The Committee on Banking Insurance met this morning to consider the following bills:

House Bill 4753 requires insurance coverage for biomarker testing. Biomarker testing is analyzing tissue, blood, and other biospecimen for the presence of a biomarker. It can be used for identifying correct cancer treatment. There’s been promise in using it to identify MS and Alzheimer’s. The bill requires public and private insurance companies to provide coverage in order to give patients the best possible outcome. The bill advances.

House Bill 4823 creates the West Virginia Public Adjuster Professional Standards Reform Act. The bill creates applications for licensure and insured’s rights. It provides requirements for funds received or held by a public adjuster. The bill creates fees and commissions for a public adjuster. The bill creates rules and penalties. A public adjuster represents an individual against an insurance company’s private adjusts. The bill was amended and advanced.

House Bill 4786 creates the Delivery Network Company Insurance Act. The bill provides for insurance requirements. If the individual’s auto insurance doesn’t provide coverage for deliveries, the Delivery Network Company must provide a policy and make sure the individual has access to the policy information. Delivery Service time is when the driver is logged on to the delivery systems. The amended bill advances to the Judiciary Committee.

House Bill 4809 creates the Health Care Sharing Ministries Freedom to Share Act, which would exempt health care sharing ministries from the state’s insurance laws. The bill advances to the Judiciary.

House Bill 4837 clarifies the duty of banks to retain and procure records. The bill also modifies the statute of limitations for actions to enforce a demand to be uniform with the timeframe for property abandonment. The bill provides a presumption of payment by the bank absent evidence of owner consent to renewal or escheatment to the state. The bill advances.

House Bill 4801 establishes prohibited clauses in State banking contracts and removes the date on which the Public Deposits Act must be operable under the WV Security for Deposits Act to allow discretion for program implementation. The bill advances to the Judiciary.

The Committee on Health and Human Resources met this afternoon.

House Bill 4874 updates the composition and authority of the Fatality and Mortality Review Team. The amended bill advances.

House Bill 4756 creates a council to establish a state Alzheimer’s Plan.

House Bill 4795 creates an exemption for CON and permits an academic medical center to operate an opioid treatment facility.

The remained of the committee’s agenda was 15 rules bills: House Bills 4121, 4122, 4123, 4124, 4125, 4126, 4133, 4137, 4144, 4145, 4146, 4147, 4148, 4149, and 4150.

The House Technology and Infrastructure Committee met this afternoon to consider the following:

House Bill 4434 prohibits state agencies and local government units from restricting the sale or use of motor vehicles based on the energy sources used to power the vehicles. It does not prohibit the agencies from buying any type of vehicle but prohibits them from making policy restrictions. The bill does have a committee amendment which includes other equipment using motors. The bill advances to the Committee on Government Organization.

House Bill 4764 requires the DMV to allow the purchase of one-trip special permits for a new motor vehicle dealer to be made and paid online. The committee substitute places the bill into Code 17a-7-2, as the current bill form has it in the wrong section. The bill would help car buyers/dealers legally and efficiently get these temporary plates for vehicle purchasing.

House Bill 4766 creates a new section of code that addresses road closures. The bill requires signage for road closures to be posted 30 days prior to closure if the closure will last more than 30 days and the detour is longer than one mile. There is an exemption for emergency closures.

The Commissioner of DOT expressed concerns about signs being up that long, as that can cause drivers to get comfortable with signs being out with no work being done leading to speeding. This would put workers at risk. Another concern with the bill is there is no language relating to the specifications of the signage in size, color, and font. There are federal regulations on interstate signage. He suggested another form of notification would be better than a roadside sign. Signage is planned out in the development phase months or even years in advance.

The bill sponsor brought up electric signage was added to a project in his county, and it was helpful. He wonders if this can be done 30 days in advance. He stated the bill was intentionally vague on signage specifications so that the division could comply with federal regulations.

Other proponents of the bill believe signage can help people prepare for alternative works and make plans. The committee substitute was advanced.

The House Judiciary settled in for a lengthy meeting this afternoon with five bills being discussed.

House Bill 4595 updates the authority of LOCHHRA. The bill allows for executive sessions to be entered for the commission for specific investigations and presentations. The bill was amended to add in the specific instances the commission can go into an executive session. CPS, APS, Nursing Home Abuse, and Hospital Abuse were among the situations that were specified. The amended bill advances to the floor.

House Bill 4621 prohibits the release of mug shots of persons arrested for a crime unless that person is convicted of the crime. The amended bill advances to the House floor. The amended bill advances to the floor.

House Bill 4627 updates the way DNA is maintained by law enforcement in WV. The bill requires DNA testing of all convicted of felonies and certain misdemeanors. The bill requires testing of qualified arrestees on intake. The bill authorizes expungement for qualified arrestees in certain circumstances. The bill advances.

House Bill 4666 increases criminal penalties for human trafficking. The bill would make the felony penalty a determinate sentence of 15 to 40 years for trafficking an adult. If found guilty of trafficking a minor, the felony penalty would be a determinate sentence of 25 to 100 years. For forced labor, the penalty would be a determinate sentence of 15 to 40 years for using an adult and 25 to 100 years for using a minor. For using an adult or minor in debt bondage, the determinate sentence would be 15 to 40 years. For sexual servitude of an adult, the penalty will be 25 years with no maximum. For sexual servitude of a minor, the penalty for the class 1 felony would be 50 years with no maximum. For patronizing a victim of sexual servitude, the penalty is 25 to 100 years if the victim is an adult. If the victim a minor, the penalty is 50 years with no maximum. Individuals must serve at least half of their sentence and if the victim is a minor, then the convicted individual would not be eligible for parole. The bill advances to the floor.

House Bill 4683 requires parents or guardians to participate in programs for juveniles in an out-of-home placement provided there is not a court finding that said participation is not in the best interest of the juvenile. The bill advances to the floor.

House Bill 4675 was pulled from the agenda.