Email: Chapter 7, Article 14E
§7-14E-1. Legislative findings and purpose.
(a) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that the preservation of peace is a necessary and important function and a requirement for an orderly society. This important function is carried on throughout the State of West Virginia at both the state and local level. Very important components of law enforcement in this state are the county sheriffs and their deputies.
(b) The Legislature, cognizant that it has enacted retirement legislation for municipal police officers and for the State Police, declares that deputy sheriffs are now in need of a retirement system. The Legislature further declares that the deputy sheriffs of this state are professional law-enforcement officers who keep the peace, help and protect the citizens of this state. The Legislature finds that, when it comes to retirement, the deputy sheriffs are treated differently than other law-enforcement officers in this state.
(c) For the foregoing reasons, and for other important reasons, the Legislature created the deputy sheriff's retirement system under article fourteen-d of this chapter. The fees established in this article are to help ensure the actuarial soundness of the deputy sheriff's retirement system.
§7-14E-2. Statewide uniform fees for reports generated by sheriff's offices; dedication of fees.
(a) The county commission of each county in this state shall set a fee for obtaining certain reports. This fee shall be set at a minimum of $10 for each report, with a maximum of $20 for each report. $10 of the charge for each report shall be deposited into the Deputy Sheriff Retirement Fund created in section six, article fourteen-d of this chapter. The reports for which a charge may be made are traffic accident reports, criminal investigation reports, incident reports and property reports.
(b) All sheriff's offices in this state shall collect a fee of $5 for performing the following services: Adult private employment fingerprinting; fingerprinting for federal firearm permits; motor vehicle number identification; adult identification cards; and photo-identification cards. Upon collection, these fees shall be deposited into the Deputy Sheriff Retirement Fund created in section six, article fourteen-d of this chapter.
(c) All sheriff's offices in this state shall collect a fee of $5 for each nongovernmental background investigation report. Upon collection, these fees shall be deposited into the Deputy Sheriff Retirement Fund created in section six, article fourteen-d of this chapter.
(d) No charge may be made under this section for any report or reports made to governmental agencies.
(e) Any county commission which fails to make any payment due the Deputy Sheriff Retirement Fund by the fifteenth day following the end of each calendar month in which a fee or other contribution is received by the county's sheriff may be required to pay the actuarial rate of interest lost on the total amount owed for each day the payment is delinquent. Accrual of the loss of earnings owed by the delinquent county commission commences after the fifteenth day following the end of the calendar month in which the fee or other contribution is due and continues until receipt of the delinquent amount. Interest compounds daily and the minimum surcharge is $50.