Blog – Page 103

House Legislation Feb. 22-28

-

February 28, 2020

As of Friday, Feb. 28, 2020, there have been 1,530 bills introduced in the House and 243 bills have been passed and now are before the Senate.

House Bill 4019 creates the Downstream Natural Gas Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit Act of 2020. The amount of credit allowable depends upon the cost of the qualified investment property and the number of new jobs created. The bill includes rules for administration and enforcement of the credit. If enacted, the credit would apply to qualified investment property placed in service or use at a downstream natural gas manufacturing facility in this state.

House Bill 4421 creates the Natural Gas Liquids Economic Development Act of 2020. This bill encourages development, transportation and use of natural gas liquids in the state by providing certain tax credits related to the production, transportation, storage, use and consumption of natural gas liquids.

House Bill 4558 provide for a $5,000 tax credit for service by volunteer firefighters to West Virginia personal income tax liabilities. In order to receive the credit, the firefighter must be an active member in good standing.

House Bill 4780 permits school boards to offer social studies elective courses to high school students on the Bible. The bill states that schools will be permitted to teach about the influence of the Hebrew Scriptures or New and Old Testament on law, history, government, literature, art, music, customs, morals, values and culture.

House Bill 4882 permits certain non-licensed wineries not located in the state of West Virginia to come to the state and attend a fair and festivals and special one-day charitable wine events, and further temporarily provide wine samples and temporarily sell wine for off-premises consumption in the state with the hopes such wineries may eventually apply for a permanent license in the future.

House Bill 4159 reduces the tax rate on alcoholic apple cider by reclassifying it in code. Once hard cider is reclassified it will be taxed at a rate in between wine and beer. This bill intends to facilitate the growth of the cider industry in West Virginia.

House Bill 4176 gives legislative oversight to the the West Virginia Intelligence/Fusion Center. The Fusion Center will be placed under the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety instead of the Governor’s Office where it originated.

House Bill 4362 establishes penalties for emotional abuse of an incapacitated adult; to establish penalties for abuse, neglect or emotional abuse of a nonverbal special need’s child; and to establish penalties for causing death of a nonverbal special need’s child.

House Bill 4494 creates a Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Task Force and provides money to the Office of Tobacco Prevention to combat tobacco use in West Virginia by using funds from the Tobacco Master Settlement Fund.

House Bill 4497 requires an automated defibrillator device and a trained device operator be present at all secondary school athletic events.

House Bill 4574 creates the Just Transition Office to diversify the economy and rebuild communities in areas of the state that have been heavily impacted by the receding coal industry.

House Bill 4602 increases the criminal penalty for DUI causing death when a child was present in the car when the accident occurred. When the death of any person ensues within one year as a result of injury received by the driving of a vehicle with reckless disregard of the safety of others, and a child is present in the vehicle at the time of the accident, the person operating the vehicle will be guilty of a felony, and will be punished by imprisonment from three-fifteen years and by a fine of $2,000 to $5,000.

House Bill 4648 creates the Parenting Fairness Act of 2020. This establishes that a 50-50 custody split between two parents in the case of divorce is in the best interest of their child(ren) and is to be set as the standard for courts in the state. This is to be used in cases when parents cannot come up with their own parenting plan that they both agree on. Additionally, this custody split will only be implemented in cases where abuse, neglect or drug use are not present with one of the parents.

House Bill 4892 reduces personal income tax rates by using money that is directed from certain revenue sources into a new Personal Income Tax Reduction Fund.

House Bill 4958 eliminates the ability for a driver’s license to be revoked under the circumstances of unpaid court fines and costs. The purpose of this bill is to allow those with long outstanding fines to legally drive and pay their fines on a payment plan. This legislation aims to keep people working while they have outstanding fines.

House Bill 4969 This bill requires the state Board of Education to implement trauma-informed practices in schools. Trauma-informed practices are meant to help children in schools that have learning difficulties due to trauma that was experienced in their home lives.

House Bill 4009 permits a doctor to order the involuntary hospitalization of a mentally ill or addicted patient that is in clear danger to themselves or other people. In the case of a psychiatric emergency, a doctor may hold a patient for up to 72 hours.

House Bill 4524 permits the sale of alcohol for offsite consumption across the entire state. West Virginia currently has 13 dry areas, which are areas of the state that cannot sell alcohol. Under this new legislation, any political subdivision will be allowed to opt to stay dry. This will allow areas of the state to opt out of selling rather than having to opt in, because the majority of the state does allow for the sale of alcohol.

House Bill 4377 creates The Protection of Eligible Adults from Financial Exploitation Act. The bill details the obligations and duties of broker-dealers or investment advisers to notify certain agencies of potential financial exploitation of eligible adults.

House Bill 4409 transfers remaining funds from the Volunteer Fire Department Workers’ Compensation Premium Subsidy Fund at its existing sunset date of June 30, 2020 to the Fire Service Equipment and Training Fund and the State Auditor’s Chief Inspector’s Fund.

House Bill 4464 prohibits the holder of a level three, full class E license from using a wireless communication device while operating a motor vehicle. It also defines driving privileges for children under the age of 18.

House Bill 4560 removes the requirement that wine be purchased with a face-to-face transaction and allows wine specialty shops to sell wine with a gift basket over the phone or online.

House Bill 4717 establishes bookkeeping procedures and internal controls of forfeited properties under the West Virginia Contraband Forfeiture Act.

House Bill 4925 requires the West Virginia Secondary Schools Athletic Commission to recognize nonpublic schools that meet the requirements of the West Virginia Secondary Schools Athletic Commission for nonparticipating school or team members.

House Bill 4970 prohibits insurers from charging military service members higher insurance premiums, commonly referred to as the “patriot penalty”, as a result of a lapse in coverage due their active duty or reserve component military service.

Senate Legislation Feb. 22 -28

Madison Perdue

-

February 28, 2020

0

As of Friday, February 28, 2020, 853 bills have been introduced to the Senate. Of those bills, 258 have passed and advanced to the House.

SB 38 allows county boards of education to offer high school students an elective social studies course on sacred texts or comparable world religions. The bill allows a student to use a translation of their choice.

SB 106 makes daylight savings time the official time year-round in the state. If the bill becomes law, it will only be made effective after federal congressional action to allow it.

SB 284 creates the West Virginia Health Care Continuity Act, which ensures that healthcare coverage plans meet certain standards while remaining affordable and are not denied to persons with preexisting conditions.

SB 472 creates an alternative sentencing program for work release for individuals convicted of a misdemeanor or felony. The bill allows such persons to work with the Division of Highways or the Division of Natural Resources on tasks such as cleaning up state parks or highways.

SB 511 regulates pawnbrokers to better prevent the selling of stolen property and assist in the recovery of stolen property by the police. The bill states that pawnbrokers cannot purchase from a minor or a person who appears to be under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance.

SB 528 creates the Uniform Worker Classification Act. The purpose of the bill is to create a test to distinguish independent contractors from employees.

SB 578 recalculates the tax on producing, selling and generating solar electricity. The bill aligns the price with other energy taxes.

SB 579 authorizes enhanced emergency telephone systems to make changes for the collection, allocation, elimination or establishment of fees.

SB 648 provides dental coverage for adult Medicaid recipients. The bill describes the amount of coverage available and states the state departments responsible for this.

SB 653 increases the number of magistrates in Putnam, Monongalia, Berkeley and Jefferson Counties. The bill states that effective January 1, 2021, Berkeley County will have 6 magistrates, Jefferson County will have 4, Monongalia County will have 5 and Putnam County will have 4.

SB 661 changes the minimum minutes of intersectional time required per day in schools to an average of 5 hours per day throughout the instructional term. The bill prohibits the instructional term from commencing before September 1 and allows county boards of education to publish notice of public hearings for discussing school calendars on the board’s website.

SB 668 enacts the Uniform Trust Decanting Act, which allows a trustee to distribute assets of one trust into another trust.

SB 689 creates the Requiring Accountable Pharmaceutical Transparency, Oversight, and Reporting Act. This bill requires drug manufacturers and health benefit plan issuers in the state to provide cost information, changes in cost information and prescription drug statistics to the State Auditor.

SB 705 allows military veterans with certain training to qualify for licensure examinations for electricians and plumbers.

SB 723 requires the Department of Education to annually analyze data on school discipline and create a statewide plan addressing disciplinary actions taken by county boards.

SB 752 updates and improves the WV Medical Cannabis Act by increasing the locations of dispensaries and the acceptable forms of medical cannabis. The bill also clarifies that the Tax Division and the Bureau of Public Health are to monitor the price of medical cannabis.

SB 787 provides benefits to pharmacists for care given within the pharmacist’s scope of practice in a way that is equal to the benefits given to a health care provider giving the same care.

SB 838 directs the State Police to develop a referral program for substance abuse treatment, exempting persons seeking treatment from prosecution.

SB 850 clarifies that racial discrimination includes discrimination based on certain hair styles and textures. This includes but is not limited to hairstyles such as twists, braids or locks.

House Passes West Virginia Impact Fund

Andrea Lannom

-

February 28, 2020

0

House Bill 4001 Aims to Spur Economic, Infrastructure Development

Last week, the House passed a bill that supporters hope will help spur economic diversification in the Mountain State.

The bipartisan bill, led by House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, aims to attract large projects to develop infrastructure and further economic development.

“This is a vehicle that is intended to make it easier to invest money in West Virginia,” Hanshaw explained. “The lowest hanging fruit would be the development of infrastructure in the petrochemical base, targeted as a state to recruit and grow that here in West Virginia. However, it could be anything.”

House Bill 4001 has three parts. It would establish a special revenue account called the West Virginia Impact Fund, create the Mountaineer Impact Office, and establish an Investment Committee.

Under the bill, a 7-member committee would be established, comprised of the governor or his designee, the commerce secretary or his designee, and five people appointed by the governor and approved by the Senate who have backgrounds in finance or economics. The committee would hire a managing director for a newly-created Mountaineer Impact Office.

The Mountaineer Impact Office would look globally for potential investment. The office would present potential projects to the Investment Committee, which would approve or reject the proposals.

The committee would look into several factors in deciding whether to approve the projects, including the ability to leverage other sources of funding, whether investment funding for the project is available, whether the project would create or retain jobs, whether the project would promote economic or infrastructure development, and whether the project is in the public’s best interest.

The Mountaineer Impact Office would deposit income from investments into the special revenue fund, called the West Virginia Impact Fund, and report annually on these investments. Money in this fund would be non-taxpayer dollars and instead would come from investments.

“Other states are able to offer huge tax incentives but West Virginia doesn’t have the capital to do that,” Hanshaw said. “We are a state of 1.8 million people. This is a way to bring capital to West Virginia.”

Delegate Mick Bates, D-Raleigh, addresses the House.

The minimum aggregate investment in a project by the investment committee or the committee and investors, would have to be $25 million or more. Delegate Mick Bates, D-Raleigh, is a co-sponsor of the bill. Bates said the bill is a way for West Virginia to attract large businesses.

“This fund is for big projects, not shopping malls,” Bates said. “These would be for investments in natural gas, the petrochemical industry but also areas outside of that. I think there are large opportunities for tourism. However, we are not going to be picking projects. The private sector is picking the projects. We would be certifying them.”

The bill provides safeguards including that the committee is precluded from engaging in business with entities deemed to be an enemy of the state, those involved in human trafficking, narcotics trafficking, or sponsors of terrorism. The bill also prohibits individuals in government from profiting from investments in the fund.

In last Friday’s floor session, many delegates expressed concerns about compliance with federal law under the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS. Hanshaw emphasized House Bill 4001 does not change federal law. Investors would still have to comply with federal regulations.

“CFIUS still has jurisdiction over this,” Hanshaw said. “This is a vehicle to comply with those requirements. This sets up a mechanism for investors beyond our borders to comply with CFIUS rules, not to exempt it.”

Hanshaw said the purpose of the bill is to reduce the risk of these investments.

“This is a mechanism for entities that wish to invest in the U.S. to comply with the rules under CFIUS,” Hanshaw said. “The committee’s purpose is to review transactions in the U.S. engaged by any entity beyond the borders of the U.S. Any foreign company, fund, or investment, could be unwound up to two years later. The new fund would not be excluded from CFIUS.”

Bates explained that the fund provides a level of safety for the investments.

“CFIUS was meant to be as a shield but has been used as a club,” Bates added. “The structure with the fund with private money being parked in a state-sponsored fund provides a level of safety that doesn’t exist anywhere else at this point. There is nothing the state could do to prevent the federal government from coming in but it is an after market warranty, or a hedge against a large deal.”

The bill is currently pending before Senate Finance.

“This bill has been significantly re-worked and improved over the course of several weeks,” Bates said. “There was a lot of input from a lot of different people. I don’t see the downside in this. We will see what the Senate does with it but I am hopeful they will take this up.”

House Judiciary Advances Drug Treatment Plan

House Committee

Juliet Thomas

-

February 27, 2020

0

House Judiciary Advances Drug Treatment Plan

The House Judiciary Committee examined Senate Bill 838, which creates a treatment program for those struggling with drug addiction and added a few amendments in committee.

Senate bill 838 creates a referral program, directed by the State Police, for substance abuse treatment. This bill exempts people voluntarily seeking treatment from arrest and prosecution, with a few exceptions.

This bill is modeled directly after successful legislation in Kentucky, which created a drug treatment program called the Angel Initiative in March 2019. The Angel Initiative has been able to help around 200 people since its creation.

People who wish to seek treatment for substance abuse can turn in their drugs and drug paraphernalia to law enforcement and will be referred to the treatment program instead of being arrested for possession. People that wish to participate in this program are advised to call their police department ahead of time with their name and information in the case where they might be pulled over on the way to the police station.

This bill does not protect those who have already been charged with drug use or possession and are awaiting trial. Entrance into the treatment program must be voluntary. Those with an outstanding arrest warrant, those who purposely injure law enforcement officers in the process, and those under the age of 18 are also ineligible for the protections set forth in this program.

This bill has been made in attempt to battle the ongoing opioid crisis in West Virginia. West Virginia has the highest rates of death due to drug overdose in the country. It’s estimated that 42,000 people in West Virginia have sought treatment for illegal drug use but failed to receive it. This program hopes to bring these numbers down and ensure that citizens are getting the proper treatment needed to become sober.

Captain Shallon Oglesby, West Virginia State Trooper, gave testimony in committee about this bill.

“This program is necessary and beneficial for our out of control opioid problem,” she said. “State Troopers would be happy to take on this responsibility.”

Senate Bill 851 is a companion bill to Senate Bill 838. Senate Bill 851 sets forth the procedures and policies that will be implemented as a part of the drug treatment program that is created in Senate Bill 838.

Senate Bill 838 and 851 will be reported to the full House with the recommendation of passage.

House Finance Advances House Budget Bill

House Committee

Andrea Lannom

-

February 27, 2020

0

House Finance Advances House Budget Bill

The House Finance Committee advanced the House budget bill, which includes funding for line items including eliminating the wait list for the IDD waiver, and additional funding for proposed foster care improvements.

The committee took up House Bill 4021 in its Thursday afternoon meeting. Find the presentation here.

The $4.578 billion budget includes $16.8 million for foster care under House Bill 4092 and an additional $4.4 million for increasing CPS staffing. Among other provisions, House Bill 4092 calls for an increase in the per diem rate for foster families. The bill also includes $108 million to eliminate the wait list for the IDD waiver.

Additional improvements include about $17 million for Medicaid restoration, $1.8 million for the Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport, $760,000 for a newly-established Legislative Fiscal Notes Office, $182,000 for the health professionals’ student loan program, $80,000 for a career exploration tool app for high school juniors, and $50,000 for the Development Office.

The House Budget Bill made cuts to the governor’s proposed budget, including $5 million to Tourism as opposed to the originally proposed $10 million; not including additional funding for a proposed second Mountaineer ChalleNGe Academy unless there is a revenue surplus; a $1.8 million cut from his proposed budget to the MARC Train; and additional cuts to the governor’s proposed Jobs & Hope programs.

Some delegates mentioned concerns that the budget did not allocate additional funding to the MARC Train, to senior services, or for preparing for the coronavirus.

“This is starting to become an epidemic and I’m afraid we haven’t done anything,” Delegate Isaac Sponaugle, D-Pendleton said, noting varying mortality rates for those over the age of 70. “We are one of the oldest states in the nation and we need to get serious about this when it comes.”

Delegate Erikka Storch, R-Ohio, said she was pleased to support the budget bill.

“We did not spend all revenue directed by the governor and are keeping it in a contingency plan for future needs that may arise,” Storch said. “I am pleased to support this. I have heard from many people in my district who want to fund the IDD waiver, which was cut in the Senate’s budget. I am glad we were able to do that and fund foster care.”

Senate Education Advances Bill for Military Tuition Coverage

Senate Committee

Madison Perdue

-

February 27, 2020

0

Senate Education Advances Bill for Military Tuition Coverage

The Senate Education Committee met at 2 p.m. Thursday and discussed House bill 4412, which provides that federal programs that pay tuition and fees directly to higher education institutions for students who are members of the Air National Guard and Army National Guard will be the first payer of institutional fees, rather than the last.

Jerry Wood, director of the West Virginia University Center for Veteran, Military and Family programs, spoke in favor of the bill and answered questions from the committee. Wood said he conducted research to calculate the savings this bill would have for active duty and veteran students. He said that other states were implementing similar programs, and that the bill had the approval of the Veterans Association. “This bill would not only affect WVU, but every institution of higher learning with VA benefits,” he said. The bill was advanced to be reported to the full Senate.

House bill 4398 was advanced as well. This bill incorporates the original texts of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States and its amendments, the Bill of Rights, the Federalist Papers and the Constitution of West Virginia into the current required curriculum in schools.

The bill also requires that the subject of health education is to be taught in any grades 6-12 considered appropriate by the state Board of Education, covering subjects such as substance abuse and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. The bill provides that parents are to be given advance notice of this course curriculum and given the opportunity to have their child exempted from participation of that instruction.

There was some discussion and concern about this bill by members of the committee. Senator John Unger, D-Berkeley, stated his disapproval of the bill. He argued that this was a way of micromanaging education and that the bill was unnecessary.

Two representatives from the state Board of Education answered questions from the committee. They clarified that the notice would be given to the parents with enough time to review materials and that the bill creates a more deliberate and direct instruction to notify the parents of the curriculum than previous law.

Senator Charles S. Trump IV, R-Morgan, stated his support for the bill.

“This bill ensures that parents are given an opportunity not currently specified by current law,” he said. “This allows parents to make informed decisions…I think it is a reasonable bill.”

House bills 4022, 4077 and 4729 were all advanced to the full Senate with recommendation for passage.

Senate Passes 5 House Bills

Senate Floor Session

Madison Perdue

-

February 27, 2020

0

The Senate convened at 11 a.m. Thursday and passed five House bills.

House Bill 2338 permits owners of antique military vehicles to display alternate registration insignias that are compatible with the original markings of the vehicle instead of a registration plate. The bill specifies that the vehicle must be at least 25 years old to qualify and must be maintained to accurately represent its military design.

House Bill 4411 permits the final payment of a mortgage to exceed by a de minimus amount of under $5 more than any previous mortgage payment.

House Bill 4477 establishes the Mutual to Mutual Insurance Holding Company Act. This bill specifies reorganization plans for insurance holders and lays out requirements for review, voting and costs and oversight.

House Bill 4600 includes a retirant beneficiary in calculating the distribution of insurance premiums for the pensions and relief funds of municipal firemen and policemen. The bill specifies the provisions and benefits given to the surviving family of a police officer or fireman if they die by reason of service.

House Bill 4601 permits members of a police or fire municipal pension plan and participating in a DROP be counted as active members in order to better determine the distribution of tax proceeds.

The Senate adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 50, which requests the DEP and Commerce Department to conduct research for constructing a lake where the headwaters of the Guayandotte and Coal Rivers meet.

Senate Resolution 53 was adopted as well, recognizing Jennifer Schwertfeger as the 2020 West Virginia Teacher of the Year.

Senate Resolution 54 was also adopted to recognize the Cabell Midland High School Marching Band. Senate Resolution 55 was adopted as well, which recognized the Red Hots Heatwave Show Choirs.

The Senate is adjourned until 11 a.m. tomorrow.

The Senate Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will meet at 10 a.m. Friday in room 451M.

House Passes Road Improvement Bill

House Floor Session

Juliet Thomas

-

February 27, 2020

0

The House passed Senate Bill 727 during the floor session Thursday, which uses a fund to repair roads that have been damaged from oil and gas drilling.

Senate Bill 727 allows the Division of Highways to use the money from the Gas Field Highway Repair and Horizontal Drilling Waste Study Fund to repair roads. This fund collects money from a fee that oil and gas companies are charged upon the disposal of drill cuttings and waste. The fund has existed for a couple of years, but the DOH did not have permission to spend it on road repairs until the passage of Senate Bill 727. The money from the fund will repair roads that have been damaged by oil and gas drilling companies. The areas most affected by drilling in the state are Ohio, Marshall, Wetzel and Monongalia counties.

This bill was amended to change the fee from $1 per ton of waste to $1.50 per ton of waste. This keeps our fee lower than surrounding states, but it allows for more money to be generated for the fund.

Senate Bill 586 and 734 were also passed.

Fourteen bills were advanced to third reading. Five bills were advanced to second reading. Action for five bills was postponed for one day.

The House reconsidered House Bill 2086 to meet the objections of the Governor. This bill was amended and passed.

The House concurred with the Senate amendments for House Bills for four bills, House Bills 3039, 4149, 4359 and 4501.

Three resolutions were introduced.

The House is adjourned until 11 a.m. Friday.

House Passes Parenting Fairness Act

House Floor Session

Juliet Thomas

-

February 26, 2020

0

The House passed House Bill 4648 during Wednesday’s floor session, otherwise known as the Parenting Fairness Act of 2020. Wednesday was the last day for House Bills to be passed out of the House for this legislative session.

House Bill 4648, the Parenting Fairness Act of 2020, establishes that a 50-50 custody split between two parents in the case of divorce is in the best interest of their child(ren) and is to be set as the standard for courts in the state. This is to be used in cases when parents cannot come up with their own parenting plan that they both agree on. Additionally, this custody split will only be implemented in cases where abuse, neglect or drug use are not present with one of the parents. Ultimately, it will be up to the judge to decide custody agreements after hearing all the facts of each case. House Bill 4648 only sets the standard for co-parenting in the court system, after research has shown that this is in the best interest of the child(ren).

House Bill 4958 eliminates the ability for a driver’s license to be revoked under the circumstances of unpaid court fines and costs. The purpose of this bill is to allow those with long outstanding fines to legally drive and pay their fines on a payment plan. This legislation aims to keep people working while they have outstanding fines.

Research has shown that suspension of driver’s licenses or the threat of suspension does not force people to pay fines. Instead, these people are either forced to drive to work with a suspended license in order to make money to pay off their fines, or otherwise lose their job and lose their ability to repay their debts. As said by several delegates during the floor session, West Virginia does not offer much in the ways of public transportation, so this creates another layer of distress for people in this situation. This bill passed with strong bipartisan support.

House Bill 4524 permits the sale of alcohol for offsite consumption across the entire state. West Virginia currently has 13 dry areas, which are areas of the state that cannot sell alcohol. Under this new legislation, any political subdivision will be allowed to opt to stay dry. This will allow areas of the state to opt out of selling rather than having to opt in, because the majority of the state does allow for the sale of alcohol.

Other notable bills passed during the floor session include House Bills 4494 and 4892.
House Bill 4494 creates a Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Task Force and provides money to the Office of Tobacco Prevention to combat tobacco use in West Virginia by using funds from the Tobacco Master Settlement Fund.

House Bill 4892 reduces personal income tax rates by using money that is directed from certain revenue sources into a new Personal Income Tax Reduction Fund.

Twenty-nine other bills were passed. One bill, House Bill 4639, was rejected. House Bill 4639 proposed to change mandatory state inspections for motor vehicles to once every two years instead of once every year.

Three bills were advanced to third reading. Seventeen bills were advanced to second reading.

Four resolutions were introduced.

The House is adjourned until 11 a.m. Thursday.

Senate Passes Bill for Medicaid Dental Coverage

Senate Floor Session

Madison Perdue

-

February 26, 2020

0

Senate Passes Bill for Medicaid Dental Coverage

The Senate met at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday and passed a total of 52 Senate bills. Today is Crossover Day at the Legislature and all bills are required to be advanced from their houses of origin to receive further action this session.

The Senate passed SB 648, which provides dental coverage for adult Medicaid recipients. Several members of the Senate rose in support of the bill.

Senator Ron Stollings, D-Boone, stated that while he believes the program should be expanded, this would be a good start. “This bill will have a far-reaching impact,” he said.

Senator Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha, also stood for the bill, saying that preventative treatment would likely reduce the amount of coverage needed for emergency care. “Emergency procedures are more expensive than maintenance care,” he said.

SB 653 was passed as well, which increases the number of magistrates in Putnam, Monongalia, Berkeley and Jefferson Counties. The bill states that effective January 1, 2021, Berkeley County will have 6 magistrates, Jefferson County will have 4, Monongalia County will have 5 and Putnam County will have 4.

SB 752 was placed on third reading with right to amend. This bill updates and improves the WV Medical Cannabis Act by increasing the locations of dispensaries and the acceptable forms of medical cannabis. The bill also clarifies that the Tax Division and the Bureau of Public Health are to monitor the price of medical cannabis.

Senator Charles S. Trump IV, R-Morgan, proposed an amendment to grant the Commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Resources the authority to approve or disapprove of forms of medical cannabis based on recommendations from a medical advisory board. The amendment was adopted by the Senate and the bill was passed.

SB 850 was passed as well. This bill clarifies that racial discrimination includes discrimination based on certain hair styles and textures. This includes but is not limited to hairstyles such as twists, braids or locks.

The Senate also passed SB 38, which, as amended, allows county boards of education to offer high school students an elective social studies course on sacred texts or comparable world religions. The bill allows a student to use a translation of their choice. The purpose of this course would be to educate students on literary forms and symbolism which influence culture, art, philosophy, law, etc.

SB 661 changes the minimum minutes of intersectional time required per day to an average of 5 hours per day throughout the instructional term. The bill prohibits the instructional term from commencing before September 1 and allows county boards of education to publish notice of public hearings for discussing school calendars on the board’s website.

The Senate adopted Resolution 56, congratulating Jason Gibs of Wayne High School for being the PLTW Biomedical Science Teacher of the Year. A brief recess was held for the presentation of this resolution and to recognize Gibbs and his family.

The Senate also adopted Resolution 52, designating February 26, 2020 as Celebrating Children and Families Day with the West Virginia Child Care Association. A brief recess was held to present this resolution and recognize members of the WVCCA.

The Senate is in recess until 11:00 a.m. tomorrow.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow in room 208W.

The Senate Finance Committee will meet tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. in room 451M.