HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 105

              (By Delegates Howell, Kump, Gearheart,

              Ireland, Ellington, Householder, Hamilton,

              D. Evans, Arvon, Storch and Cadle)

              [Introduced February 4, 2014; referred to the

              Committee on the Judiciary.]

Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia, amending section twenty-two, article III thereof, relating to the bill of rights, the right to bear arms and prohibiting the state or any of its subdivisions from maintaining a list or registry of firearms owned by residents of West Virginia; numbering and designating such proposed amendment; and providing a summarized statement of the purpose of such proposed amendment.

    Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia, two thirds of the members elected to each house agreeing thereto:

    That the question of ratification or rejection of an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia be submitted to the voters of the State at the next general election to be held in the year 2014, which proposed amendment is that section twenty-two, article III thereof be amended, to read as follows:

ARTICLE III. BILL OF RIGHTS.

CON 3-22. Right to keep and bear arms.

    A person has the right to keep and bear arms for the defense of self, family, home and state, and for lawful hunting and recreational use. The state or any of its subdivisions may not maintain any list or registry of firearms owned by residents of West Virginia.

    Resolved further, That in accordance with the provisions of article eleven, chapter three of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, such proposed amendment is hereby numbered “Amendment No. 1" and designated as the “Prohibiting a list or registry of firearms Amendment” and the purpose of the proposed amendment is summarized as follows: “To amend the State Constitution to prohibit the state or any of its subdivisions from maintaining a list or registry of firearms owned by citizens of West Virginia.”

    NOTE: The purpose of this resolution is to propose an amendment to the Constitution to provide that the State of West Virginia or any of its subdivisions may not maintain any list or registry of firearms owned by West Virginians.

    Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present Constitution, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.