Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb2519%20intr.htm&yr=2019&sesstype=RS&i=2519
Timestamp: 2019-04-20 04:45:41+00:00

Document:
A BILL to amend and reenact §18B-1-3 and §18B-1-6 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend and reenact §18B-1B-4 of said code; to amend and reenact §18B-2A-4 of said code; to amend and reenact §18B-2B-6 of said code; and to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §18B-4-5b, all relating to denying institutions of higher education the authority to restrict or regulate the carrying of a concealed deadly weapon by a person who holds a current license to carry a concealed deadly weapon; providing exceptions as to when regulation may occur; and designating these amendments as “The Campus Self Defense Act”.
(a) All powers, duties and authorities transferred to the Board of Regents pursuant to former provisions of chapter 18 of this code and transferred to the Board of Trustees and Board of Directors which were created as the governing boards pursuant to the former provisions of this chapter and all powers, duties and authorities of the Board of Trustees and Board of Directors, to the extent they are in effect on June 17, 2000, are hereby transferred to the Interim Governing Board created in §18B-1C-1 et seq. of this code and shall be exercised and performed by the Interim Governing Board until July 1, 2001, as such powers, duties and authorities may apply to the institutions under its jurisdiction.
(1) The obligations contained in revenue bonds issued by the previous governing boards under the provisions of §18B-10--8 and §18-12B-1 et seq. of this code are hereby transferred to the commission and each institution shall transfer to the commission those funds the commission determines are necessary to pay that institution's share of bonded indebtedness.
(1) Adopted or promulgated by the respective Board of Trustees, Board of Directors or Interim Governing Board and in effect immediately prior to July 1, 2001, are hereby transferred to the commission effective July 1, 2001, and continue in effect until rescinded, revised, altered, amended or transferred to the governing boards by the commission as provided in this section and in §18B-1-6 of this code.
(2) Adopted or promulgated by the commission relating solely to community and technical colleges or community and technical college education, or rules which the council finds necessary for the exercise of its lawful powers and duties pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, may be adopted by the council and continue in effect until rescinded, revised, altered, amended or transferred to the governing boards under the jurisdiction of the council pursuant to §18B-1-6 of this code. Nothing in this section requires the initial rules of the commission that are adopted by the council to be promulgated again under the procedure set forth in §29A-3A-1 et seq. of this code unless such the rules are rescinded, revised, altered or amended.
(B) That portion of the rule relating to institutions or education other than community and technical colleges is retained by the commission and continues in effect until rescinded, revised, altered, amended or transferred to the governing boards by the commission as provided in this section and in §18B-1-6 of this code.
(i) The commission may, in its sole discretion, transfer any rule, other than a legislative rule, to the jurisdiction of the governing boards of the institutions under its jurisdiction who may rescind, revise, alter or amend any rule so transferred pursuant to rules adopted by the commission pursuant to §18B-1-6 of this code.
The council may, in its sole discretion, transfer any rule, other than a legislative rule, to the jurisdiction of the governing boards of the institutions under its jurisdiction who may rescind, revise, alter or amend any rule so transferred pursuant to rules adopted by the council pursuant to §18B-1-6 of this code.
(j) As to any title, agreement, obligation, order, resolution, rule or any other matter about which there is some uncertainty, misunderstanding or question, the matter shall be summarized in writing and sent to the commission which shall make a determination regarding such matter within 30 days of receipt thereof.
(k) Rules or provisions of law which refer to other provisions of law which were repealed, rendered inoperative or superseded by the provisions of this section shall remain in full force and effect to such extent as may still be applicable to higher education and may be so interpreted. Such references include, but are not limited to, references to sections and prior enactments of §18-26-1 et seq. of this code and code provisions relating to retirement, health insurance, grievance procedures, purchasing, student loans and savings plans. Any determination which needs to be made regarding applicability of any provision of law shall first be made by the commission.
(l) Nothing in this section provides the authority to restrict or regulate the carrying of a concealed deadly weapon by a person who holds a current license to carry a concealed deadly weapon except as expressly authorized in §18B-4-5b(b) of this code.
(a) The commission is hereby empowered to may promulgate, adopt, amend or repeal rules, in accordance with §29A-3A-1 et seq. of this code, subject to §18B-1-3 of this code. This grant of rule-making authority does not limit, overrule, restrict, supplant or supersede the rule-making authority provided to the exempted schools.
(b) The council is hereby empowered to may promulgate, adopt, amend or repeal rules in accordance with §29A-3A-1 et seq. of this code, subject to §18B-1-3 of this code. This grant of rule-making power extends only to those areas over which the council has been granted specific authority and jurisdiction by law.
(ii) The commission shall return to the governing board its comments and suggestions within 15 business days of receiving the rule.
(d) Nothing in this section requires that any rule reclassified or transferred by the commission or the council under this section be promulgated again under the procedures set out in §29A-3A-1 et seq. of this code unless the rule is amended or modified.
(g) Within 15 business days of the adoption of a rule, including repeal or amendment of an existing rule, and before the change is implemented, a governing board shall furnish a copy of each rule which it has adopted to the commission or the council, respectively, for review.
(j) No rule adopted under this section may restrict or regulate the carrying of a concealed deadly weapon by a person who holds a current license to carry a concealed deadly weapon except as expressly authorized in §18B-4-5b(b) of this code.
(36) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary sell, lease, convey or otherwise dispose of all or part of any real property that it owns, in accordance with §18B-19-1 et seq. of this code.
(C) The commission shall approve or disapprove proposed academic degree programs in those instances where approval is required as soon as practicable. The commission shall maintain by rule a format model by which a new program approval shall be requested by an institution. When a request for approval of a new program is submitted to the commission, the chancellor shall provide notice within two weeks as to whether the submission meets the required format, and if it does not the chancellor shall identify each specific deficiency and return the request to the institution. The institution may re-file the request for approval with the commission to address any identified deficiencies. Within 30 days after the chancellor’s confirmation that the request meets the required format, the commission shall either approve or disapprove the request for the new program. The commission may not withhold approval unreasonably.
(b) In addition to the powers and duties provided in subsections (a) and (b) of this section and any other powers and duties assigned to it by law, the commission has other powers and duties necessary or expedient to accomplish the purposes of this article: Provided, That the provisions of this subsection shall do not be construed to shift management authority from the governing boards to the commission.
(e) Nothing in this section authorizes the commission to restrict or regulate the carrying of a concealed deadly weapon by a person who holds a current license to carry a concealed deadly weapon except as expressly authorized in §18B-4-5b(b) of this code.
(3) The plan shall be established for periods of not fewer than three nor more than five years and shall be revised periodically as necessary, including adding or deleting programs. The commission may review and comment upon the master plan of an exempted school. The commission may review, but may not approve or disapprove, additions or deletions of degree programs, except as expressly provided for in§18B-1B-4(a)(39) of this code.
(4) For the exempted schools, the master plan shall be updated at least bi-annually and include the steps taken to meet the legislatively established policies contained in §18B-1D-1 et seq. of this code and reports on each of the data elements identified in §18B-1D-1 et seq. of this code, including progress that the exempted schools are making relating to retention and graduation rates for resident students by organization and each college within the organization. The exempted schools shall provide copies of their respective master plan to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability and the commission.
(cc) Nothing in this section authorizes a governing board to restrict or regulate the carrying of a concealed deadly weapon by a person who holds a current license to carry a concealed deadly weapon except as expressly authorized in §18B-4-5b(b) of this code.
(a) The council is the sole agency responsible for administration of vocational-technical-occupational education and community and technical college education in the state. The council has jurisdiction and authority over the community and technical colleges and the statewide network of independently accredited community and technical colleges as a whole, including community and technical college education programs as defined in §18B-1-2 of this code.
(3) The Legislature finds that an emergency exists and, therefore, the council shall propose an emergency rule or rules to implement the provisions of this section relating to the financing policy and benchmarks and indicators in accordance with §18B-1-6 and §29A-3A-1 et seq. of this code by October 1, 2008. The emergency rule or rules may not be implemented without prior approval of the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability.
(C) Considers the progress of each institution toward meeting the goals, objectives, and priorities established in §18B-1D-1 et seq. of this code and its approved institutional compact.
(3) If the receiving body fails to take final action within 60 days, the original proposal stands and is binding on both the commission and the council.
(h) Nothing in this section provides the authority to restrict or regulate the carrying of a concealed deadly weapon by a person who holds a current license to carry a concealed deadly weapon except as expressly authorized in §18B-4-5b(b) of this code.
§18B-4-5b. Concealed carry on higher education campuses; exceptions.
(a) A person who holds a current and valid license to carry a concealed deadly weapon is permitted to carry a concealed deadly weapon on the campus and in the buildings of a state institution of higher education. This subsection only applies to areas of the campus and buildings of a state institution of higher education under the custodial possession of the state institution of higher education and does not include areas rented, leased, or under an exclusive agreement for the full-time occupancy and use of a private entity.
(9) In an area on the property of the state institution of higher education where possession of a firearm is prohibited by state or federal law.
(c) Subsection (a) of this section does not limit the authority of a state institution of higher education from taking disciplinary action against a student or employee with a valid license to carry a concealed deadly weapon who is convicted of a violation of §61-7-14 in relation to carrying a firearm in a location listed in subsection (b) of this section.
(d) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, a holder of a license to carry a concealed deadly weapon may not carry a partially or wholly visible firearm, regardless of whether the firearm is holstered or on or about the license holder’s person and intentionally or knowingly display the firearm in plain view of another person in a way or manner to cause, or threaten, a breach of the peace while on the campus or in the buildings of a state institution of higher education. A holder of a license to carry a concealed deadly weapon who violates this subsection is subject to administrative punishment the state institution of higher education considers appropriate.
(e) A state institution of higher education is immune from liability if a loss or claim results from a license to carry a concealed deadly weapon holder’s intentional or unintentional use of a firearm while carrying pursuant to this section.
(f) For the purposes of this section, a “license to carry a concealed deadly weapon” refers to a current and valid license, lawfully issued by the State of West Virginia pursuant to §61-7-4 or §61-7-4a of this code or a current and valid license or permit recognized under §61-7-6a of this code.
(g) This act may be cited as “The Campus Self Defense Act”.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to allow a person who holds a current and valid license to carry a concealed deadly weapon to carry such a weapon on the campus and in the buildings of a state institution of higher education. It provides exceptions and immunity to an institution for a licensee’s intentional or unintentional use of a firearm while carrying it under the act.
The bill seeks to acknowledge that violence against disarmed law-abiding citizens is an increasing, but unnecessary, occurrence. The bill is an attempt by the Legislature to reaffirm a law-abiding citizen's Second Amendment Right, the right to protect themselves by allowing legally licensed and permitted employees, staff, and students of public universities the right to legally carry a concealed weapon within specified limitations.

References: §18
 §18
 §18
 §18
 §18
 §18
 §18
 §18
 §18
 §18
 §18
 §29
 §18
 §18
 §18
 §18
 §18
 §29
 §18
 §29
 §18
 §29
 §18
 §18
 §18
 §18
 §18
 §18
 §18
 §18
 §29
 §18
 §18

§18
 §61
 §61
 §61
 §61