WEST virginia legislature
2025 regular session
Introduced
Senate Bill 627
By Senators Jeffries, Clements, Helton, Rose, Tarr, and Willis
[Introduced February 28, 2025; referred to 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.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
## ARTICLE 1. ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION.
##
(b) Notwithstanding the competitive bidding process established in subsection (a), 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.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to remove the prohibition against leasing state-owned pore spaces underlying lands designated as state parks.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.