELECTED COUNTY OFFICIALS.

§7-7-6e. Collection of head tax on breeding age sheep, and goats and cows. duties of county assessors and Commissioner of Agriculture; deposit of tax collections; creation of special revenue fund; purposes

After June 30, 2005, it shall be the duty of (a) The county assessor and his or her deputies of each county within the state, at the time they are making assessments of the personal property within such the county, to assess and collect an assessment of $1 on all breeding age sheep, $1 on all breeding age goats and $1 on all breeding age cows, if the owner decides to participate in the program.

(b) The assessor collecting the assessment on breeding age sheep, and goats and cows shall be allowed a commission of ten percent upon all such the taxes collected and shall send the Commissioner of Agriculture ninety percent of such taxes so taxes collected, who shall deposit the same taxes in a special account in the State Treasury to be known as the "Integrated Predation Management Fund." Expenditures from the fund shall be for the purposes set forth in this section and are not authorized from collections but are to be made only in accordance with appropriation by the Legislature and in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twelve of this code and upon the fulfillment of the provisions set forth in article two, chapter eleven-b of this code: Provided, That for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006, expenditures are authorized from collections rather than pursuant to an appropriation by the Legislature.

(c) The money in the fund shall be used by the Commissioner solely to enter into a cooperative service agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Wildlife Services (WS) to expand the Coyote Control Program statewide.

(d) Any person who does not pay this assessment is not eligible for the services provided by this cooperative agreement.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to expand the county assessment and collection of a head tax on certain farm animals to breeding cows, if owner participates.

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