The House Judiciary Committee and its subcommittees heard about several bills this morning.

House Bill 4606 would allow judicial officers, when determining bail, to use residency status. In the bill, this is described as including, but not limited to, if they are a resident of the state, they have ties to the community, or if they are a flight risk.

House Bill 4552 would clarify what correctional officers of the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation can do in their facilities.

House Bill 4570 would allow whoever is serving the eviction notice to post it on the front door, secure it, and take a photograph of it to show that it was posted

House Bill 4625 would change the definitions of excise tax on property transfers to add and clarify exemptions.

Courts

House Bill 4603 would create a diversion process to allow parents who are having their children removed from their home to be placed with a family member under guardianship. This process is only available to select child abuse and neglect cases. Cases that are not available to this process include, but are not limited to, those where a parent has subjected a child to abandonment, torture, and chronic abuse.

House Bill 4755 would create enhanced sentencing for offenders of aggravated vehicular homicide, driving under the influence causing serious bodily injury, and third offense driving under the influence. This sentencing applies to offenders who have been previously convicted.

House Bill 4893 would increase the penalties for contempt of court in a magistrates’ court.

Homeland Security

House Bill 4522 would ban foreign spending on state ballot issues.

House Bill 4345 would establish a protocol for preserving records and evidence in missing persons cases that are unresolved after one year by making them digital and being housed at the West Virginia Fusion Center.

Legal Services

House Bill 4601 would expand the West Virginia State Police Unit for Child Abuse and Neglect Investigations. This bill would increase the number of members in the unit and would have offices located within the Department of Human Services offices.

House Bill 4053 would establish the blue envelope program. The Blue Envelope program would assist communication between law enforcement officers and individuals with autism, dementia, or intellectual and developmental disabilities during a motor vehicle-related interaction.

This envelope would include documentation such as, but not limited to, a driver’s essential documents, a driver’s license, vehicle registration, and an emergency contact card.

House Bill 4600 would require absentee ballots mailed in to be received by 8:00 p.m. on the day of the election to be counted.

The subcommittee on Government Administration met to discuss House Bills 4088, 4148, 4580, 4483, 4492, and 4550.

House Bill 4088 would change the licensure for certified public accountants. This bill would offer three different pathways. Two of these pathways include those who have been a part of post-bachelor degree programs, and one to expand the certification to those with only a bachelor’s degree. This bill was reported to the committee on Government Organization.

If a person seeking to become a certified public accountant decides to only get their bachelor’s degree, they would need to have two years of work experience to apply for their certification.

House Bill 4148 would require proof of legal citizenship in real estate license applications. This bill was reported to the committee on Government Organization.

House Bill 4580 would establish a pilot program that allows CPS workers to use a mobile device during their investigations and be able to access the department’s case management system.

House Bill 4483 would make changes to the licensing process for funeral services. This would make changes to the apprenticeship and update the standards for funeral service workers’ continuing education.

Under this bill, an apprentice funeral service licensee will only be required one year of apprenticeship rather than two. A funeral licensee will be able to take an examination and/or complete Board-selected targeted modules rather than a fixed number of hours. This bill will also extend an emeritus license from two years to four years.

House Bill 4492 would increase the maximum amount of broker deposits to $500

House Bill 4550 would require that, any time the state is involved in eminent domain, it must provide an appraisal to the landowner.

The House Health and Human Resources Committee heard about five bills this evening.

House Bill 4375 would require the Bureau of Social Services file their manual for Social Services as a legislative rule. This would make the West Virginia Legislature in charge of rule making policy for the Bureau of Social Services.

House Bill 4599 would modify the West Virginia Clearance for Access: Registry and Employment Screening Act (“WV Cares”) to allow for variances to travel with employees and remove unnecessary offenses from the list.

House Bill 4767 would require the Bureau of Medical Services to file its policy manual as a legislative rule. This would make the West Virginia Legislature in charge of rule making policy for the Bureau of Medical Services.

House Bill 4853 would require hospitals to design protocols for trauma informed care for events such as miscarriage, abuse, neglect, and other traumatic events. This bill would also include establishing a protocol referred to as the “Butterfly Protocol” for patients who have experienced a miscarriage.

House Bill 4810 would require transparency of dental insurance products. The bill would require annual reporting of the medical loss ratio with the Insurance Commissioner. The bill would also explain the ways a dental carrier may pay a dental provider. The bill would require a premium reduction to be issued to the carrier when the MLR is not met.

The House Committee on Energy and Public Works met this afternoon.

Committee Hearing

House Bill 4026 requires utility companies to expand the integrated resource plans filed with the Public Service Commission. The plans should include comprehensive analyses and descriptions, and detail current and potential future uses of advanced transmission technologies, including economic and technological feasibility, optimization, reliability, and resiliency.

House Bill 4461 ensures that a consumer is not required to pay for service outages caused by the provider when he or she did not receive services for 12 continuous hours. This does not include scheduled maintenance that gives the consumer 24 hours’ notice.

House Bill 4835 requires a three-second pause at all traffic-control lights and devices on divided highways.

Markup & Passage

House Bill 4696 updates the Abandoned Mines Lands and Reclamation Act to allow for funds to be deposited into the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Safeguarding Treatment for the Restoration of Ecosystems from Abandoned Mines Act into the State of West Virginia’s Abandoned Land Reclamation Fund.

House Concurrent Resolution 4 requests that the Joint Technology and Infrastructure Committee establish a Genesis Working Group during interims to coordinate statewide planning for AI, high-performance computing, digital infrastructure, and energy-based economic development.