SB 625 — Relating to responsibility of board of public service district that is being dissolved

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION IntroducedCommittee Substitute for Senate Bill 625 ByBYSENATOW SenatorOODRUM Woodrum[Reported [IntroducedFebruary January4, 27,2026, 2026;from the Committee on Government Organization] CS for SB 625 A BILL to amend and reenact §16-13A-18a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to the responsibility of a board of a public service district to cooperate with a county commission in the sale of assets of a public service district that is being dissolved, sold, or merged with another public service district.

referred to the Committee on Government Organization] Intr SB 625 2026R3134 A BILL to amend and reenact §16-13A-18a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to the responsibility of a board of a public service district to cooperate with a county commission in the sale of assets of a public service district that is being dissolved, sold, or merged with another public service district.

Sale, leaselease, or rental of water, sewer, stormwaterstormwater, or gas system by district;

(a) In any case where a public service district owns a water, sewer, stormwaterstormwater, or gas system, and a majority of not less than sixty 60 percent of the members of the public service board thereof deem it for the best interests interest of the district to sell, leaselease, or rent such water, sewer, stormwaterstormwater, or gas system to any municipality or privately-ownedprivately owned water, sewer, stormwaterstormwater, or gas system, or to any water, sewer, stormwaterstormwater, or gas system owned by an adjacent public service district, the board may so sell, leaselease, or rent such water, sewer, stormwaterstormwater, or gas system upon such terms and conditions as said board, in its discretion, considers in the best interests interest of the district.

(1) The publication of notice of a hearing before the board of the public service district, as a Class I legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of article§59-3-1 three,et chapterseq. fifty-nine of this code, in a newspaper published and of general circulation in the county or counties wherein the district is located, such publication to be made not earlier than twenty days and not later than seven days prior to the hearing;

(2)of approvalthis bycode, thein countya commissionnewspaper orpublished commissionsand of general circulation in the county or counties inwherein which the district operates;is located, such publication to be made not earlier than 20 days and not later than seven days prior to the hearing;

and(2) (3)Approval approval by the Publiccounty Servicecommission Commissionor commissions of Westthe Virginia.county or counties in which the district operates;

Intr SB 625 2026R3134 (c) If the county commission or commissions of the county or counties in which the district operates have previously ordered the dissolution and sale(3) orApproval mergerby of a water or sewer public service district system to any other public service district, municipality or privately-owned public utility system, and has received approval of the dissolution, sale, or merger from the Public Service Commission,Commission the notice, hearing, and approval of theWest boardVirginia. of the public district that is to be dissolved, sold, or merged is not required.

TheCS boardfor SB 625 (c) If the county commission or commissions of the county or counties in which the district operates have previously ordered the dissolution and sale or merger of a water or sewer public service district thatsystem isto beingany dissolvedother orpublic mergedservice withdistrict, anothermunicipality, or privately owned public utility shallsystem, cooperateand withhas received approval of the countydissolution, commissionsale, inor merger from the salePublic ofService districtCommission, assetsthe andnotice, shallhearing, execute,and orapproval causeof tothe beboard executed,of anythe necessarypublic documentsdistrict relatedthat is to thebe saledissolved, andsold, transferor ofmerged suchis assets.not required.

(d)The Inboard the event of anya suchpublic sale,service thedistrict proceedsthat thereof,is ifbeing any,dissolved, remainingsold, afteror paymentmerged ofwith allanother outstandingpublic bondsutility andshall othercooperate obligationswith of the district,county shallcommission be ratably distributed to any persons who have made contributions in aidthe ofsale construction of suchdistrict water,assets sewer,and stormwatershall execute, or gascause system, such distribution not to exceedbe theexecuted, actual amount of any suchnecessary contribution,documents withoutrelated interest, and any balance of funds thereafter remaining shall be paid to the countysale commissionand oftransfer the county in which the major portion of such water,assets. sewer, stormwater or gas system is located to be placed in the general funds of such county commission:

(d) In the event of any such sale, the proceeds thereof, if any, remaining after payment of all outstanding bonds and other obligations of the district, shall be ratably distributed to any persons who have made contributions in aid of construction of such water, sewer, stormwater, or gas system, such distribution not to exceed the actual amount of any such contribution, without interest, and any balance of funds thereafter remaining shall be paid to the county commission of the county in which the major portion of such water, sewer, stormwater, or gas system is located to be placed in the general funds of such county commission:

NOTE:

The purpose of this bill is to require the board of a public service district to cooperate with a county commission when the county commission has authorized the dissolution, sale or merger of the district with another public service district.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.