The House returned to hear farewell addresses. The remainder of the farewells will be heard throughout the evening.

The Rules Committee moved SCR 20 to the floor and reorder the calendar.

House Bill 4399, House Bill 5084, and House Bill 4851 were sent to conference committees.

The House passed two bills after some lengthy debate.

Senate Bill 841 was amended on third reading. The bill keeps the max weekly unemployment benefit at $662 with 26 weeks of payment. The bill amends the threshold wage to $9,500. The amended bill adds in the Jobs and Reemployment Act by requiring work search activities to qualify for unemployment benefits.

Senate Bill 280 states that no public-school board, superintendent, or school principal cannot prohibit public school teachers from responding to students’ questions about scientific theories on how the universe and/or life came into exist.

The House concurred to complete several other bills, including the Budget Bill.

Senate Bill 200 is the compromised budget bill which totals $4,996,598,939.

The breakdown of General Revenue is:

Legislative
1. Senate – $6,152,206
2. House – $11,985,000
3. Joint – $11,240,457

Judicial
4. Supreme Court – $166,316,509

Executive
5. Gov Office – $6,626,040
6. Custodial Fund – $615,427
7. Civil Contingent Fund – $8,500,000
8. Auditor’s Office – $2,724,523
9. Treasurer’s Office – $3,718,259
10. Department of Agriculture – $13,962,323
11. WV Conservation Agency – $11,636,697
12. Meat inspection – $1,169,540
13. Agriculture awards fund- $54,250
14. WV Agriculture Land Protection Authority – $109,693
15. Attorney General – $5,894,240
16. Secretary of State – $983,138
17. State Election Commission – $7,508

Department of Administration
18. Office of the Secretary – $15,631,631
19. Consolidated Retirement Fund
20. Division of Finance – $810,767
21. Division of General Services – $26,394,135
22. Division of Purchasing – $1,146,662
23. Travel Management – $1,325,210
24. Commission on Uniform State Laws – $45,550
25. WV Public Employe Grievance Board – $1,213,226
26. Ethics Commission – $773,228
27. Public Defenders Service- $38,195,744
28. Division of Personnel – $1,800,000
29. Committee for the Purchase of Commodities and Services from the Handicapped -$4,055
30. West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute – $688,044
31. Office of Technology – $5,000,000
32. Real Estate Division – $902,771

Department of Commerce
33. Division of Forestry – $6,105,480
34. Geological and Economic Survey $3,328,376
35. Division of Labor – $2,017,411
36. Division of Natural Resources – Division of Natural Resources – $31,316,979
37. Division of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training – $12,342,060
38. Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety – $370,549
39. WorkForce West Virginia- $75,700
40. Office of the Secretary – $1,977,755
41. State Board of Rehabilitation – Division of Rehabilitation Services – $16,222,463
42. Department of Tourism – Office of the Secretary- $14,000,000
43. Department of Economic Development – Office of the Secretary – $12,917,867
44. State Board of Education – School Lunch Program – $2,497,519
45. State Board of Education –State Department of Education – $128,627,282
46. State Board of Education –Aid for Exceptional Children – $35,113,216
47. State Board of Education –State Aid to Schools – $2,039,581,856
48. State Board of Education –Vocational Division – $41,790,026
49. State Board of Education –West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind- $15,730,195
50. State Board of Education –School Building Authority – $24,000,000

Department of Arts, Culture, And History
51. Division of Culture and History – $ 5,788,181
52. Library Commission – $ 1,644,157
53. Educational Broadcasting Authority – $ 4,323,875

Department of Environmental Protection
54. Environmental Quality Board – $ 131,874
55. Division of Environmental Protection – $ 7,622,445
56. Air Quality Board – $ 76,053

Department of Health
57. Department of Health –Central Office – $ 4,192,094
58. Office of the Share Administration – $5,296,143
59. Bureau of Public Health – Office of Commissioner – $3,885,706
60. Bureau of Public Health – Health Statistic Center – $535,949
61. Bureau of Public Health – Office of Community Health and Health Promotion – $7,426,935
62. Bureau of Public Health – Office of Health Services – $2,771,537
63. Bureau of Public Health – Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services – $2,880,464
64. Bureau of Public Health – Office of Laboratory Services – $3,275,870
65. Bureau of Public Health – Office of Maternal, Child Family Health – Children’s Special Care – $1,500,830
66. Bureau of Public Health – Office of Maternal, Child Family Health – Infant, Child, Adolescent, and Young Adult Health – $2,027,036
67. Bureau of Public Health – Office of Maternal, Child Family Health – Maternal, Child, and Family Health Epidemiology – $411,736
68. Bureau of Public Health – Office of Maternal, Child Family Health – Community Health – $382,989
69. Bureau of Public Health – Office of Maternal, Child Family Health – Women’s and Family Health – $2,300,505
70. Bureau of Public Health – Office of Maternal, Child Family Health – West Virginia Birth to Three – $9,291,855
71. Bureau of Public Health – Office of Medical Cannabis – $1,020,075
72. Bureau of Public Health – Office of Office of Nutrition Services – $38,621
73. Deaf and Hard of Hearing – $238,259
74. Center for Local Health – $15,571,992
75. Office of Chief Medical Examiner – $13,852,264
76. Office of Emergency Medical Services – $5,332,477
77. Office of Threat Preparedness – $5,036
78. Office of the Inspector General – $7,224,762
79. Human Rights Commission – $1,568,052

Department of Human Services
80. Division of Human Services – $173,258,504
81. Office of Shared Administration – $23,399,070
82. Bureau for Medical Services – Office of the Commissioner – $795,516
83. Bureau for Medical Services – Medical Services Administration – $42,299,773
84. Bureau for Medical Services – Policy and Programming – $227,432,902
85. Bureau for Medical Services – Home and Community Based Waiver Programs – $112,843,333
86. Bureau for Social Services – Office of the Commissioner – $25,734,577
87. Bureau for Social Services – Children’s Services – $37,883,039
88. Bureau for Social Services – Adoption – $39,855,069
89. Bureau for Social Services – Foster Care – $110,230,811
90. Bureau for Social Services – Adult Services – $5,450,513
91. Bureau for Social Services – Child Protective Services Case Workers – $26,770,365
92. Bureau for Social Services – Social Service Case Workers – $10,458,585
93. Bureau for Social Services – Adult Protective Services Case Workers – $3,984,994
94. Bureau for Social Services – Youth Service Case Workers – $4,698,244

Department of Health Facilities
95. Central Office – $3,655,695
96. Health Facilities Capital Projects Fund – $550,000
97. Hopemont Hospital – $12,827,637
98. Lakin Hospital – $14,451,392
99. John Manchin Senior Health Care Center – $8,703,666
100. Jackie Withrow Hospital – $12,337,165
101. Welch Community Hospital – $31,057,039
102. William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital – $79,407,370
103. Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital – $53,506,391
104. William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital -Transitional Living Facility – $1,847,929

Department of Homeland Security
105. Office of the Secretary – $4,293,160
106. Division of Emergency Management – $6,691,854
107. Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation –West Virginia Parole Board – $1,454,002
108. Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation –Central Office – $385,147
109. Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation – Correctional Units – $317,211,561
110. Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation – Bureau of Juvenile Services – $51,207,884
111. West Virginia State Police – $126,900,784
112. Fire Commission – $63,061
113. Division of Protective Services – $4,023,574
114. Division of Administrative Services – Criminal Justice Fund – $10,656,295
115. Division of Administrative Services – $6,280,223

Department of Revenue
116. Office of the Secretary – $648,506
117. Tax Division – $ 31,518,796
118. State Budget Office – $1,183,885
119. West Virginia Office of Tax Appeals – $1,214,578
120. State Athletic Commission – $36,811

Department of Transportation
121. Division of Multimodal Transportation Facilities –State Rail Authority – $2,145,040
122. Division of Multimodal Transportation Facilities – Public Transit – $2,292,989
123. Division of Multimodal Transportation Facilities –$ 1,471,263
124. Division of Multimodal Transportation Facilities –Aeronautics Commission – $1,031,626
Department of Veterans’ Assistance
125. Department of Veterans’ Assistance – $15,640,193
126. Department of Veterans’ Assistance – Veterans’ Home – $ 1,785,768

Bureau of Senior Services
127. Bureau of Senior Services – $6,580,366
West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education
128. Control Account – $15,839,076
129. Mountwest Community and Technical College – $7,062,120
130. New River Community and Technical College – $6,569,820
131. Pierpont Community and Technical College – $8,613,156
132. Blue Ridge Community and Technical College – $8,972,984
133. West Virginia University at Parkersburg – $11,561,838
134. Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College – $9,217,907
135. West Virginia Northern Community and Technical College – $8,252,020
136. Eastern West Virginia Community and Technical College – $2,412,016
137. BridgeValley Community and Technical College – $8,888,187

Higher Education Policy Commission
138. Control Account – $81,059,149
139. West Virginia University –School of Medicine – Medical School Fund – $22,433,558
140. West Virginia University – General Administrative Fund – $119,506,390
141. Marshall University – School of Medicine – $9,787,407
142. Marshall University – General Administration Fund – $56,725,780
143. West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine – $6,332,105
144. Bluefield State University – $7,081,263
145. Concord University – $11,491,763
146. Fairmont State University – $20,671,494
147. Glenville State University – $7,420,879
148. Shepherd University – $13,734,975
149. West Liberty University $10,380,743
150. West Virginia State University – $17,769,170
151. Administration – West Virginia Network for Educational Telecomputing (WVNET) – $1,946,515

Miscellaneous Boards and Commissions
152. Adjutant General –State Militia – $ 18,646,916
153. Adjutant General – Military Fund – $ 157,775

The House is adjourned sine die. 

The Senate passed a three-year Social Security income tax phase out as well as pay raises for certain state employees on Saturday evening, during the final day of the 2024 Regular Session.

The body withdrew its committee amendment to House Bill 4880 and returned the bill to the form it was in when it came over from the House of Delegates on Feb. 22.

In 2019, the Legislature passed a bill cutting the income tax on Social Security benefits for the state’s lowest earners — those making less than $100,000 filing jointly and $50,000 for a single person — over three years.

This bill eliminates the tax for everyone else, also over a three-year period. The tax will be cut by 35 percent this year — retroactive to Jan. 1 — and 65 percent in 2025, with a complete elimination in 2026 and beyond.

House Bill 4883 gives pay raises to state workers whose pay scales are in state code. That includes state police personnel and public school educators. State police personnel will receive a $2,900 annual salary increase. Teachers will receive a $2,460 annual pay increase, with school service personnel receiving an additional $140 a month.

The bill empowers state agencies with the spending authority to give all other state employees pay raises if the money is available to do so. There is no guarantee those employees will receive a pay raise.

These measures are are big components of the 2025 general revenue budget, which also passed Saturday night in the form of Senate Bill 200.

The Senate has adjourned Sine Die

The Senate has completed 16 bills over the course of three floor sessions so far on the final day of the 2024 Regular Session.

A sampling of the bills the Senate has sent to the Governor so far today include:

House Bill 5317  makes it permissive for commercial motor vehicles registered in West Virginia to pass an annual inspection of all safety equipment to be consistent with the federal motor carrier safety regulations.

Senate Bill 755 provides safeguards for online sales of tobacco products.

Senate Bill 557 relates to compensation for firefighters required to work holidays. The bill  establishes that firefighters are entitled to compensation for an entire shift, even if only a portion of the holiday shift actually falls on the holiday.

The bill is seen as a fairness issue as some municipalities have taken the position firefighters only receive holiday pay or comp time for the portion of the shift that falls on the holiday. In this scenario, if the firefighter takes time off on the holiday, they are charged for the full shift. The most common shift worked by a firefighter is 12 hours, 8 a.m. until 8 a.m.

The bill doesn’t change the rate of time-and-a-half compensation or the compensatory time allowed if the municipality chooses that methodology.

The legislation should make holiday pay for municipal firefighters uniform across the state.

House Bill 4552 will ensure party affiliation is consistent with a political candidate’s voter registration.

Senate Bill 222 exempts West Virginia veterans from certain fees and charges at state parks.

The 2024 Regular Session concludes at midnight.

The Senate is in recess until 3:30 p.m.

It’s the last day of the second session of the 86th Legislature. During the Rules meeting this morning, the committee advanced HCR 69, HCR 75, SCR 29, and SCR 30 to the floor. The Committee also moved Senate Bill 571 and Senate Bill 716 to the House Calendar and rearranged the calendar.

The House refused to concur on several bills and asked the Senate to recede from its position.

The House passed seven bills in the morning session, completing action on six of them.

Senate Bill 837 gives public defender corporations until July 1, 2025, to fully reconfigure their offices to match the new circuits created during the 2023 regular session.

Senate Bill 850 updates the code to reflect the issuance of an ethics opinion on litigation financing by removing commercial tort claims exclusions and certain non-profit organizations from the definition.

Senate Bill 864 amends the provisions of the Grant Transparency and Accountability Act. The bill clarifies which grants are subject to reporting requirements.

Senate Bill 872 allows the county commission to accept the resolution of the county fire board to change the fire fee, but the county commission would decide whether to take action on or accept the resolution or amend them and submit the question to voters.

Senate Bill 875 prohibits BRIM from covering new or additional insurance of entities with permissive coverage, versus mandatory.

The House was in recess until about 1:30 p.m. When the House returned, it received messages from the Senate. The House concurred with the Senate to complete seven bills.

House Bill 4350 prohibits the filing for ballot vacancies by party executive committees after the individual candidacy filing deadline has passed. The Senate-amended bill does not allow for vacancy nominations when the vacancy is caused by a withdrawal from the election without cause.

House Bill 4975 requires the Department of Human Services to create and incorporate into the current child welfare system foster care communication system. The system should be fully implemented by July 1, 2026.

House Bill 4911 authorizes the sale of raw milk. The bill requires any container of raw milk sold to be labeled as “unpasteurized raw milk” with the name and physical address of the seller, date of production, and a specific warning about foodborne illness.

House Bill 4297 recognizes correctional officers as law enforcement and allows them to concealed carry across the country regardless of state laws.

Senate Bill 146 requires the State Superintendent to create an Adult Education Task Force. The task force is to include: the State Superintendent, the head of adult education learning centers, and geographically diverse representatives from the community, including but not limited to, representation from business and the community college system by July 1, 2025.

The House also receded to complete action on Senate Bill 632 and Senate Bill 17. The House refused to concur or recede on a few bills, which will go into conference committees.

The House is in recess until 3:30 p.m.

Committee Meetings today, March 9
The Rules Committee will meet at 3:15 p.m. behind the House Chamber.

The House reconvened shortly after 2 p.m. and continued with the day’s agenda. During the afternoon meeting, the House passed 15 more bills, completing action on seven of them.

Senate Bill 667 creates a physician assistant compact program, allowing physician assistants in participating states to practice in participating states regardless of their actual state of licensure.

Senate Bill 722 limits the Lottery Commission’s right to inspect records of limited video lottery permittee to the records in a permittee’s possession for only the limited video lottery business, not other businesses owned by the permittee.

Senate Bill 730 sets the commission rate for a county sheriff at a flat $15,000 and makes it a regular part of the budget and annual compensation of the sheriff.

Senate Bill 768 allows the Department of Human Services to report children who run away or are missing and be able to share confidential information relating to the child when they are not in the custody of the state. The bill brings the Department of Human Services into compliance with Title IV-E, the Federal Foster Care Program.

Senate Bill 834 increases the number of members on the Motor Vehicle Dealers Advisory Board from nine to ten. The bill adds an automobile auction representative to the board but requires the additional member to be a representative primarily salvage vehicles.

Senate Bill 614 provides that when an elementary teacher determines that the behavior of the student is violent, threatening, or intimidating toward staff or peers, creates an unsafe learning environment, or impedes other students’ ability to learn in a safe environment, the student is required to be placed in any behavioral intervention program the county has established, has partnered with another county board to establish, or has gained access to through an agreement with another county board to address such behaviors. The bill provides that students who demonstrate repeated behavior warranting their removal from the school setting will be out of the classroom for the end of the grading period as opposed to the end of the school year or the entire semester.

Senate Bill 624 adds a new requirement that county clerks must cancel a person’s voting record once the Secretary of State notifies the clerk that the person is no longer a West Virginia citizen and has obtained a driver’s license in another state, based on information provided by the Division of Motor Vehicles. The bill is effective January 1, 2025.

Senate Bill 755 provides safeguards when retail sellers engage in online delivery sales of tobacco products and electronic smoking device products via online certification.

Senate Bill 785 allows the Department of Human Services may provide the Foster Care Ombudsman the identity of a person who made a report of abuse or neglect related to a child fatality.

The House recessed until about 6:30 p.m.

When the House returned, the body received Senate messages and concurred to complete 16 more bills.

House Bill 4700 requires the Lottery Commission to propose rules for banning patrons from betting on sports.

House Bill 5514 enhances training requirements for county board of education members by increasing the number of hours required for training. The bill increases the compensation rate for meeting attendance and decreases the number of meetings members may be compensated.

House Bill 4837 synchs up the time for retention of records by financial institutions and the statute of limitations for bringing a cause of action to recover a deposit. The Senate amended bill also clarifies that actions to enforce obligations may not be maintained if the bank destroys or disposes of the relevant records for compliance.

House Bill 5435 creates a comprehensive registered apprenticeship to associate of applied science degree program to be known as the Skilled Trades Apprenticeship Nontraditional Degree (or STAND) program to provide apprentices or journey workers with the opportunity to obtain associate degrees in applied science while gaining practical skills and on-the-job training through federally recognized apprenticeship programs. The program will allow the eligible student to earn at least 15 credit hours of general education courses toward an associate of applied science degree.

House Bill 5232 clarifies that an employer may not terminate or take any other adverse action against an employee for lawfully possessing a firearm in a motor vehicle unless statements are made pertaining to unlawful purposes or terroristic threats

The House also refused to concur on House Bills 4812, 4786, 4867, and 4399. The House concurred with further amendments on House Bills 5405, 4305, and 4110.

The House is adjourned until tomorrow, March 9, 2024, at 9:30 a.m.

Committee Meetings tomorrow, March 9
The Rules Committee will meet at 9:15 a.m. behind the House Chamber.