Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Home Blog Page 207

Five Bills Approved, One Postponed in Senate Government Organization

admin
-
0

The Senate Committee on Government Organization has approved five bills to be reported to the full Senate with the recommendation that they pass.

SB 441 would establish the municipal home rule pilot program as a permanent program, allow all municipalities to participate in the program and allow municipalities who institute a sales and use tax pursuant to the program to administer and collect the tax through their own municipal collector’s offices.

SB 481 would remove required ninety-day waiting periods for municipal court notifications to the Division of Motor Vehicles.

Executive Director of the West Virginia Municipal League, Lisa Dooley spoke in support of the bill.

SB 350 would allow certain licensed professional counselor and marriage and family therapist applicants to be issued a temporary permit so the applicant can practice during the application and testing process.

SB 491 would allow litter control officers who are trained and certified as law-enforcement officers and whose certification is active to have the same authority as any other law-enforcement officers to enforce all litter laws.

HB 2347 would allow schools licensed to provide barber, cosmetology and related training to hold theory classes and clinical classes at different locations.

The committee voted in favor of putting HB 2348 on layover until a future meeting, since many members said they felt that there were important details left out of the bill that needed to be addressed.

The bill would eliminate any requirement that class hours of students be consecutive when studying professions regulated by the board of Barbers and Cosmetologists.

WV Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists Executive Director Charlie Persinger voiced his support for the bill’s passage.

The committee is expected to meet next on Thursday, March 9 at 2 p.m. in 208W.

Senate Health Approves Five Bills

admin
-
0

The Senate Committee on Health and Human Resources has approved five bills to be reported to the full Senate with the recommendation that they pass.

SB 398 would create The Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act to allow volunteer health practitioners from other states to practice in West Virginia during an emergency.

The bill will be referred to Senate Government Organization.

SB 423 would allow group homes in West Virginia with greater than four members to continue to offer services to up to eight current residents by seeking either a waiver to allow these services or a state plan amendment.

Senator Rob Stollings (D – Boone) made an amendment to allow the committee counsel to make any technical corrections necessary, since the counsel was unable to make a committee substitute of the bill in time for the meeting. The amendment was approved.

SB 333 would require all facilities licensed under the provisions of chapter sixteen to access the controlled substances monitoring database.

The committee also approved an amendment by Stollings to ensure that employers do not have access to the database.

The bill will be referred to Senate Judiciary.

HB 2301 would permit individuals to enter into agreements, for direct primary care with an individual or other legal entity authorized to provide primary care services, outside of an insurance plan or outside of the Medicaid or Medicare program and pay for the care.

HB 2431 would allow influenza immunizations to be offered to patients and residents of specified facilities on a voluntary basis based upon recommendations of the Center for Disease Control.

The committee is expected to meet next on Thursday, March 9 at 1 p.m. in 451M.

House Passes Six Bills to the Senate Today

admin
-
0

The House of Delegates met today and passed six bills on to the Senate. These bills were HB 2367, HB 2579, HB 2674, HB 2678, HB 2691, and HB 2725.

House Bill 2367 would establish a criminal offense of organized retail crime.

House Bill 2579 would increase the penalties for transporting controlled substances.

House Bill 2674 would relate to access to and receipt of certain information regarding a Protected Person.

House Bill 2678 would change the amounts of prejudgment and post-judgement interest to reflect today’s economic conditions.

House Bill 2691 would allow a person who is qualified by training to be a barber and a cosmetologist to elect to practice solely as a barber.

House Bill 2725 would restrict the authority of the Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists to regulate the use of commonly available retail beauty products.

House Bills 2808-2817 were introduced today.

Bills on second reading were SB 176 and SB 188.

The following committees meet at these times:

Finance at 9 a.m. tomorrow in 460M.

Health at 3 p.m. in 215E.

Political Subdivisions at 2 p.m. in 434M.

Judiciary at 9 a.m. tomorrow in 410M.

Education at 9 a.m. tomorrow in 434M.

Government Organization at 9 a.m. tomorrow in 215E.

Pensions and Retirement at 4 p.m. in 460M.

 

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

Senate Passes House Bill to Strengthen Human Trafficking Charges

admin
-
0

The Senate has passed seven bills today that will be sent to the House for further consideration.

SB 236 would establish limits applicable to the award of damages for medical monitoring.

SB 239 would protect an employee’s wages or salaries from being withheld or diverted for political activities without the express, written authorization of the employee.

SB 392 would add a definition for “vested” to Municipal Police and Fire Retirement System and clarify duty/nonduty disability.

SB 442 would modify the definitions of “assault” and “battery”, and “domestic assault” and “domestic battery” to conform with federal laws relating to firearms possession criminal offenses.

SB 456 would correct a technical error in an original clause related to standards for termination of parental rights in child abuse and neglect cases.

HB 2318 would strengthen and establish criminal offenses relating to human trafficking.

The senate also completed legislation on HB 2740, which will now be sent to Governor Jim Justice for enaction. This bill would expire funds to the surplus balance of General Revenue and supplement, amend, add, and increase any items of appropriation in the aforesaid accounts for the designated spending units for expenditure during the fiscal year 2017.

Members of the Senate also adopted SR 32, which designated today as West Virginia Alzheimer’s Association Day at the Capitol.

Senate Bills 526-537 were introduced. 

Senate Bills 198, 280, 338 and 358 were advanced to a second reading.

Committee Meetings Today

Energy, Industry and Mining: 1:30 p.m. in 208W

Health and Human Resources: 1:30 p.m. in 451M

Government Organization: 2 p.m. in 208W

Education: 2 p.m. in 451M

Judiciary: 3 p.m. in 208W

Finance: 3 p.m. in 451M

Committee Meetings Tomorrow

Workforce: 10 a.m. in 208W

Interstate Cooperation: 10 a.m. in 451M

Confirmations: immediately following session in 208W

Agriculture and Rural Development: 2 p.m. in 208W

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

House Bill 2546 Reported Out of House Committee on Industry and Labor

admin
-
0

The Committee on Industry and Labor met today to discuss HB 2546.

House Bill 2546 would allow uniform costs to be deducted from a terminated employee’s final paycheck if the uniform is not returned. The bill was amended so the employer would have to make the employee aware of the fee and give the employee one day to return the uniform. Alternatively, the employee can keep the uniform and pay the fee.

Delegate Shott (R-Mercer) and Delegate Foster (R-Putnam) amended the bill further to require a written agreement between the employee and employer discussing the uniform and the expectations of the employer in regards to the uniform such as replacement cost.

The bill as amended was reported to the House with the recommendation that it pass but first be referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

House Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources Reports Eight Bills

admin
-
0

The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee met today and referred eight bills out of the committee.

House Bill 2566 would create the WV Fresh Food Act. This act would require state institutions to buy at least 20% of their food from local producers. The bill was amended by the committee requiring 5% at first but adding 5% each year. The amendment also gives the Department of Agriculture rulemaking authority on the act. The bill was referred to the Committee on Finance with the recommendation that it pass.

House Bill 2553 would relate to an exemption from the consumer’s sales and service tax and use tax for sales of services and tangible personal property related to the activities of raising and training livestock. This bill was also amended to clear up some technical issues. The bill was referred to the Committee on Finance with the recommendation that it pass.

House Bill 2752 would relate to abuse and neglect of livestock. This would help to give more funds to take care of livestock seized from an abusive or neglectful owner. The bill was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary with the recommendation that it pass.

House Bill 2693 would relate to state ownership of wildlife. It cleans up code relating to the definition of wildlife in the West Virginia code. It was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary with the recommendation that it pass.

House Bill 2696 would relate to crossbow hunting. It cleans up code and is a mostly a technical bill. The bill was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary with the recommendation that it pass.

House Bill 2699 would make information about the Division of Natural Resources licensees exempt from the provision of the Freedom of Information Act. This would not exempt the information from law enforcement access. The bill was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary with the recommendation that it pass.

House Bill 2707 would relate to the collection, possession and sale of naturally shed deer antlers. This would allow this activity on privately owned land, public land, or private land with the owner’s written consent. The bill was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary with the recommendation that it pass.

House Bill 2708 would relate to a lawful method for a developmentally disabled person to purchase a base hunting license. They must attend an on-site hunter training course and if unable to take a written test, they must pass all other parts of the test in order to receive their license. They must also be shown to not be a danger to others or themselves by using a firearm. Hunting on private property still would not require a license. The committee amended the bill to correct some technical issues. Delegate Summers (R-Taylor) amended the bill so that the Secretary of DHHR would not have to get involved in the hunting process and only require a physician’s approval. The bill was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary with the recommendation that it pass.

Senate Judiciary Rejects Bill to Repeal Campaign Financing Program

admin
-
0

The Senate Judiciary Committee has rejected a bill that would repeal and otherwise eliminate the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Public Campaign Financing Program.

The bill, SB 463, will be referred to the Senate Finance Committee after it is reported to the full Senate with the recommendation that it do not pass.

Julie Archer of the West Virginia Citizen Action Group said passage of the bill would be regressive toward efforts in the state to prevent scandal and dark monies from corrupting in Supreme Court of Appeals campaigns, as they have been in the past.

Archer said continuing the program will ultimately help to “restore some confidence in the judiciary.”

Senator Robert Beach (D – Monongalia) said the legislature should keep the program running in order to avoid having to experience another “wake-up call” because of a preventable campaign scandal.

Beach said the program would be very difficult to bring back at a later time if eliminated now.

The bill was originally introduced to try and save the state money that would have been used to help candidates run for the Supreme Court of Appeals.

Following the bill’s rejection, the committee voted to approve SB 259, which would require administrators of intestate estates to give bond and take oath.

HB 2099 and SB 219 were taken off of the agenda to be discussed in a future meeting.

Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance Reports Volunteer Fire Department Bill

admin
-
0

The Senate Committee on Banking and Insurance met today to discuss SB 168.

Senate Bill 168 would relate to the surcharge on fire and casualty insurance policies to fund volunteer fire departments. The increase would be from .55% to 1%. The fiscal note on the bill suggests that the bill would mean an increase in revenue for the volunteer fire departments of 10.9 million dollars.

Jill Rice, the President of the West Virginia Insurance Association, said that West Virginia has one of the highest percentage of surcharge in the nation. She also said that she couldn’t predict the impact that the bill would have.

Rice said, “This bill won’t solve the problem. This is a tax on our policy holders that won’t solve the problem.”

Sam Love, representative of the West Virginia Fire Fighters Association said that the insurance industry would like all the volunteer fire fighters out of business so they can raise their rates. He also discussed about the expenses of volunteer fire departments such as training, pump trucks, and gear. He also explained that other funding sources are not enough as some counties can’t afford to fund them, and fundraising with the boot is not enough. The bill may offset the increase in worker’s compensation rates.

The bill was referred to the committee on Finance with a recommendation that it do pass.

Senate Bill 434 was on the agenda but was carried over until the next meeting.

Gov. Org. approves WV Contractor Act

admin
-
0

The Committee on Government Organization approved HB 2554. I will transfer the West Virginia Contractor Act from administration and regulation by the Division of Labor to regulation under the provisions of professions and occupations in chapter thirty of code. The bill continues the West Virginia Contactor Licensing Board with administrative duties of board and legislative rules without the Division of Labor. The bill keeps the necessity for contractor license and exemptions, procedure for licensing, expiration date, fees and renewal of license.  It continues procedure for revocation for unlawful use, assignment or transfer of license. Also the prerequisites to obtaining building permit and mandatory written contracts. Specific administrative duties of board and record keeping by the board are provided without the Division of Labor.  The board is authorized to grant reciprocity and to provide training to students who desire to obtain a West Virginia contractor license.  Misdemeanor criminal penalties for violations of article are retained.

Senate Natural Resources Approves Four Bills Related to Hunting and Wildlife

admin
-
0

The Senate Committee on Natural Resources has approved four bills to be reported to the full Senate with the recommendation that they pass.

SB 469 would prohibit the wanton waste of game animals, game birds or game fish.

SB 471 would make the definition of wildlife consistent with the existing definition of wildlife contained in WV Code §20-1-2.

SB 473 would clarify the circumstances in which naturally shed deer antlers may be lawfully collected, possessed and sold. The bill also clarifies that certain wildlife or parts thereof cannot be traded or bartered.

SB 474 would exempt the list of names, addresses and contact information for hunting license holders from public disclosure with certain exceptions.

All bills approved except for SB 473 will be referred to Senate Judiciary once reported to the floor.

1...206207208...403Page 207 of 403

House Social Media

Wrap Up: Blog of the West Virginia Legislature

Contact us: webmaster@wvlegislature.gov

Legislature Social Media

Senate Social Media

© West Virginia Legislature 2023