The House Government Organization committee met this afternoon.

House Bill 4148 would require all people who are seeking a real estate license to submit proof of authorization to work before they can be issued a license. This bill was advanced to the floor.

House Bill 4483 would reduce the funeral director apprenticeship requirement to 1 year, rather than 2. This bill would also change the renewal period for emeritus licenses from 2 years to 4 years. This bill was advanced to the floor.

House Bill 5612 would require agencies, rather than the Real Estate Division, to designate properties that are unused. This bill also removes the requirement to establish the market value for the property located on the State Capitol Complex. This bill was advanced to the floor.

House Bill 5613 would allow the Fleet Management Division to use a system that would monitor all state-owned vehicles. This bill was advanced to the floor.

House Bill 5630 would provide alternative options when municipalities or counties need to notify the public of amendments to zoning ordinances. This bill was reported to the floor.

House Bill 5323 would authorize the director of Natural Resources to make legislative rules for license fees and stamp fees. This bill was advanced to markup and discussion.

House Bill 5325 would allow the Board of Medicine to issue an emeritus license to a physician who fully retired from clinical professional practice. This bill was advanced to markup and discussion.

House Bill 5458 would update several areas of code regarding the West Virginia Board of Medicine and licensing for medical doctors. This bill includes, but is not limited to, adding Canadian secondary education programs to be recognized by the Board of Medicine, adding a new trainee license, and updating the requirements for the seats of the Board of Medicine. This bill would also allow the board to develop criteria that the staff of the board and the executive director can look through compeleted applications, issue a license, and then review the license when the Board next meets. This bill was advanced to markup and discussion.

The House Judiciary Committee advanced three bills this morning.

House Bill 5086 would establish a peer support team program that supports certain licensed professions, such as first responders, medical providers, and social workers. If these professionals talk to their peer support team, the communications between them are protected and cannot be revealed in testimony. This bill was reported to the floor.

House Bill 5227 would allow the Secretary of State to charge a $5 fee plus any amount charged by a financial institution for any returned or dishonored check, money order, or draft. This bill was reported to the floor.

House Bill 4265 is a rules bundle that would allow the Department of Agriculture to create several legislative rules on registration forms and tags for the registration and taxation of dogs. This bill was reported to the floor.

House Bill 5413 would clarify the obligation of the West Virginia State Police to collect fees for the Central Abuse Registry. This bill would make it so someone who is on the Central Abuse registry and the Sex Offender registry only has to pay one of the fines. This bill was advanced to markup and discussion.

The House Judiciary Committee met this morning.

Senate Bill 84 would prohibit law enforcement from installing a surveillance camera on private land without obtaining the property owner’s consent or a search warrant. This bill does not prohibit law enforcement from placing surveillance cameras where they are lawful right to be and facing a location on any land that is open to public view. This bill was reported to the floor.

House Bill 4604 would increase the compensation of all panel attorneys and guardians ad litem. Panel attorneys would be compensated at a rate of at least $100 per hour of work. Guardians ad litem would receive compensation of at least $40 per hour of work. The bill also creates an assistant guardian ad litem position. This bill was reported to the floor

House Bill 4962 would create legal procedures and penalties for drug-related nuisances. Some of these nuisances include, but are not limited to, increased fear of residents to walk through or in public areas, housing code violations for their property, and health code violations at their property. This bill was reported to the floor.

House Bill 5067 would clarify that law-enforcement agencies can enter into agreements with the Department of Homeland Security to seek certain grant funds. This bill was reported to the floor.

House Bill 5471 would provide pay increases to members of the judiciary, including, but not limited to, the West Virginia Supreme Court, circuit court judges, and family court judges, and would clarify retirement contributions. This bill was advanced to markup and passage, and then advanced to Finance.

House Bill 5086 would establish a peer support team program that supports certain licensed professions, such as first responders, medical providers, and social workers. If these professionals talk to their peer support team, the communications between them are protected and cannot be revealed in testimony.

House Bill 5162 would give the sheriff authority to suspend sales on certain properties that meet specific criteria. This bill also clarifies that when a government entity acquires property through a tax deed, any state-imposed taxes and fees are extinguished. This bill was advanced to markup and discussion.

House Bill 5227 would allow the Secretary of State to charge a fee of $5 plus any amount charged by a financial institution for any returned or dishonored check, money order, or draft.

House Bill 5554 would allow higher donations to be made to a political party’s headquarters. This bill would raise the amount of contributions to be received from $10,000 to $50,000

House Bill 5652 would allow a county commission to vote to designate specific campgrounds or sites that are being used as a hotel for the purpose of collecting the Hotel Occupancy Tax.

The House Education Committee met this afternoon.

Markup & Passage

House Bill 4588 requires the State Treasurer to participate in the federal tax credit scholarship program. The Treasurer must identify qualified scholarship organizations and schools and submit a list of qualifying scholarship-granting organizations. The Treasury shall establish rules governing the administration of the process and documentation required for an entity to be listed.

House Bill 4995 addresses video cameras within special education classrooms.

House Bill 5012 provides for in-year school personnel movement to meet school needs.

House Bill 5478 creates the Kindergarten Readiness Touchpad Pilot Program by providing preloaded early-learning touchpads to eligible preschool-aged children. The bill sets eligibility for children who can receive these early-learning touchpads. Children must be three or four at the time of enrollment, reside in West Virginia, and meet one of the following criteria: 1. Family income at or below the federal poverty level, enrollment in or eligible for Head Start, WV pre-K, WIC, CNAP, Medicaid, or foster/kinship care. These touchpads can work without an internet connection.

All bills advanced out of committee.

Committee Hearing

House Bill 4395 would continue investigations into allegations by school personnel who have jeopardized the health, safety, or welfare of a student, even if the school personnel obtain another job or transfer to another school. The bill was advanced to markup and passage.