Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
      2024 REGULAR SESSION
                  Introduced House Bill 4846
 By Delegates Hillenbrand, Thorne, Ridenour, Adkins,
 Phillips, Kimble, Kump, Burkhammer, Clark, Chiarelli,
             and Hanshaw (Mr. Speaker)
       [Introduced January 17, 2024; Referred to the Committee on Education then Judiciary ]
     Intr HB                                           2024R1410
1    A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new article,
2              designated §18-34-1, relating to the display of the official motto of the United States in
3              public elementary and secondary schools and in institutions of higher education.
     Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
     ARTICLE 34. DISPLAY OF NATIONAL MOTTO.
     §18-34-1. Display of the National Motto in schools and state institutions of higher education.
1              (a) A public elementary or secondary school or a state institution of higher education must
2    display in a conspicuous place in each building of the school or institution a durable poster or
3    framed copy of the United States national motto, "In God We Trust", if the poster or framed copy
4    meets the requirements of subsection (b) of this section and is:
5              (1) Donated for display at the school or institution; or
6              (2) Purchased from private donations and made available to the school or institution.
7              (b) A poster or framed copy of the national motto described in subsection (a) of this section:
8              (1) Must contain a representation of the United States flag centered under the national
9    motto and a representation of the state flag; and
10             (2) May not depict any words, images, or other information other than the representations
11   listed in subdivision (1) of this subsection.
12             (c) A public elementary or secondary school and an institution of higher education may
13   accept and use private donations for the purposes of subsection (a) of this section.
               NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to display the official motto of the United States of America in public elementary and secondary schools and in institutions of higher education.
               Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
                                                             1
Statutes affected: 
Introduced Version: 18-34-1