HB4361 would amend West Virginia Code §7-5-22 to increase the maximum county or regional solid waste assessment fee by 50 cents per ton, raising the cap from 50 cents to $1.00 per ton of solid waste disposed in a county or region. The bill applies to county and regional solid waste authorities that already have authority to levy this assessment.
The additional revenue collected under the bill would continue to be restricted to solid waste-related purposes. Specifically, the funds could be used for the reasonable costs of administering the county or regional solid waste authority, member expenses, refuse cleanup, litter control programs, and other solid waste programs necessary to carry out the authority’s duties.
Impact
The bill would directly amend §7-5-22 of the West Virginia Code by increasing the authorized assessment rate for county and regional solid waste authorities. It would expand the amount local solid waste authorities may charge per ton of disposed waste, potentially increasing costs for landfills, waste haulers, and other parties paying the fee, while providing additional funding for local waste management and cleanup activities.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no documented debate or vote-based sentiment to assess. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears administrative and revenue-focused, with a straightforward purpose of increasing funding for solid waste operations rather than changing policy direction in a controversial way.
Contention
The primary potential point of contention is the fee increase itself: supporters would likely emphasize the need for more funding for administration, cleanup, and litter control, while opponents may object to higher disposal costs for counties, businesses, haulers, and potentially consumers. Because no discussion transcripts or votes are available, no specific lawmakers, stakeholders, or arguments can be identified from the record provided.