Bill Text: WV HB2923 | 2008 | Regular Session | Introduced

West Virginia House Bill 2923 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Increasing penalties for the illegal killing, taking, or possessing of certain wildlife

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 6-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2008-01-09 - To House Agriculture and Natural Resources [HB2923 Detail]

Download: West_Virginia-2008-HB2923-Introduced.html

H. B. 2923

(By Delegates Rodighiero, Ellis,
Morgan, Eldridge, Shook and Reynolds)
[Introduced January 9, 2008; referred to the

Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources then the Judiciary.]

A BILL to amend and reenact §20-2-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to increasing criminal penalties for the illegal killing, taking, or possessing of certain wild life.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §20-2-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. WILDLIFE RESOURCES.

§20-2-2. Violations of article.
(a) When no specific punishment or penalty is otherwise provided for violations of the provisions of this article, any person violating any provision hereof shall be guilty of a misdemeanor offense and, upon conviction thereof, shall be subject to the punishment and penalties prescribed in section nine, article seven of this chapter.
(b) Notwithstanding the foregoing, any person violating subdivisions (2), (4), (5), (6), (7), (12), (14), (15), (17), (18), (21), (22) and (26) of section five of this article is guilty of a criminal offense as follows:
(A) First offense. -- Shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, is punishable by a fine of not less than five hundred dollars and no more than one thousand dollars and imprisoned in jail for not less than ten days nor more than one hundred days;
(B) Second or subsequent offense. -- Shall be guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, is punishable by a fine of not less than one thousand dollars and not more than five thousand dollars and imprisoned in a state correctional facility for not less than one year and no more than five years.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to increase criminal penalties for the illegal killing, taking or possessing of certain wild life.

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