Saturday, June 14, 2025
Saturday, June 14, 2025
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Senate Completes Legislative Action on Fourteen Bills

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The Senate reconvened to take up House messages. The Senate concurred with the House on 14 bills, thus completing legislative action. One of the bills that completed is Senate Bill 55, which would extend the expiration date for certain diesel-powered motor vehicle idling restrictions.

The Senate refused to concur with the House on 13 bills and appointed conference committees to discuss the bills. One bill that was placed in a conference committee is Senate Bill 371, which would provide school system under declared state of emergency participate as innovation zone pilot project.

The following conference committees will meet today:
Senate Bill 371 6:00 p.m. – 451M
Senate Bill 418 7:45 p.m. – Rear of House Chamber
House Bill 4105 7:45 p.m. – 434M

The Senate is in recess until 6:30 p.m.

UPDATE: The Senate completed legislative action on 16 bills and passed 2 others. Among completed legislation is Senate Bill 615, which conforms the WV Water Pollution Control Act with the federal Clean Water Act and Senate Bill 661, which relates to data sharing among state education providers.

Conference committees are currently meeting to address Senate Bill 211, Senate Bill 212, Senate Bill 418, Senate Bill 501, Senate Bill 597; House Bill 2278, House Bill 4053 and House Bill 4396.

The Senate is in recess until 8:30 p.m.

UPDATE: The Senate reconvened to complete legislative action on five bills. These bills included House Bill 4522, Senate Bill 161, Senate Bill 477, Senate Bill 618, and Senate Bill 678.

The Senate is in recess until 10:00 p.m.

Last Day of Session Progresses with the Completion of 16 Bills

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The House reconvened this afternoon to complete legislative action on several measures.

During the second session of the day, 16 bills were completed. Among these bills were Senate Bill 611, which will develope special community-based pilot demonstration projects to improve at-risk youth outcomes; Senate Bill 563, which would clarify Chief Technology Officer’s responsibility prior to transfer or retirement of certain equipment; and House Bill 4605, which will provide a premarital education option to applicants for marriage licenses.

Seventeen bills were also read on third reading and passed with amendments during the second session. A sampling of these bills include: Senate Bill 611, which would establish DEP procedures for biological components compliance of narrative water quality standards; Senate Bill 603, which would establish entities for operation of morale, welfare and recreation military facilities; and Senate Bill 597, which would require installation of carbon monoxide detectors in certain facilities.

The House is in recess untill 7:30 p.m.

Senate Begins its Final Day of the Regular Session

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The session began with retiring Senator John Pat Fanning presiding over the Senate floor.

Seventeen bills were read for a third time in the morning floor session with 14 completing legislative action. Among completed legislation is House Bill 3174, which relates to liquor and beer sampling events and House Bill 4072, which will eliminate the requirement for county boards of education to meet on the first Monday of July.

House Bill 2740 was moved from the Senate calendar to the Rules Committee calendar.

Retiring Senator Dan Foster took President Kessler’s position behind the podium to end the session.

The Conference Committee for HB4648 will meet at 2:30 p.m. in the rear of the House Chamber.

The Senate is in recess until 3 p.m. this afternoon.

House Begins Final Day of Regular Session

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The last day of session began with the House of Delegates’ intense focus on completing legislation as they only have until the stroke of midnight to pass bills. So far in today’s session, 13 bills have completed legislation. A sampling of the bills completed were Senate Bill 336 which will eliminate the mortgage lender license exemption available to bank subsidiaries, Senate Bill 477 will restrict the possession of wild and exotic animals, and Senate Bill 547 which relates to criminal conviction expungement.

There were 25 bills that passed in the House and will now be referred to the Senate for consideration later today including senate Bill 149 which would relate to disposition of forfeited or abandoned firearms in state custody and Senate Bill 36 would relate to the disclosure of requirements for certain public construction contracts.

The House is in recess until 2 p.m. today.

Texting Bill Passes In House

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During today’s morning floor session, the House passed Senate Bill 211 which would make both talking and texting on a cell phone while operating a vehicle a primary offense. The bill has been communicated to the Senate for further consideration. In addition, Senate Bill 110, Senate Bill 408, Senate Bill 507, and Senate Bill 588 also passed on third reading.

There were 12 bills that completed legislation including Senate Bill 156 which would allow the Corrections Commissioner to use excess funds to offset operational costs, and Senate Bill 424 which would exempt certain barbers from continuing education requirements.

Of the bills advanced to third reading, Senate Bill 118 would terminate a resident’s lease upon their death, and House Bill 353 is in relation to the possession of firearms.

The House is in recess until 2 p.m. today.

Update:

The House Budget Bill passed during the afternoon floor session in addition to six other bills that completed legislation. Among those was House Bill 4103, which would consolidate government services and the enforcement of laws pertaining to the motor carrier industry, House Bill 4433 would modify the criteria for awarding high school diplomas to certain veterans, and House Bill 4489 would strengthen the authority of the West Virginia Municipal Pensions Oversight Board.

A special presentation called “Ghosts of This House” was shown at the conclusion of today’s session to pay tribute to the members of the House who are no longer with us.

The House is adjourned until 10 a.m. tomorrow morning.

Thirteen Bills Complete Legislative Action in Senate

In this morning’s floor session, the Senate took up House messages regarding the passage of several bills. The senate concurred with House amendments, thus completing legislative action on Senate Bill 202, Senate Bill 321, Senate Bill 331, Senate Bill 156, Senate Bill 362, Senate Bill 369, Senate Bill 373, Senate Bill 424, Senate Bill 436, Senate Bill 484, Senate Bill 579, Senate Bill 646 and Senate Bill 676. These bills will now go to the Governor for his consideration.

The Senate refused to concur with House amendments on Senate Bill 572, and asked the House to reconsider their amendments.

The Finance Committee reported House Bill 4263, and suspended constitutional rules to pass the bill. The bill would create the West Virginia Buy American Act.

Senate Resolution 58 was adopted, which memorialized Michael Thomas Barrett.

The Senate is in recess until 1 p.m.

UPDATE:The Senate reconvened this afternoon.

House Bill 2740, which would makes covenants that restrict the installation or use of solar energy systems unenforceable, was laid over one day on third reading.

Six bills completed legislation during today’s afternoon session. A sampling of these bills include House Bill 4281, which will increase the supplemental pay of members of the West Virginia State Police, and House Bill 4256, which relates to captive insurance.

Additionally, 23 bills were read on third reading. Among these bills were House Bill 4522, which would provide additional contempt powers for family court judges, and House Bill 4522, which would require pulse oximetry testing for newborns.

The Senate read 14 bills for a second time. One is House Bill 4012, which would remove the Commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health from certain boards. The constitutional rules requiring that a bill be read on three seperate days were suspended for 13 bills.

These bills are House Bill 2278, House Bill 4028, House Bill 4046, House Bill 4062, House Bill 4068, House Bill 4118, House Bill 4245, House Bill 4260, House Bill 4310, House Bill 4451, House Bill 4511, House Bill 4634 and
House Bill 4396. These bills will be sent back to the House for thier concurrence on Senate amendments.

The Senate is adjourned until 11 a.m.

Senate Completes Legislative Action on Nine Bills

During this afternoons floor session, nine bills completed legislative action during today’s floor session. Among those bills, is House Bill 4130, which would create the felony criminal offense of sale or purchase of a child. Senate Bill 186 also completed legislative action due to the Senate concurring with House amendments. The bill would provide salary equity supplement payments to teachers and service personnel.

Four additional bills were passed in the Senate today. One is Senate Bill 160 , which is the Budget Bill.

Twenty-nine bills were read for a second time and were advanced to third reading. One is House Bill 4327, which would require pulse oximetry testing for newborns.

The Senate also adopted Senate Resolution 57, which congratulated Wayne County High School Career Technical Education programs.

The following committees will meet today:
Government Organization 1:30 p.m. – 208W
Education 2 p.m. – 451M
Finance 3 p.m. – 451M
Judiciary 3 p.m. – 208W

The Senate is in recess until 5 p.m.

UPDATE:The Senate reconvened briefly this evening to receive committee reports.

House Bill 4119 was recalled from the House. The bill was passed by the Senate after an amendment was stricken and a new one was added and it will be referred to the House for concurrence.

House Bill 4486, which relates to the disclosure of insurance coverage, and House Bill 4482, relating to contribution rates to be paid by a participating public employer under the West Virginia Public Employees Retirement System were among the bills read a first time.

Finance 9:30 a.m. – 451M

The Senate has adjourned until 11 a.m.

Life of Former Governor, Hulett C. Smith, Honored in House

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During today’s morning floor session, the House adopted House Resolution 126 in celebration of the life and long career of West Virginia’s 27th governor, Hulett C. Smith. Smith was born in Beckley, West Virginia and recently passed away at the age of 93 in his home in Arizona. Smith was active in banking, insurance, and the arts throughout the duration of his life and was also instrumental in establishing West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

A total of 11 bills completed legislation in the House. Among those was Senate Bill 204 , which relates to the removal of vehicles from the highway in an emergency situation, and Senate Bill 166 , which would make it a felony to disarm or attempt to disarm a correctional officer.

Six bills were reported from committee and read for the first time including Senate Bill 676 which would extend the grant funding application date for Chesapeake Bay watershed compliance projects, and Senate Bill 493 , which would exempt certain unmarked law-enforcement vehicles from sun-screening restrictions.

The House is in recess until 2 p.m. today.

The House met again this afternoon to advance 4 bills to third reading and continue bills on first reading. Bills being advanced to third reading include Senate Bill 408, which would make it a criminal offense to deface public and private property, and Senate Bill 211, which restricts texting while driving. The floor also adopted an amendment that would make both texting and talking on the phone while driving a primary offense.

Near the conclusion of today’s afternoon session, House Clerk Greg Gray honored members who have served from between five to 25 years in the House of Delegates with pins. The Speaker also announced members who will not be returning to serve next year including Delegates Butcher, T. Campbell, Carmichael, Crosier, Doyle, Frazier, Givens, Hall, Mahan, MIchael, J. Miller, Rodighiero, Savilla, Sigler, Snuffer, and Varner.

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

Completed Legislation

As of 4 p.m., Wednesday March 7, 2012, the 57th day of the 80th Legislature’s 2nd Regular Session, 2,029 bills have been introduced in the House, 157 of which have passed the House, 180 in the Senate. Of those bills, 52 have completed legislation in both chambers and either have or await the Governor’s signature. A sampling of these completed bills include:

Senate Bill 30 applies to salvage certificates for vehicles that are scraped, compressed, dismantled or destroyed. It will bring the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles into compliance with the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) language. It will also provide a form to expedite the processing of salvage vehicles.

Senate Bill 165 will prohibit sexual acts between those who are incarcerated, on probation or parole with state and local jail, correctional, probation and parole employees or contractors, with or without consent. Criminal penalties have not been changed.

Senate Bill 205 updates language in West Virginia Code to reflect current standards used by the Division of Highways and identified in the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices. The bill provides that signs and other traffic control devices be posted and include the location of the work, the speed limit and any other traffic restrictions.

Senate Bill 209 updates the meaning of “federal adjusted gross income” and certain other terms used in the West Virginia Personal Income Tax Act for the 2011 tax year to coincide with federal statutes.

Senate Bill 214 clarifies that a sunrise review is required for the establishment, revision or expansion of a professional scope of practice, removing the requirement that a change in scope of practice be substantial to activate the sunrise process.

Senate Bill 221 creates the Jason Flatt Act of 2012, which would require the Center for Professional Development to provide for the routine education of all professional educators and certain service personnel on warning signs and resources to assist in suicide prevention.

Senate Bill 343 provides for a three-month grace period for volunteer fire departments to submit data to the State Fire Marshal to be eligible to receive funding from the municipal pensions and protection fund or the fire protection fund. It requires the state fire marshal to notify each department of the due date and the grace period to ensure timely compliance. Additionally, the bill provides that when the records of a department are destroyed by means beyond the department’s control, the department is exempt from filing information for three months after destruction of the records.

Senate Bill 365 increases the number of members on the Public Employees Insurance Agency Finance Board from 9 to 11 by adding one representative of a political subdivision and one additional representative of the public having experience in the financing, development or management of employee benefit programs.

Senate Bill 379 authorizes the West Virginia Board of Examiners for Registered Professional Nurses to designate nurse health programs for licensees and applicants for treatment and recovery for alcohol abuse, chemical dependency or major mental illness. The bill specifies those applicants not being subject to disciplinary action if the person complies with the goals and restrictions of the program and enrolls on a voluntary basis.

Senate Bill 382 generally relates to sex offender registration. The bill requires sex offenders to register with the State Police in the county of his or her residence and inform the police of any changes to their registration information. The sex offenders no longer have to register in every county they visit, work or attend school as the registry is now computerized.

Senate Bill 385 expands and updates the definitions of “computer” in the Computer Crimes and Abuse Act and in the statute, which prohibits providing obscene matter to minors.

Senate Bill 429 redefines Class A vehicles by increasing the maximum weight from 8,000 pounds to 10,000 pounds to include some vehicles currently defined as “Class B.” Additionally, it redefines farm vehicles as “Class X.”

Senate Bill 434 would require that only the last four digits of the social security number be provided when a judgment creditor files a suggestion against a judgment debtor as a means of protection for the judgment debtor and to aid proper identification. The bill also adds the requirement, when possible, to include the judgment debtor’s date of birth.

Senate Bill 536 specifies that the State Auditor must use the State Treasurer’s contracts and system for receiving payments by credit card for all charges collected by the Auditor.

Senate Bill 564 terminates the fund travel management special fund, into which aviation fees and monthly vehicle fees are deposited. The bill also creates two separate special revenue accounts to be known as the “Fleet Management Office Fund” and the “Aviation Fund.” The money from the terminated fund will be transferred to the appropriate new fund.

House Bill 2521 will remove the requirement that domestic violence orders are to be served by certified mail. This will expedite service and eliminate delays in conducting final hearings.

House Bill 3128 will allow a person who has been acquitted or charges dismissed, to file a civil petition to expunge all records relating to the arrest, charges or other matters arising out of the arrest or charge.

House Bill 4037 will consider military training, experience and education towards qualification for professional or occupational licensure. The bill will also automatically extend and renew professional licenses of persons on active military duty.

House Bill 4086 will allow certain real or personal property to be assessed at salvage value for the 25 year period following when it was placed in service.

House Bill 4087 will extend the moratorium on the regular severance tax on the privilege of severing timber until the additional Workers’ Compensation Debt Reduction Act tax on the privilege of serving timber expires.

House Bill 4097 will authorize the Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists’ to create a hair stylist license.

House Bill 4122 will establish agreements between teacher education programs and county boards to use intensively supervised “teacher-in-residence” programs in substitute of student teaching programs. This would allow college students pursuing education degrees greater flexibility when fulfilling the state student teaching requirements.

House Bill 4125 will allow for each school to begin sending an annual notice to parents and guardians of students at schools alerting them of school’s crisis response plan and of their ability to review a redacted copy at the offices of the county board.

House Bill 4220 will authorize the Division of Natural Resources to promulgate a legislative rule relating to Prohibitions when hunting and trapping.

House Bill 4238 will further protect a program participant’s location information by establishing procedures for the inclusion of Address Confidentially Program participants on the special absentee voting list and the method of application and ballot provision for the program participants.

House Bill 4299 will permit a county board of education to use bus operations regularly employed by the county board of a different county to operate buses leased by the county if buses from the owning county are unavailable.

House Bill 4330 will provide that driver’s licenses may contain information designating the licensee as a person who is an honorably discharged veteran of any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States.

House Bill 4320 will provide alternatives to instituting a civil action in the circuit courts of the state by authorizing the Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection to propose legislative rules to settle violations of the hazardous waste management act.

House Bill 4351 will allow miners to submit anonymous tips about safety issues, require that ventilation plans be submitted, and allow families to be part of the interview process should another mining disaster occur among other things.

House Bill 4493 establishes three new veteran holidays: March 30 will be known as Vietnam Veteran Recognition Day; August 7 will be known as Purple Heart Recognition Day; and July 27 will be known as Korean War Veteran Recognition Day.

House Bill 4583 will move the deadline associated with the termination, resignation and transfer of school personnel and rehiring of probationary employees from February 1 to March 1. The bill requires a twenty-day notice before employed teachers can leave one position for another within the system.

Full Access in 140 Characters

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Since its inception in the Summer of 2006, Twitter has grown to become an important social media sharing site, able to disseminate information among its 300 million or more users across the world, breaking stories ranging from sports, politics and natural disasters.

Seizing upon the site’s popularity in recent years, the West Virginia Legislature has taken strides to increase constituent accessibility and legislative transparency by maintaining three separate Twitter feeds, one each for the House of Delegates and the state Senate as well as one for the West Virginia Legislature as a whole.

Coupled with the audio feeds offered on the legislative website, following the Legislature’s Twitter feeds, as well as those of lawmakers and statehouse reporters can give West Virginia citizens a real time, up to the minute view of what is happening in Charleston at the Capitol.

“Twitter’s an effective way to quickly distribute information of what issues are being debated and discussed at the Legislature at a moments notice,” said Senator Richard Browning (@SenatorBrowning) “It allows information to freely pass to our constituents further broadening the reach and transparency of the Legislature.”

The Legislature’s Twitter feeds (@WVHouse, @WVSenate and @WVLegislature) provide up to the minute updates of floor proceedings, action on the daily calendars and updated information regarding committee and floor meetings.

As an example, just this week the House Judiciary Committee worked well into the night discussing and debating legislation. To borrow a phrase, state residents from Matewan to Martinsburg and Wheeling to Welch, could all be tuned into what was going on in that particular committee by following along with the reporters covering it as well as the lawmakers assigned to that committee twitter feeds.

“Twitter helps us give play-by-play coverage of the Legislature in a way we haven’t been able to before,” Jared Hunt (@jaredwv) of the Daily Mail said. “As little as five years ago, all newspaper writers could do was give a postmortem analysis of what happened the day before, often times forcing us to sacrifice intricate details of the debate leading up to a decision. Now we can put our followers in the committee room or chamber floor as members ask questions or say what’s on their mind, giving our readers a chance to be better informed about the process and react to it in near-real time.”

Many lawmakers have also made efforts to become more accessible to their constituency by becoming active users of the popular social media website. Members tweet what meetings they are attending, how they vote on a particular issue or responding to inquiries by media or citizens who follow their feeds.

Delegates Troy Andes (@TroyAndes) and Meshea Poore (@MesheaPoore) both use Twitter to connect and inform their constituents. “Being able to use Twitter in my service to the 31st district allows me to inform and educate on matters of the district, and be accessible,” said Delegate Poore. “It is something that is real time and allows those that follow me to really be a part of the process.”

Delegate Andes concurred.

“Posting roll call votes on Twitter gives my constituents a way to see how I’m voting in real-time. This year, I’ve expanded my efforts by tweeting the roll call vote of each member upon passage of a bill,” said Delegate Andes. “ Social media lets me connect with constituents and immediately address their concerns, answer questions about pending legislation, and improve transparency in the legislative process all at no cost to the state’s taxpayers. The legislative process only works when citizens are actively involved and Twitter empowers anyone to become involved from anywhere.”

Twitter also allows a user to group Twitter accounts into lists, making following the action at the Capitol even easier. You could group together all statehouse reporters, West Virginia lawmakers and West Virginia Legislature accounts into one list making accessing legislative action even easier and more manageable to follow.

For a more complete accounting of the Legislature, please use all available outlets to your advantage. This includes the Twitter feeds mentioned as well as the streaming audio of committee and floor meetings and the West Virginia Legislature’s Facebook page.