§46A-6J-3 Prohibited unfair pricing practices. - West Virginia Statutes

§46A-6J-3. Prohibited unfair pricing practices.
(a) Upon the declaration of a state of emergency, and continuing for the existence of the state of emergency or for thirty days following the declaration, whichever period is longer, it is unlawful for any person, contractor, business, or other entity to sell or offer to sell to any person in the area subject to the declaration any consumer food items, essential consumer items, goods used for emergency cleanup, emergency supplies, medical supplies, home heating oil, building materials, housing, transportation, freight and storage services, or gasoline or other motor fuels for a price greater than ten percent above the price charged by that person for those goods or services on the tenth day immediately preceding the declaration of emergency, unless the increase in price was directly attributable to additional costs imposed on the seller by the supplier of the goods or directly attributable to additional costs for labor or materials used to provide the services: Provided, That in those situations where the increase in price is attributable to additional costs imposed by the seller's supplier or additional costs of providing the good or service during the state of emergency, the price is no greater than ten percent above the total of the cost to the seller plus the markup customarily applied by the seller for that good or service in the usual course of business on the tenth day immediately preceding the declaration.

(b) Upon the declaration of a state of emergency, and for a period of one hundred eighty days following that declaration, it is unlawful for any contractor to sell or offer to sell any repair or reconstruction services or any services used in emergency cleanup in the area subject to the declaration for a price greater than ten percent above the price charged by that person for those services on the tenth day immediately preceding the declaration, unless the increase in price was directly attributable to additional costs imposed on it by the supplier of the goods or directly attributable to additional costs for labor or materials used to provide the services: Provided, That in those situations where the increase in price is attributable to the additional costs imposed by the contractor's supplier or additional costs of providing the service, the price is no greater than ten percent above the total of the cost to the contractor plus the markup customarily applied by the contractor for that good or service in the usual course of business on the tenth day immediately preceding to the declaration of the state of emergency.

(c) Any business offering an item for sale at a reduced price ten days immediately prior to the declaration of the state of emergency may use the price at which it usually sells the item to calculate the price pursuant to subsection (a) or (b) of this section.

(d) The price restrictions imposed by this article may be limited or terminated by proclamation of the governor.