WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2025 REGULAR SESSION
Introduced
House Bill 2685
By Delegate Pritt
[Introduced February 20, 2025; referred to the Committee on the Judiciary]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §7-14-13a, relating to providing county sheriffs the authority to appoint a deputy chief; creating requirements for the establishment of the position; establishing duties; making the appointment of the position discretionary; and requiring a department to have at least 25 deputy sheriffs to be eligible to utilize position.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
## ARTICLE 14. CIVIL SERVICE FOR DEPUTY SHERIFFS.
(a) County sheriffs shall have the authority and discretion to appoint a qualified person to the position of deputy chief. The deputy chief will serve as an augmentation to the sheriff and chief deputy, as well as fulfill statutory requirements of a sheriff’s department.
(b) The deputy chief position would operate the same as the chief deputy, but would be one step below the chief deputy in the scope of authority. The deputy chief would be in place to augment the appointed administrative staff, but would also be subject to work assignments the same as sworn deputy sheriffs when need be.
(c) The filling and use of this position would be entirely at the discretion of the sheriff of the county. Eligible sheriffs are under no obligation to utilize this position, but may do so if they feel that the position would be of benefit to the agency and the county they serve.
(d) County sheriffs may appoint a deputy chief if the department has 25 or more sworn deputy sheriffs on staff.
(e) The deputy chief position would be subject to the same laws and rules sets as the chief deputy, including all state statutes and the federal Hatch Act.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide for the position of deputy chief, to establish duties of the position; to make the appointment of the position discretionary; and to require department have at least 25 deputy sheriffs to be eligible to utilize position.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.