Senate Bill No. 503

(By Senators Kessler (Mr. President), Yost, Wells, Cann, Nohe and Fitzsimmons)

____________

[Introduced March 12, 2013; referred to the Committee on Government Organization; and then to the Committee on the Judiciary.]

____________

A BILL to amend and reenact §7-3-2a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to requiring purchase and display of POW/MIA flag at county courthouses and other government buildings.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

    That §7-3-2a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 3. COUNTY PROPERTY.

§7-3-2a. County commissions to purchase and display flags.

    The county commission of every county of the state shall purchase, out of its General Revenue Fund, a United States flag, and a flag of the State of West Virginia, four feet by six feet in dimensions and of regulation bunting, or of other appropriate size and quality, for its courthouse, and shall require the flags to be displayed from the courthouse, or from an appropriate nearby staff or pole, every day between the hours of sunrise and sunset, except in inclement weather. Each county commission shall also purchase a United States flag and a flag of the State of West Virginia, and require the flags to be displayed at all times in the circuit courtroom of the county. Each county and any municipality therein may shall purchase a POW-MIA flag to be displayed from its courthouse or other governmental building alongside the state flag and United States flag on Memorial Day, Armed Forces Day, Flag Day, Independence Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day and Veteran’s Day each year. The custodian or other person in charge of the courthouse shall display the flags as required by this section.

    Any United States flag, or flag of the State of West Virginia or POW/MIA flag purchased out of the general revenue of the county must be manufactured in the United States.

    NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require the POW/MIA flag to be displayed at county courthouses and certain other buildings on certain occasions.

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