Blog – Page 242

Senate Passes Amended Prevailing Wage Bill

Senate Floor Session

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March 3, 2015

The Senate completed legislation on one bill during today’s evening floor session. The body also concurred with the House amendments for Senate Bill 361 , which would eleminate current prevailing hourly wage requirements for construction of public improvements but ameded the effective date requiring House concurrance. House Bill 2157 will provide that absentee ballot fraud or intimidation of voters is a felony.

The Senate rejected amendents and formed a conference committee for HB 2576. The bill would create new code sections which separate the executive departments.

Six bills were read a third time and passed, including SB 580, which would revise the statute of limitations on actions by minors under the Medical Professional Liability Act to make the current statute consistent with other provisions of the code governing statute of limitations on claims by minors. SB 234 which would exempt certain water and sewer utilities owned by political subdivisions from PSC jurisdiction was laid over on third reading for tomorrow.

14 bills were read a second time and advanced to third and one was read a first time and advanced to second.

The senate is adjurned untill 11 A.M. tomorrow.

The following committees will meet today:

Education at 5:45 P.M. in 451M

The following committees will meet tomorrow:

Education at 9 A.M. in 451M

Economic Development at 1 P.M. in 451M

Pensions at 2 P.M. in 208W

Finance at 3 P.M. in 451M

Coal Jobs and Safety Act Completes Legislative Action

House Floor Session

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March 3, 2015

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Today the House met to concur Senate amendments for Senate Bill 357 and then complete legislative action for the bill that will create the Coal Jobs and Safety Act of 2015. Seven other bills completed legislative action. Among these are Senate Bill 294 which will eliminate certain unnecessary, inactive or redundant councils, committees and boards.

Five supplementary appropriation bills also completed legislative action. Including Senate Bill 463 will make a supplementary appropriation to DHHR, DHS, Health Care Provider Tax, and Medicaid State Share Fund. Senate Bill 466 will make supplementary appropriation of federal funds to Department of Commerce. Senate Bill 467 will make supplementary appropriation of federal funds to Department of Agriculture, State Conservation Committee. Senate Bill 469 will make supplementary appropriation of federal funds to DEP, Division of Environmental Protection. Senate Bill 471 will make supplementary appropriation of federal funds to DHHR, Human Rights Commission, and DHHR, DHS.

The House also passed 16 additional bills. One of these is House Bill 2515 which relates to elk restoration. House Bill 2880 would create an addiction treatment pilot program. House Bill 3017 would address sudden cardiac arrest in interscholastic athletes. House Bill 2999 will relate to neonatal abstinence centers. House Bill 2914 would provide for voluntary dissolution of resort area district.

The House reconvened this evening to pass two bills including House Bill 2675 which would reduce certain severance taxes that are dedicated to the Workers’ Compensation Debt Reduction Fund and House Bill 2718 which would transfer funds remaining in the Racetrack Modernization Fund to the State Road Fund and closing the Racetrack Modernization Fund.

Thirty two bills were advanced to third reading. Among those were House Joint Resolution 13 which would create the Homestead Exemption Increase Amendment, House Bill 2664 which would create “Andrea and Willy’s Law”; increasing certain penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances or drugs, House Bill 2636 which would exempt information contained in a concealed weapon permit application from the Freedom of Information Act, House Bill 2549 which would relate to the preparation and publication of county financial statements, and House Bill 2931 which relates to adding drugs to the classification of schedule I drugs.

House Bill 2021 on 2nd reading was tabled.

The House is adjourned until tomorrow at 9:00 a.m.

House Health will meet today at 4:30 pm

The following committees will meet tomorrow:

Political Subdivisions at 8 a.m. in 434M

Judiciary and Government Organization will meet in their respective committee rooms 30 minutes after adjournemnt tomorrow.

Senate Passes Charter Schools Bill, Completes Action on Senate Bill 508

Senate Floor Session

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March 2, 2015

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Following a lengthy debate, Senate Bill 14 passed this evening. The Public Charter Schools Act would allow for charter schools in West Virginia and develop a framework under which the schools would operate.

Senate Bill 508 also completed legislation after the Senate concurred with House amendments and passed the biill which reorganizes the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority.

Six bills on first reading advanced to second, including Senate Bill 366 , creating the Patient Protection and Transparency Act.

The Senate is adjounred until 4 p.m. tomorrow.

The following Senate committees will meet tomorrow:

Transportation at 10 a.m. in 451M.

Judiciary at 10:30 am in 208W.

Health at 1 p.m. in 451M.

Education at 2 p.m. in 451M.

Goverment Organization at 2 p.m. in 208W.

Finance at 3 p.m. in 451M.

Houses Passes the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact

House Floor Session

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March 2, 2015

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Today the House passed a multitude of bills including House Bill 2496, known as the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. This bill would allow West Virginia patients to seek medical care from doctors outside of the state. Another bill that passed was House Bill 2550. This bill would increase the number of unexcused absences of a student before action may be taken against the parents.

The House recieved a Senate message on Senate Bill 389 to amend to address the governor’s veto. The House passed the amended bill and completed legislative action.

Other bills of note that passed were House Bill 2728 and House Bill 2790. HB 2728 relates to risk-based capital reporting for health organizations. HB 2790 relates to minimum responsibility limits of car insurance. Nine other bills were passed by the House.

Twenty eight bills were read for a second time. Among these were House Bill 2999, which relates to neonatal abstinence centers, and House Bill 2840 which would provide an alternative plan to make up for lost days of instruction.

Thirty one bills were read for a first time.

The House is adjourned until 11:00 a.m. tomorrow

The following committees will meet today:

Judiciary will meet at 1:45 p.m. in Room 410M

Finance will meet at 2:00 p.m. in Room 460M

Government Organization will meet at 2:00 p.m. in Room 215E

The following committees will meet tomorrow:

Agriculture & Natural Resources will meet at 9:00 a.m. in Room 215E

Political Subdivisions will meet at 1:00 p.m. in Room 434M

Senate Amends and Passes Senate Bill 357, Recess Until 5 PM

Senate Floor Session

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March 2, 2015

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After amending a House amendment, the Senate passed Senate Bill 357 during today’s floor session. SB 357, creating the Coal Jobs and Safety Act of 2015, now awaits the concurrence of the House to the Senate’s amendment.

Nineteen other bills passed the Senate today including Senate Bills 254 and 578. SB 254 relates to the Fire, EMS, and Law-Enforcement Officer Survivor Benefit Act. SB 578 relates to the authorization of compromise and settlement of occupational disease claims.

Senate Bill 14, creating public charter schools, was deferred until the foot of first reading.

Seven bills on second reading were advanced to third, and three bills on first reading were advanced to second.

The Senate also adopted Senate Resolution 49, recognizing the 175th year of Bethany College, the oldest institution of higher education in the state.

The Senate is in recess until 5 p.m. today.

The following Senate Committees will meet today:

Judiciary at 2:15 in 208W.

Finance at 2:30 in 451M.?

Senate Passes Change to Procedure for Filling U. S. Senate Vacancy

Senate Floor Session

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March 1, 2015

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The Senate passed 13 bills during floor session Sunday afternoon, including a measure to change the procedure for filling U. S. Senator vacancies. Senate Bill 548 and the 12 other bills passed today now move on to the House for consideration. The Senate also advanced 18 bills from second to third reading, including Senate Bill 479, which would add additional family court judges in the state. Six bills were read a first time this afternoon.

Senate Bill 14, which creates the Public Charter Schools Act of 2015, was laid over again and is tenatively scheduled to be taken up on Monday.

The Senate has adjourned until tomorrow at 11 a.m.

Judiciary will meet at 5 p.m. today in 208W

Education will meet at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow in 451M

House Passes Bill Repealing Common Core Standards

House Floor Session

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February 28, 2015

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During this evening’s floor session, the House Completed legislative action on SB 382, declaring claims against the state, and also passed 13 other bills including HB 2934, which would repeal the Common Core Standards currently implemented in West Virginia schools. The bill now goes to the Senate for further consideration.

HB 2976, which would expand the eligible master’s and doctoral level programs for which a Nursing Scholarship may be awarded, was also passed during the evening floor session.

The House also read 14 bills for a second time including HB 2485, relating to the West Virginia Future Fund and read 28 bills for a first time including HB 2515, relating to elk restoration.

The House is adjourned until 11a.m. Monday, March 2.

Government Organization will hold a public hearing Monday at 8 a.m. in the House Chamber regarding Senate Bill 559, relating to social work licensing exemptions.

The following committees will meet Monday, March 2:

Roads and Transportation- 10 a.m.- 215E
Judiciary-30 minutes following floor session-410M
Finance-2 p.m.-460M
Government Organization-2 p.m.- 215E

House Passes Prevailing Wage Bill

House Floor Session

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February 28, 2015

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Today’s afternoon floor session was a lengthy one as the House debated and voted on SB 361, which would eliminate the prevailing hourly wage requirement for construction of public improvements.

Under SB 361, Workforce West Virginia, in coordination with the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research and the Center for Business and Economic Research at Marshall University would investigate and determine the prevailing hourly rate of wages in the state. Currently, that duty is in the hands of the West Virginia Division of Labor.

Workforce West Virginia, WVU, and Marshall would be given up until June 1, 2015 to determine the methodology for calculating the prevailing wage rate which Workforce West Virginia would present to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance who would review the methodology further. Then on or before July 1, 2015 the prevailing hourly rate for the remainder of the year would need approved.

The bill also stipulates that on or before September 30, 2018, and in every third year after, Workforce will review the methodology for determining the prevailing wage.

This bill would apply to those public improvements in excess of $500,000 in cost.

A number of lawmakers arose to speak on the bill, both for and against it. After hours of debate the bill passed by a vote of 56-39.

Senate Bill 361 now goes back to the Senate for further consideration.

The House recessed until 6 p.m. before continuing to consider further bills.

Senate Passes Amended Storage Tank Act, Lays Over Charter Schools

Senate Floor Session

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February 28, 2015

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The Senate completed action on four bills, passed 11 bills on for consideration in the House of Delegates and advanced 13 bills from second to third reading during a morning floor session.

The Senate concurred with the House amendments and completed action on House Bill 2201, which would require the Public Service Commission to adopt certain net metering and interconnection rules and standards. This bill was originally vetoed by the Governor due to technical errors. The Senate also concurred with the House amendments and completed action on Senate Bill 175, which authorizes DHHR to promulgate legislative rules and Senate Bill 187, which would authorize the Department of Revenue to promulgate legislative rules. House Bill 2099 also completed. The law would extend the time of meetings of local levying bodies when meetings are delayed.

Senate Bill 389 was one of the 11 bills to pass and move to the House for consideration. The bill, which was recently vetoed by the Governor due to technical errors, relates to the Board of Registration for Professional Engineers license renewals and reinstatements.

Senate Bill 423, the bill to amend the Aboveground Storage Tank Act, was moved to the foot of bills on first reading. Senate Bill 14, which creates the Public Charter Schools Act of 2015, was laid over again and is tenatively scheduled to be taken up on Monday.

The Senate is in recess until 1:30 p.m.

UPDATE:

The Senate met briefly Saturday afternoon to pass Senate Bill 423, which amends the Aboveground Storage Tank Act. The bill now heads to the House for consideration.

The Senate also advanced 18 bills from first to second reading.

The Senate is in recess until tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Judiciary was planning to meet following adjournment in 208W

Creating Coal Jobs and Safety Act of 2015 Passes

House Floor Session

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February 27, 2015

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The House met today to discuss and later pass Senate Bill 357 which would create the Coal Jobs and Safety Act of 2015. Two other Senate bills were passed including Senate Bill 175 that would authorize the DHHR promulgate legislative rules and Senate Bill 187 would authorize the Department of Revenue to promulgate legislative rules.

Following a recess, the House continued with the business on the House Special Calendar. Three bills were passed in the evening session including House Bill 2161 which would adopt the Uniform Act on Prevention of and Remedies for Human Trafficking.

Several bills on 2nd Reading were read and advanced to third reading. Senate Bill 361, which would eliminating prevailing hourly wage requirement for construction of public improvements and House Bill 2934, which would repeal the common core standards, were among the bills advanced to third reading.

Fourteen bills on first reading, including House Bill 2485, which relates to the West Virginia Future Fund, were advanced to 2nd Reading.

The following committees will meet today:

Finance will meet at 2:15 in 460M

Judiciary will meet at 2:30 p.m. in 410M

Government Organization will meet at 3 p.m. in 215E

Education will meet at 3 p.m. in 434M

Education will meet immediately following the floor session in 434M.

Judiciary will meet 30 minutes following the floor session in 410M.

The following House committees will meet tomorrow:

Judiciarywill meet at 9 a.m. in 410M

Finance will meet at 10:30 a.m. in 460M

The House is adjourned until 1 p.m. tomorrow.