WEST virginia legislature

2022 second extraordinary session

Introduced

House Bill 208

By Delegates Hanshaw (Mr. Speaker) and Skaff

[By Request of the Executive]

[Introduced April 25, 2022]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §20-2-33c, all relating to West Virginia University Rifle Team electronic application donation program; including solicitation for voluntary donation to West Virginia University Rifle Team on electronic application for hunting or fishing license; providing opportunity to designate donation in any amount; creating special account; establishing funding sources; specifying terms for expenditures; authorizing disbursements and administrative fee; and requiring annual reports for two years.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 2. WILDLIFE RESOURCES.

§20-2-33c.  Electronic application donation to West Virginia University Rifle Team; special fund created; authorized disbursements.

(a) Every electronic application for a hunting or fishing license shall include a solicitation for a voluntary donation to the West Virginia University Rifle Team.

(b) The license applicant will be offered an opportunity to designate a donation in any amount to the West Virginia University Rifle Team.  The Director of the Division of Natural Resources shall deposit any donations made by an applicant to the special revenue account created in subsection (c) of this section.

(c) There is created in the State Treasury a special revenue fund known as the West Virginia University Rifle Team Program Fund. The fund shall be comprised of all moneys donated through an electronic application for a hunting or fishing license as authorized by this section, any moneys appropriated by the Legislature, and any income from the investment of money held in the fund. The fund shall operate as a special revenue fund and all deposits and payments into the fund do not expire to the General Revenue Fund but shall remain in the account and be available for expenditure in succeeding fiscal years.

(d) Expenditures from the West Virginia University Rifle Team Program Fund shall be for the purposes set forth in this section. The moneys in the West Virginia University Rifle Team Program Fund will be paid out at least annually by the Director of the Division of Natural Resources to the West Virginia University Rifle Team Account: Provided, That the Division of Natural Resources shall deduct no more than five percent of donations derived under this section as an administrative fee to recover processing costs prior to transferring any money to the West Virginia University Rifle Team Account: Provided, however, That the Division of Natural Resources is absolved of all responsibilities established pursuant to this section if the West Virginia University Rifle Team ceases to exist.

(e) The Division of Natural Resources shall, following the close of each fiscal year for the two years following the creation of the fund, prepare an annual report detailing the categories of expenditures from the West Virginia University Rifle Team Program Fund and listing all sources of revenue as well as a closing balance for the year. The report shall be submitted in an electronic format to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance no later than eight weeks after the close of the fiscal year.

NOTE:  The purpose of this bill is to create a program to raise voluntary donations to the West Virginia University Rifle Team by including the option on an electronic application for hunting or fishing license.

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