After several hours of debate spanning two meetings on Thursday, the Senate Health and Human Resources committee advanced Senate Bill 460, which would allow religious exemptions to the state’s school vaccination requirements.

The bill as it heads to the full Senate, allows the parent or guardian to present a written statement to the administrator of the child’s school or operator of a state-regulated child care center explaining that the mandatory vaccination requirements cannot be met because they conflict with the religious or philosophical beliefs of the parent, legal guardian, or emancipated child.

Children who are exempt from immunizations could not be prohibited from participating in extracurricular activities or attending school events. The bill, as approved by the committee, allows a parent or guardian to file civil suits against schools that engage in discrimination against a child due to their immunization status.

The legislation would update medical exemptions to immunizations, permitting a child to be exempt when a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner provides a written statement to the school administrator or child care center stating that the specific immunizations could be detrimental to the child’s health or inappropriate. It also exempts students attending statewide or county-based virtual schools from immunizations.

Three doctors told the committee that these exceptions would open up the possibility of significant spread of disease.

Dr. Matthew Thomas, pediatric infectious disease specialist at WVU Children’s Hospital, spoke against the bill. He voiced concern about what a disease outbreak would mean for state residents in rural areas without good healthcare access. Thomas said vaccinations have been extremely effective at protecting the public against the worst effects of infectious disease.

Proponents of the bill emphasized to the committee the importance of parental choice and religious freedom. They argued that forced vaccination is a violation of individual rights.

John and Hallie Davis, father and daughter, spoke to the committee in support of the bill. Hallie, 20, and her father, described their legal ordeal seeking vaccine exemptions because of concerns over medical effects. She previously had an averse reaction to a vaccine.

The bill now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

The Committee on Government Organization met this afternoon to hear about House Bill 2053 and House Bill 2074.

House Bill 2074 would exempt food service booths operating for less than 15 days a year from existing fire code rules for ventilation hoods and automatic fire suppression. The bill does require at least two handheld fire extinguishers and training for the people working the booth. The bill also requires a “reasonable amount of ventilation and airflow.” This bill would apply to fairs, festivals, and non-profit food vendors.

House Bill 2053 adds the Space Force to the definition of “active military duty” and “armed forces.”

The House of Delegates convened for day two of the 2025 Legislative Session.

The rules were suspended to pass House Bill 2024 and House Bill 2025. Both bills are passed annually to update terms used in the West Virginia Personal Income Tax Act and the Corporation Net Income Tax Act to sync up with federal terms.

The House is adjourned until 11 a.m. tomorrow, February 14, 2025.

Committee Meetings, Today February 13

• The Committee on Government Organization will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Education Committee will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 434.
• The Subcommittee on Government Administration will meet at 2 p.m. in Room 215E
• The Committee on Energy and Public Works will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 460.
• The Committee on Health and Human Resources will meet at 3:30 p.m. in Room 215E.

Committee Meetings, Tomorrow February 14

• The Finance Committee will meet at 9 a.m. in Room 460 for the Revenue Presentation.
• The Subcommittee on Homeland Security will meet at 9 a.m. in Room 410.
•  The Subcommittee on Legal Services will meet at 9:30 a.m. in Room 410.
• The Subcommittee on Courts will meet at 10 a.m. in Room 410.
• The Education Committee will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 434.
• The Committee on Agriculture, Commerce, and Tourism will meet at 2:15 p.m. in Room 215E.

Listen to committee meetings here.

The Executive Budget was presented this morning to the House Finance Committee.

The State ended the fiscal year 2024 with a general revenue surplus of $521 million. All but $67 million of that surplus has been appropriated. The Lottery Funds were in a $113 million surplus and about $79 million have not been appropriated.

The State’s fiscal year 2025 revenues are $28 million above the January 2025 estimates. It is anticipated that fiscal year 2025 year-end revenue collections will be on target. Lottery revenues are ahead of estimates.

The Governor recommends a balanced budget for fiscal year 2026, in doing so a $397 million budget gap will be closed. A budget gap was explained as a budgeting tool. It is not a deficit.

Public Employees’ Retirement System is fully funded. The Teachers’ Retirement System is 83 percent funded at the end of fiscal year 2024.

The rainy-day funds are not being tapped into for fiscal year 2026. The rainy-day fund is over $1.3 billion.

A 6-year plan has been drafted to improve the budget gap by over $900 million for fiscal years 2026 through 2030. The Governor’s recommended fiscal year 2026 budget is $5,959,179. For the 6-year plan, projected budgets are as follows: FY27 – $$6,304,179; FY28 – $6,470,621; FY29 – $6,640,668; and FY30 – $6,820,643.