This bill amends the Code of West Virginia to establish restrictions on the deployment of the National Guard by the Governor. Specifically, it introduces a new provision that prohibits the Governor from deploying the National Guard to another country for combat unless there is a Congressional declaration of war. The bill also clarifies that the Governor retains the authority to deploy the National Guard to other states within the United States.

In addition to this new restriction, the bill makes several adjustments to the existing language regarding the organization and governance of the National Guard. It allows the Governor to organize, reorganize, or disband units and adjust the number of officers and noncommissioned officers as deemed necessary for the state's best interest. The bill also modifies the language concerning the Governor's powers during times of war or imminent danger, changing "shall have the power to" to "may" in relation to increasing the National Guard and organizing additional units.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 15-1B-1