WEST virginia legislature 2025 regular session Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 627 By Senators Jeffries, Clements, Helton, Rose, Tarr, and Willis [Reported March 5, 2025, from the Committee on Economic Development] A BILL to amend and reenact ยง20-1-22 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to removing the prohibition against leasing state-owned pore spaces underlying lands designated as state parks; and prohibiting any disturbance of the surface of state park property. Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia: ## ARTICLE 1. ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION. ## (b) Notwithstanding the competitive bidding process established in subsection (a) of this section, the director may, with the approval in writing of the Secretary of the Department of Commerce, directly award a pore space lease when the Secretary of the Department of Commerce and the Secretary of the Department of Economic Development certifies in writing to the director that the lease is a necessary component of an economic development project: Provided, That the lease shall afford a market value or greater royalty.