West Virginia Code 6A-1-2 – Statement of policy
Because of the existing possibility of attack upon the United States of unprecedented size and destructiveness, and in order, in the event of such an attack, to assure continuity of government through legally constituted leadership, authority and responsibility in offices of the government of the state and its political subdivisions; to provide for the effective operation of government during such an emergency; and to facilitate the early resumption of functions temporarily suspended, it is found and declared to be necessary to provide for additional officers who can exercise the powers and discharge the duties of Governor; to provide for emergency interim succession to governmental offices of this state and its political subdivisions in the event of the incumbents thereof and their deputies, assistants or other subordinate officers authorized, pursuant to law, to exercise all of the powers and discharge the duties of such offices hereinafter referred to as deputies, assistants, or otherwise, are unavailable to perform the duties and functions of such offices; and to provide for special emergency judges who can exercise the powers and discharge the duties of judicial offices in the event regular judges are unavailable.
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 6A-1-2
- Attack: means any attack or series of attacks by an enemy of the United States causing, or which may cause, substantial damages or injury to civilian property or persons in the United States in any manner by sabotage or by the use of bombs, missiles, shellfire, or atomic, radiological, chemical, bacteriological, or biological means or other weapons or processes. See West Virginia Code 6A-1-3
- Unavailable: means either that a vacancy in office exists and there is no deputy authorized to exercise all of the powers and discharge the duties of the office, or that the lawful incumbent of the office, including any deputy exercising the powers and discharging the duties of an office because of a vacancy and his duly authorized deputy, are absent or unable to exercise the powers and discharge the duties of the office. See West Virginia Code 6A-1-3