Bill Text: WV HB3303 | 2023 | Regular Session | Comm Sub

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Clarifying and expanding the powers and duties of the director of the Coalfield Community Development Office

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 10-0)

Status: (Passed) 2023-05-01 - Chapter 122, Acts, Regular Session, 2023 [HB3303 Detail]

Download: West_Virginia-2023-HB3303-Comm_Sub.html

WEST virginia legislature

2023 regular session

Committee Substitute

for

House Bill 3303

By Delegates Reynolds, Bridges, Sheedy, Crouse, Hott, Zatezalo, Willis, Phillips, Ward and Brooks

[Originating in the Committee on Finance; February 25, 2023]

 

A BILL to amend and reenact §5B-2A-4 and§5B-2A-5 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, all relating to providing that the Governor appoint and set the salary of the director of the office; providing that funding for position and to carry out the duties of the office shall be as provided by appropriation of the Legislature; and clarifying and providing additional duties, powers, and responsibilities for the Office of Coalfield Community Development.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

Article 2A. Office of Coalfield Community Development.

§5B-2A-4. Office of Coalfield Community Development.

(a) The Office of Coalfield Community Development is continued within the Department of Commerce.

(b) The secretary may appoint a chief to administer the office, who serves at the will and pleasure of the secretary The Governor shall appoint and set the salary of the director of the office who shall be responsible for hiring such assistants and clerical staff as may be necessary to carry out the responsibilities of the office.  The initial appointment for the director shall be made by July 1, 2023. Funding for this position and to carry out the duties of the office shall be as provided by appropriation of the Legislature.

(13) The director shall report quarterly to the energy and finance committees of the legislature on projects funded by the office.  The report shall include the amount, the recipient and a description of each project funded.

§5B-2A-5. Powers and duties.

The office has and may exercise the following duties, powers, and responsibilities:

(1) To establish a procedure for determining the assets that could be developed in and maintained by the community to foster its long-term viability as provided in §5B-2A-8 of this code and to administer the procedure so established;

(2) To establish a procedure for determining the land and infrastructure needs in the general area of the surface mining operations as provided in §5B-2A-9 of this code and to administer the procedure so established;

(3) To establish a procedure to develop action reports and annual quarterly updates as provided in §5B-2A-10 of this code and to administer the procedure so established;

(4) To determine the need for meetings to be held among the various interested parties in the communities impacted by surface mining operations and, when appropriate, to facilitate the meetings;

(5) To establish a procedure to assist property owners in the sale of their property as provided in §5B-2A-11 of this code and to administer the procedure so established;

(6) In conjunction with the department, to maintain and operate a system to receive and address questions, concerns, and complaints relating to surface mining; and

(7) To coordinate the expenditure of grants issued by the United States Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration for coalfield economic development or coalfield revitalization projects;

(8) To identify coal assets, including, but not limited to, coal mine operations, coal-fired electric utilities, and coal-based manufacturing or steelmaking facilities, within West Virginia or in states that provide markets for, and consume, West Virginia steam or metallurgical coal and offer assistance and to sustain, protect, and expand their continued operation and reliance on West Virginia coal;

(7) (9) On its own initiative or at the request of a community in close proximity to a mining operation, or a mining operation, offer assistance to facilitate the development of economic or community assets. Such assistance shall may include the preparation of a master land use plan pursuant to the provisions of §5B-2A-9 of this code.;

(10) To develop an educational program and policy materials in support of West Virginia’s coal industry, to be incorporated into a program designed to educate the public on the economic and societal benefits provided by the coal industry, including the provision of reliable baseload electric generation by coal-fired power plants; and

(11) To coordinate a program of recruitment and training of industrial workers in conjunction with the West Virginia Office of Miners’ Health Safety and Training and Workforce West Virginia to respond to West Virginia’s growing manpower needs generally and coal mining particularly. The state-of-art training facility in Julian (Boone County) will serve as host to the "West Virginia Mine Safety and Training Academy" to attract, train new and experience miners and other industrial workers.

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