Senate 908

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2026 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

Senate Bill 908

By Senator Queen

[Introduced February 10, 2026; referred
to the Committee on Finance]

A BILL to amend and reenact §29-22-6 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to flexibility in setting the lottery director's salary.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 22. STATE LOTTERY ACT.

§29-22-6. Lottery director; appointment; qualifications; oath and bond; salary.

(a) There is hereby created the position of the lottery director whose duties include the management and administration of the state lottery office. The director shall be qualified by training and experience to direct the operations of the lottery, and shall be appointed, within ninety days of the effective date of this article, by the Governor and shall serve at the will and pleasure of the Governor. No person shall may be appointed as lottery director who has been convicted of a felony or crime involving moral turpitude.

(b) The director serves on a full-time basis and may not be engaged in any other profession or occupation.

(c) The director:

(1) Shall have a good reputation, particularly as a person of honesty and integrity, and shall favorably pass a thorough background investigation prior to appointment;

(2) The director shall not hold political office in the government of the state either by election or appointment while serving as director;

(3) The director shall be a citizen of the United States and must become a resident of the state within 90 days of appointment;

(4) Notwithstanding §6-7-2a of this code, The the director shall receive an annual salary as provided for by the Governor in an initial appointment letter, or the salary may be changed annually by subsequent letter that is subject to the lottery's current budget allocation; and

(5) The director and his or her executive secretary are ineligible for civil service coverage as provided in §29-6-4 of this code.

(d) Before entering upon the discharge of the duties as director, the director shall take and subscribe to the oath of office prescribed in section 5, article IV of the Constitution of West Virginia and shall enter into a bond in the penal sum of $100,000 with a corporate surety authorized to engage in business in this state, conditioned upon the faithful discharge and performance of the duties of the office. The executed oath and bond shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide flexibility in setting the Lottery Director's annual salary.

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