This morning, the Senate convened and adopted Senate Resolution 58, regarding Girl Scouts Day, and Senate Resolution 59, regarding Mingo County Day.

The Senate also concurred with House amendments and completed legislative action on five bills.

Senate Bill 58 would make changes to the Division of Motor Vehicles’ Safety and Treatment Program and the Motor Vehicle Alcohol and Drug Test and Lock Program for drivers whose licenses were revoked for DUI-related offenses.

The bill would establish a grievance and appeals process for participants and prohibit requirements for minimum driving time, total miles driven, or how often a participant must use their vehicle in the ignition interlock program, which is a system requiring a driver to blow into a breathalyzer attached to their car to start it.

Senate Bill 659 would prohibit municipalities from restricting homeowners from building at least one accessory dwelling unit (ADU), which is a smaller, independent residential unit on the same property as a single-family home.

The bill would require cities to allow these units by right and limit certain local regulations, such as requiring extra parking or restrictive design standards.

House Bill 4022 would require the state to allocate and station child protective services workers in counties based on population, referrals, and average case load.

This bill would require an annual report to the Legislature detailing staffing allocations and explaining any changes that lasted more than one week.

House Bill 4433 would modify West Virginia’s human trafficking laws by increasing penalties for trafficking, forced labor, debt bondage, and sexual servitude.

The bill also defines “illegal alien” as any individual who has entered the United States without authorization and is subject to removal if apprehended, or an individual who has lawfully been admitted into the United States but has since violated the terms of admission or is without legal status.

Under the bill, “illegal aliens” are not eligible for restitution.

House Bill 5682 would move $72 million from the Governor’s Civil Contingent Fund into the state’s unappropriated surplus and create a supplemental appropriation for the Higher Education Policy Commission.

The funds are intended to support biomedical sciences research, including:

* $30 million for Marshall University School of Medicine
* $32 million for West Virginia University School of Medicine
* $5 million for WVU Dental School
* $5 million for West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine

The Senate is adjourned until 11 a.m. on Monday, March 9, 2026.

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced four bills during a brief meeting Friday morning.

House Bill 4138 would expand the list of offenses that require individuals convicted of certain crimes to register with the state police, a process often referred to as sex offender registration.

Specifically, the legislation would mandate registration for those convicted of sexual extortion and aggravated sexual extortion, crimes previously covered under §61-8B-6 of the West Virginia Code.

It also would clarify that individuals convicted of the repealed offense of sexual assault of a spouse, also formerly under §61-8B-6, must continue to register. Furthermore, the bill would add new categories of offenses to the registration requirement, including the nonconsensual disclosure of private intimate images (§61-8-28a) and any crime listed under §61-8-32 of the code.

These additions are intended to ensure that individuals convicted of these offenses are subject to the same registration and notification requirements as those convicted of other sex offenses, contributing to public safety by tracking individuals with a history of certain criminal behavior.

House Bill 5067  would modify the powers and duties of the Director of the Division of Administrative Services in West Virginia. Specifically, it would clarify that the Director can enter into agreements with law enforcement agencies within the Department of Homeland Security to help them apply for and manage federal grant programs that are exclusively for law enforcement or are specifically invited by the federal program.

The legislation also would remove the authority of the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to hear certain appeals and instead designates the Office of Administrative Hearings as the body responsible for hearing appeals from any contested matters before a subcommittee of the Governor’s Committee on Crime, Delinquency and Correction.

House Bill 5406 would make several changes to West Virginia’s laws regarding driving under the influence (DUI).

Primarily, the bill would designate the West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory as the authority responsible for certifying secondary chemical tests, their methods, and the approval of preliminary breath analysis devices, taking this role away from the Bureau of Public Health.

The legislation would also update the blood alcohol concentration thresholds for juveniles, remove propoxyphene from the list of substances tested for in blood analyses, and eliminate outdated references to urine testing. Additionally, it would allow individuals trained in phlebotomy to draw blood for these tests.

House Bill 5444 would increase the monthly fee that parolees must pay for supervision from $40 to $50, with the amount still based on their ability to pay.

Additionally, the legislation outlines factors the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation must consider when determining a parolee’s financial ability to pay the fee, such as income, assets, debts, and necessary employment-related expenses. The bill also specifies conditions under which substance abuse treatment or reporting to a day report center can be imposed as part of parole.

All four bills were recommended to the full Senate for passage.

The Senate Health and Human Resources Committee met on Thursday afternoon and advanced four bills regarding child welfare, medical physician education, pharmacy benefit managers, and the vape safety act.

House Bill 5214 would require parents who have been adjudicated for child abuse or neglect to undergo lab-confirmed drug testing before their child is returned home.

If a parent tests positive for alcohol or controlled substances without a valid prescription or medical marijuana card, the child cannot be reunified until the issue is addressed, and the court must hold a hearing within 10 days.

Senator Joey Garcia (D – Marion, 13) proposed an amendment that would strike language requiring the child to be removed from their parents’ home immediately if the parent tests positive and instead require the court to make that decision.

The amendment was adopted.

Senator Patricia Rucker (R – Jefferson, 16) proposed an amendment clarifying that a parent can only be tested for drugs if reasonably suspected by the court or the department.

The amendment was adopted.

The bill, as amended, was reported to the full Senate with a recommendation of passage, first being sent to the committee on Judiciary.

House Bill 4951 would require all physicians, podiatrists, and osteopathic physicians in West Virginia to complete continuing medical education (CME) in nutrition as part of their biennial license renewal.

The bill is intended to ensure that medical professionals maintain up-to-date knowledge in nutrition to support patient care.

Senator Tom Takubo (R – Kanawha, 17) proposed an amendment clarifying that new and renewal licensees would be required to complete the medical education in nutrition once, and current licensees will continue the nutrition education update when recommended by the Board of Medicine.

The amendment was adopted.

The bill, as amended, was reported to the full Senate with a recommendation of passage.

House Bill 5430 would prohibit pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) from managing benefits for any pharmacy they own or have an affiliate in West Virginia.

The bill would require PBMs to pay all pharmacies at least the national average drug cost plus a $10.49 dispensing fee, and prevent them from charging extra fees, secretly adjusting payments, or treating 340B pharmacies that serve low-income patients differently.

This bill is intended to ensure that pharmacies in West Virginia are treated fairly by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and promote transparency and better oversight of how pharmacies get paid in West Virginia.

“If we do not hold PBMs accountable, independent pharmacy will be a thing of the past, and that concerns me with rural healthcare access in the state of West Virginia,” stated Devonna Miller West, a practicing pharmacist in Southern West Virginia who opened her own pharmacy in 2006.

Senator Tom Takubo (R – Kanawha, 17) expressed the importance of independent pharmacies in rural West Virginia due to patients not having primary doctors in hospitals that can provide the familiarity and personal and consistent patient care that independent pharmacies can.

The bill was reported to the full Senate with a recommendation of passage.

House Bill 5437 would establish the Creating the Vape Safety Act.

This bill would require retailers that sell vape products, tobacco-derived products, and similar items to obtain a license issued by the Alcohol Beverage Control Commissioner or a duly authorized agent thereof.

A vape or smoke shop license or license renewal could only be granted if the applicant satisfies the following, but isn’t limited to:

• United States citizen
• The applicant’s background, criminal record, habits, and associations don’t compromise the public interest of citizens and weaken the effective regulation of vapor products.
• The applicant has not been convicted of perjury, false swearing, or any crime punishable by imprisonment for more than one year under the applicable law of any state or foreign country.

The bill was sent to the full Senate with a recommendation of passage.

The Senate met on Thursday morning with a light and procedural agenda.

The Senate body received messages from the House, adopted Senate Resolution 57, advanced all bills on first reading, and received reports from Senate committees.

The Senate also advanced Senate Bill 250, known as the “Budget Bill,” that was amended and reported to the House of Delegates for consideration.

Senate Resolution 57 would designate the month of March as the American Red Cross Month. The Resolution states “those who serve with the American Red Cross Central Appalachia Region help light the way during emergencies, whether it’s delivering shelter, food, and comfort after disasters; providing safe, lifesaving blood for patients facing conditions like cancer, childbirth complications, and traumatic injuries; assisting military members, veterans, and their families with 24/7 global support.”

Afternoon Meetings:

Military at 12:30 p.m. in Room 208W

Health and Human Resources at 1 p.m. in Room 451M

Finance at 3 p.m. in Room 451M

Judiciary at 3 p.m. in Room 208W

Morning Meetings for March 6:

Finance at 9 a.m. in Room 451M

Judiciary at 9 a.m. in Room 208W

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

House Bill 4395 would require school systems in West Virginia to investigate allegations that a school employee has jeopardized the health, safety, or welfare of a student, even if the employee resigns or transfers before the investigation is completed.

The bill was reported to the full Senate with a recommendation of passage.

House Bill 4592 would allow state colleges and universities to create detailed campus safety maps to help first responders during emergencies.

The maps would display building layouts, including rooms, hallways, stairwells, entrances, and the location of safety equipment such as automated external defibrillators and trauma kits.

The bill was reported to the full Senate with a recommendation of passage, first being sent to the committee on Finance.

House Bill 5012 would clarify rules for transferring or reassigning school employees.

Under the bill, county superintendents could still assign or transfer teachers and other school staff, provided approval is obtained from the county board of education. However, no transfer could be made for arbitrary, capricious, or retaliatory reasons.

Senator Michael A. Oliverio II (R – Monongalia, 13) proposed an amendment that would ensure that a transfer cannot take place until the following year to ensure that the employee can apply for another position.

The amendment was adopted.

The bill, as amended, was reported to the full Senate with a recommendation of passage.

House Bill 5089 would require public schools to accept transcripts or academic records from public charter schools, private schools, homeschool programs, microschools, and HOPE Scholarship programs when placing students in the appropriate grade or awarding credit.

The Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability would be required to provide an annual report on students who return to public school after attending a previous education program.

The report would include the students’ demographic information, such as age, race, county, and grade level.

The bill was reported to the full Senate with a recommendation of passage.

House Bill 5354 would update the rules for state higher education agencies.

The state would authorize several rules from the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, related to the Mental Health Loan Repayment Program and an Administrative Exemption rule.

These programs are intended to help support mental health professionals and address administrative policies within the state’s higher education system.

The bill was reported to the full Senate with a recommendation of passage.