During the House Rules this morning, the committee advanced House Concurrent Resolutions 12, 33, 36, 51, 54, 55, 56, 58, and 61, along with Senate Concurrent Resolutions 3 and 6 to the House floor. The Committee also moved (on second reading) Senate Bills 188 and 594 and (on first reading) Senate Bills 51, 131, 160, 205, 246, 439, 462, and 591 to the Special Calendar.

Today, the House passed the 16 bills on third reading, completing legislative action on seven of them. The House also concurred with Senate amendments to complete three House Bills.

House Bill 2993 licenses rural emergency hospitals.

House Bill 3307 establishes the West Virginia – Ireland Trade Commission. The Commission is tasked with advancing bilateral trade and investment between WV and Ireland; initiating joint action on policy issues of mutual interest; promoting business and academic exchange between the two; and encouraging mutual economic support and investment in infrastructure. The bill takes effect on March 17, 2023.

House Bill 3428 makes the West Virginia Business Ready Sites Program permanent.

Senate Bill 136 requires individuals convicted of sexual offenses to undergo psychological or psychiatric testing and have a treatment plan in place to be eligible for parole. The bill also expands the list of offenses that would prohibit a defendant from residing with minor children or having contact with victims.

Senate Bill 208 requires all current law-enforcement officers to receive training for appropriate interactions with and in response to persons with autism, Alzheimer’s, and related dementias every three years.

Senate Bill 276 allows the State Fire Marshal to award the service weapon of a retiring State Fire Marshal, any full-time deputy fire marshal, or any full-time assistant fire marshal employed by the State Fire Marshal to the retiree without charge when the retiring member honorably retires with at least 10 years of service or with less than 10 years of service based upon the determination that the retiring employee is totally physically disabled as a result of service with the State Fire Marshal.

The House is in recess until 5 p.m.

Committee Meetings, Today

• The Committee on Technology and Infrastructure will meet at 2:30 p.m. in Room 432.
• The Committee on Energy and Manufacturing will meet at 2:15 p.m. in Room 410.
• The Finance Committee will meet at 2 p.m. in Room 460.
• The Committee on Economic Development will meet at 2 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Subcommittee on SB 146 will meet immediately after Energy in Room 410.
• The Rules Committee will meet at 4:45 p.m. behind the House Chamber.

Committee Meetings, tomorrow, March 3

• The Judiciary Committee will meet at 9 a.m. in Room 410.
• The Education Committee will meet at 9 a.m. in Room 432.
• The Health and Human Resources Committee will meet at 9:30 a.m. in Room 215E.
• The Rules Committee will meet at 10:45 a.m. behind the Chamber.

   

• The Committee on Government Organization will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 215E.

   

• The Finance Committee will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 460.

The House returned to session at 6 p.m. to receive committee reports and Senate messages.

The House is adjourned until tomorrow, March 3 at 11 a.m.

It’s Crossover Day for the WV Legislature! Day 50 of a legislative session is the last day for a bill to be read a third time for consideration in its house of origin, with a few exceptions. 

In the House, 27 bills on third reading were passed to the Senate and one bill was rejected.

House Bill 2862 ensures that all shareholder votes by or on behalf of the West Virginia Investment Management Board and the Board of Treasury Investments are cast according to the pecuniary interests of investment beneficiaries.

The bill drummed up a lot of debate this morning. Opponents of the bill stated that the Investment Management Board does not support this legislation. They believed passage could tie the IMB’s hands and create red tape for them to invest employees’ money. They stated that the bill brought politics into the management of money.

The supporters stated that politics are pushed upon them regardless. They believed not passing would allow the politics of Environmental, Social, and Governance to take place instead of the pecuniary interest of investment.  

The bill advanced to the Senate.

House Bill 3018 sets the age to consent to marriage as 18. Currently, West Virginia does not have a minimum age for marriage. The bill does not nullify any current marriage nor does it affect marriages from other states.

The opponent of the bill stated that there are circumstances, such as pregnancy, that two individuals under the age of 18 would want to marry and a circuit judge should be able to make the decision to allow the two to marry. It was stated that people will go out of state to marry if they are under 18.

Proponents stated, during committees, that the bill is to protect children from being forced into marriages with an adult. It also prevents children from marrying other children when they are not ready for those decisions.

The bill advanced to the Senate.

House Bill 3135 increases the Governor and State Constitutional Officers’ salaries starting in 2025. The bill increases the salaries by 20 percent: the Governor’s salary would be set at $180,000 and constitutional officer salaries would be set to $115,000.

The bill advanced to the Senate.

House Bill 3332 creates the judicial circuits and allocates the number of circuit court judges in each circuit to be elected in the 2024 election. The bill divides the districts and number of circuit judges as follows:

• Brooke, Hancock, and Ohio (1st Circuit) with 4 judges
• Marshall, Tyler, and Wetzel (2nd Circuit) with 2 judges
• Doddridge, Pleasants, Ritchie, and Wirt (3rd Circuit) with 2 judges
• Wood (4th Circuit) with 3 judges
• Calhoun, Jackson, Mason, and Roane (5th Circuit) with 3 judges
• Cabell (6th Circuit) with 4 judges
• Putnam (7th Circuit) with 2 judges
• Kanawha (8th Circuit) with 8 judges
• Boone and Lincoln (9th Circuit) with 2 judges
• Wayne (10th Circuit) with 2 judges
• Logan and Mingo (11th Circuit) with 3 judges
• McDowell and Wyoming (12th Circuit) with 2 judges
• Mercer (13th Circuit) with 3 judges
• Raleigh (14th Circuit) with 4 judges
• Fayette (15th Circuit) with 2 judges
• Nicholas (16th Circuit) with 2 judges
• Braxton, Clay, Gilmer, and Webster (17th Circuit) with 2 judges
• Lewis and Upshur (18th Circuit) with 2 judges
• Harrison (19th Circuit) with 3 judges
• Marion (20th Circuit) with 2 judges
• Monongalia (21st Circuit) with 3 judges
• Preston and Tucker (22nd Circuit) with 2 judges
• Barbour and Taylor (23rd Circuit) with 2 judges
• Randolph (24th Circuit) with 2 judges
• Grant and Mineral (25th Circuit) with 2 judges
• Hampshire, Hardy, and Pendleton (26th Circuit) with 2 judges
• Berkeley, Morgan, and Jefferson (27th Circuit) with 6 judges
• Greenbrier, Monroe, Pocahontas, and Summer (28th Circuit) with 3 judges

The bill advanced to the Senate.

House Bill 3561 was rejected by the House. The bill would have created the Institute for Civic Life.

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

Committee Meetings, Today

• The Committee on Government Organization will meet at 4:20 p.m. in Room 215E.

• The Finance Committee will meet at 4:30 p.m. in Room 460.

• The Judiciary Committee will meet at 5:15 p.m. in Room 410.

Committee Meetings, tomorrow, March 2

• The Judiciary Committee will meet at 9 a.m. in Room 410.

• The Rules Committee will meet at 10:45 a.m. behind the House Chamber.

• The Committee on Technology and Infrastructure will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 432.

• The Committee on Energy and Manufacturing will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 410.

• The Committee on Economic Development and Tourism will meet at 2 p.m. in Room 460.

Today, the House had thirty-three bills on third reading. One had action delayed, thirty-one advanced to the Senate, and one failed to pass.

House Bill 2953 would have created the Commission on Cost-of-Living Adjustments. The Commission’s role would be to study the differentials in the cost of living between different counties. Then, the commission would compile, analyze, and weigh data from available sources to determine the five counties with the highest costs of living; estimate the number of applicable state employees whose primary workstation is within these counties and which agency they work; determine a recommended flat dollar amount to provide each applicable state employee, which could be appropriated by the legislation in the coming fiscal year as a cost-of-living adjustment; and report all determinations and recommendations with supporting data to the Legislature by December 1, 2024.

The bill failed to pass the House. Opponents stated that the bill would only benefit the wealthier counties in the state, while areas such as the southern coal fields would continue to struggle. They expressed concerns that increasing the salaries in only a few counties was keeping the poor, poor, and the wealthy, wealthy.

Proponents of the bill stated that the bill would help determine the areas that needed additional pay for state employees; that it would start a conversation. Then, if money was appropriated, it could be used to keep those employees in the state. A frequent example was the eastern panhandle, as many who live in this area, work in VA, MD, and PA due to better salaries.

House Bill 2814 advanced to the Senate. The bill creates the Hydrogen power Task Force Act. The task force would study hydrogen-fueled energy in WV’s economy and energy infrastructure. The study would review regulations and current legislation; federal incentives; potential sources of hydrogen; and make recommendations.

The Commission will be comprised of seven members: representatives from the electric utility, fossil fuel energy, manufacturing, and environmental industries; the chair of the PSC; the Secretary of the DEP; and the Secretary of the Department of Economic Development. The Commission shall submit a report by July 1, 2024, and sunset once the report is submitted.

House Resolution 17 and House Concurrent Resolution 31 were adopted.

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

Committee Meetings, Today

• The Committee on Economic Development will meet at 4 p.m. in Room 460.
• The Committee on Health and Human Resources will meet at 4 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Committee on Technology and Infrastructure will meet at 4:30 p.m. in Room 432.
• The Finance Committee will meet at 5 p.m. in Room 460.

***Committee Meetings are delayed due to caucuses.*** 

The House returned at 7:30 p.m.

The Rules Committee met this evening and moved to the Special Calendar (on third) House Bills 2955, 3046, and 3092 and (on second) House Bills 2018, 3408, and 3480.

The House amended several bills on second reading and read the bills on first reading.

The House is adjourned until tomorrow, March 1 at 11 a.m.

Committee Meetings, tomorrow, March 1

• The Rules Committee will meet at 9:15 a.m. behind the House Chamber.
• The Judiciary Committee will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 410.
• The Finance Committee will meet at 2 p.m. in Room 460.
• The Committee on Government Organization will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 215E.

During this morning’s House floor session, 21 bills were up for passage. The action was delayed on two of the bills. The rest of the bills advance to the Senate, including House Bill 3042 and House Bill 3445.

House Bill 3042 creates the Equal Protection Religion Act to prevent the government from placing excessive limitations on the exercise of religion.

The debate on the bill was lengthy. The proponents of the bill stated that this bill was to protect individuals practicing their religion from infringements from state and local governments.

Opponents expressed fears of people using this bill as legal coverage to spread hate and refuse to serve individuals under the guise of religious freedom.

House Bill 3445 crates a compliance credits program for individuals on probation and parole. The bill states individuals receive 30 days of earned compliance for each 30-day period where the individual substantially fulfills all the conditions of parole. Individuals can earn additional compliance credits for maintaining employment; paying fees, court costs, and fines; completing life skills or treatment and rehabilitation programs; and earning education degrees.

The bill does exclude individuals convicted of a felony offense using explosives or deadly weapons, sexual offenders, and offenses against a child. The bill requires the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Division of Probation Services to provide annual reports to the Legislature.

Also, fourteen House Concurrent Resolutions were adopted.

The House is in recess until 5:30 p.m.

Committee Meetings, Today

• The Committee on Government Organization will meet at 2:30 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Judiciary Committee will meet at 4 p.m. in Room 410.
• The Finance Committee will meet at 4:30 a.m. in Room 460.

Committee Meetings, tomorrow, Feb. 28

• The Rules Committee will meet at 10:45 a.m. behind the House Chamber.
• The Committee on Technology and Infrastructure will meet at 2 p.m. in Room 432.
• The Committee on Economic Development will meet at 2 p.m. in Room 460.
• The Committee on Health and Human Resources will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Finance Committee will meet at 3:30 p.m. in Room 460.

The Committee on Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 9 a.m. in the House Chamber on HB 3157 – Relating to clarifying the duties, functions, prohibitions and restrictions applicable to the West Virginia Fusion Center.

The House returned at 6 p.m. and advanced bills on second and first reading.

The House is adjourned until tomorrow, Feb. 28 at 11 a.m.

During the House’s first Saturday Session, the House passed sixteen bills including House Bill 2567.

House Bill 2567 creates a misdemeanor criminal offense for trespassing into the dwelling of another person without another crime planned. The penalty for the misdemeanor is up to six months in jail and/or a fine of $1 to $500. The conviction of a second or subsequent offense would be a felony offense with a penalty of 1 to 5 years in prison and/or a fine of $1,000 to $5,000.

The bill also amends the code for trespassing in a dwelling or on the property of another person with a firearm or other dangerous weapon. The bill changes the offense to a felony with a penalty of one to ten years in prison and/or $5,000 to $10,000.

House Bill 3214 also passed today. It creates the “Road Optimization and Assessment Data (R.O.A.D.) Pilot Program to determine how to maintain roads and highways.

The DOH pilot program will use Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to access urban and rural paved roads in Monongalia and Preston Counties. The technologies will use GPS positioning and Geotagged positioning to indicate road geometry and curvature. A Laser measuring system with video will identify and measure cracks and payment distress including potholes, cracking, patching, cracking, shoulder issues, canopy brush, painted lines, and drainage issues. The data collected will create a baseline for road condition assessments.

The bill states the data capturing will take place at intervals for maintenance purposes. After year two, year four, and the termination of the pilot program, the DOH will report to the Legislative Oversight Commission on the Department of Transportation Accountability.

Five of the 25 bills on second reading were amended today. There were 34 bills on first reading. 

The House is in recess until 5 p.m.

Committee Meetings, Today

• The Education Committee will meet at 2:45 p.m. in Room 432.
• The Government Organization Committee will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Finance Committee will meet at 3:30 p.m. in Room 410.
• The Rules Committee will meet at 4:45 p.m. behind the Chamber

The Committee on Energy and Manufacturing will hold a public hearing on Monday, Feb. 27 at 9 a.m. in the House Chamber on HB 3446 – Clarifying the powers and duties of the Public Service Commission as to electric generating facilities.

The Committee on Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 9 a.m. in the House Chamber on HB 3157 – Relating to clarifying the duties, functions, prohibitions, and restrictions applicable to the West Virginia Fusion Center.

The House reconvened at 5:45 p.m. to receive committee reports.

The House is adjourned until 11 a.m. Monday, February 27.

Committee Meetings, Monday, Feb. 27

• The Rules Committee will meet at 10:45 a.m. behind the House Chamber.
• The Committee on Government Organization will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Judiciary Committee will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 410.
• The Education Committee will meet at 2 p.m. in Room 432.