WEST VIRGINIA CODE











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WVC 4-1-21

§4-1-21. Prefiling of bills and resolutions.

Within the thirty-day period immediately preceding the

convening of the Legislature for commencement of a regular session

thereof, any proposed bill or resolution may be prefiled by any

member of the Legislature or by any person who has been elected or

appointed to serve as a member of the Legislature but who has not

yet been administered the oath of office. Such proposed bills or

resolutions shall be filed with the clerk of the house in which the

member or person will serve during the following regular session

not later than the day preceding the opening of such session:

Provided, That nothing herein shall affect a member's right to

introduce a bill or resolution in accord with the rules of the

house of which he is a member.

(b) In addition to such number of copies of bills as may be

required to be presented for introduction by the rules of the

respective houses, all bills or resolutions prefiled shall have two

additional copies appended. After numbering such bills or

resolutions and editing and correcting them as to form, as may be

required by the rules of the respective houses, the appropriate

clerk shall make a tentative referral to the appropriate committee

of the house, forwarding two copies thereof to the committee.

Prior to making such tentative referral, the clerk shall confer

with the presiding officer of the appropriate house if such

presiding officer is available and make such referral as such

presiding officer shall direct. Upon the commencement of the session of the Legislature, the clerk, upon ratification by the

appropriate presiding officer of the tentative referral, shall

proceed with the formal introduction of prefiled bills or

resolutions according to the method of introducing bills as may be

provided by the rules of the respective houses.

(c) Copies of prefiled bills and resolutions shall be mailed

to any member and each member-elect of the Legislature requesting

the same and reasonable quantities shall be made available to the

public and the news media.

(d) Once a bill or resolution is prefiled as herein provided,

it may not be withdrawn or amended prior to its formal introduction

unless the rules of the house involved otherwise direct.





Note: WV Code updated with legislation passed through the 2015 Regular Session

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