Monday, July 14, 2025
Monday, July 14, 2025
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House HHR Committee Advances Six Bills

Cheyenne DeBolt
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House HHR Committee Advances Six Bills

The Committee on Health and Human Resources met this afternoon to consider the following.

House Bill 2186 ensures that a smoke evacuation system is in place to protect medical personnel during any medical treatment where there could be surgical smoke.

House Bill 2592 establishes a nurse staffing and safe harbor peer review process and creates protections for nurse licensure under the safe harbor.

House Bill 2993 licenses rural emergency hospitals.

House Bill 3166 permits a hospital to hold a patient experiencing a psychiatric emergency for up to 72 hours.

House Bill 3200 permits DHHR to transfer comprehensive community mental health centers and comprehensive intellectual disability facilities to regional mental health centers or regional intellectual disability facilities.

House Bill 3317 removes specific continuing education requirements.

House Passes Bill to Increase Adoption Tax Credit

Cheyenne DeBolt
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House Passes Bill to Increase Adoption Tax Credit

Twelve bills were up for discussion today in the House of Delegates.

House Bill 2002 increases the adoption tax credit and establishes eligibility of adopted children of WV residents for early intervention services. The bill establishes the WV Mothers and Babies Pregnancy Support Program.

House Bill 2548 clarifies that temporary identification cars are to be issued at no cost to released inmates and extends the validity of the ID to 180 days.

House Bill 2967 expedites the processing of professional or trade license applications for service members, veterans, and their spouses.

House Bill 2036 removes the limit on the number of certified BUILD WV districts that may be certified in the state. The bill gives the Secretary of the Department of Economic Development, the Secretary of the Department of Tourism, and the Secretary of the Department of Commerce the discretion on the number of BUILD WV districts.

Action on House Bill 3130 was postponed one day.

Amendments to House Bill 2882 led to a lengthy debate. The bill is a supplementary appropriation that adds a new item of appropriation from the State Fund, General Revenue unappropriated surplus for the fiscal year 2023. Two amendments were offered and rejected.

The House is adjourned until 9 a.m. on tomorrow, Feb. 10.

Committee Meetings, Today

Committee Meetings, tomorrow, Feb. 9

Senate Passes Bill to Require Holocaust, Financial Literacy Curriculum

Christopher Marshall
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Senate Passes Bill to Require Holocaust, Financial Literacy Curriculum

The Senate passed a bill Thursday morning that would require public schools in West Virginia to teach about the Holocaust and other genocides, as well as financial literacy.

If Senate Bill 216 becomes law, West Virginia would join 24 other states that require Holocaust education in public schools.

The bill now heads to the House of Delegates for consideration.

The Senate is adjourned until tomorrow, Feb. 10, at 9 a.m.

Afternoon Meetings:

Health at 1 p.m. in 451M

Energy at 1 p.m. in 208W

Judic Sub A at 2 p.m. in 208W

Judic Sub B at 2 p.m. in 451M

Judic Sub C at 2 p.m. in 219M

Judiciary at 3 p.m. in 208W

Finance at 3 p.m. in 451M

Senate Passes Income Tax Cut Plan

Christopher Marshall
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Senate Passes Income Tax Cut Plan

The Senate met Wednesday afternoon to pass Senate Bill 424, its version of the personal income tax cut plan, a comprehensive piece of legislation that would return roughly $600 million to West Virginians.

The plan impacts an array of the state tax code while assessing needs for prudent state spending going forward. The main elements of this plan include:

  • A sustainable personal income tax reduction, starting with a 15 percent decrease in personal income tax
  • A rebate for the payment of personal property taxes on vehicles
  • A homestead real property tax rebate for 90- to 100-percent service-disabled veterans
  • A 50 percent rebate for the payment of equipment and inventory taxes paid by West Virginia small businesses
  • Elimination of the “marriage penalty” when filing taxes in West Virginia

The plan also has triggering mechanisms that would continue to decrease the personal income tax as the economy grows. Under the plan, when sales tax collections increase 105 percent over the previous year, it triggers a dollar for dollar income tax reduction of that amount of increase. In effect, the bill creates a smoothing mechanism tied to economic growth that Senators hope will safely bring down the income tax to zero over time.

The bill now heads to the House of Delegates for consideration.

The Senate is adjourned until tomorrow, Feb. 9, at 11 a.m.

Feb. 9 Morning Meetings:

Education at 9 a.m. in 451M

Government Organization at 9 a.m. in 208W

House Gov Org Amends Social Worker Requirements

Cheyenne DeBolt
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House Gov Org Amends Social Worker Requirements

The Committee on Government Organization met this afternoon and advanced the following.

House Bill 2309 streamlines the renewal process for the Managed Timberland Program through the creation of an online renewal process.

House Bill 3210 clarifies the performance of the installation of propane gas systems.

House Bill 3261 amends the requirements for provisionally licensed social workers in West Virginia, who are seeking to become fully licensed. The bill requires a provisionally licensed social worker must be employed for four of the last ten years as a supervised social worker to be considered for full licensing. The current requirement is four continuous years.

House Bill 3311 increases the alcohol limit on table wine from 14% to 15.5% to be comparable to beer.

House Bill 3318 amends the code to ensure that the Workforce Development Board provides local opportunities for residents.

House Judiciary Advances Bill Recognizing fetus as victim in DUI Accidents

Cheyenne DeBolt
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House Judiciary Advances Bill Recognizing fetus as victim in DUI Accidents

The Committee on the Judiciary met this afternoon to consider the following legislation.

House Bill 3302 recognizes an embryo or fetus as a distinct unborn victim for the offense of DUI causing death or severe bodily injury.

House Bill 2817 clarifies the definitions of alternative fuel and alternative fuel vehicles, limiting Public Service Commission jurisdiction over temporary charging locations with movable generators for technological demonstrations at fairs, festivals, and other special events.

House Bill 2605 enacts a Good Samaritan Law. The bill provides that an individual who voluntarily without payment assists at the scene of an accident, emergency, or disaster may not be liable for civil damages as the result of any act or omission in providing emergency care.

House Bill 3272 enacts laws authorizing the formation and operation of licensed and unlicensed private trust companies under West Virginia law.

House Bill 2540 establishes the “Travel Insurance Model Act.” This will allow travel agencies in the state to provide travel insurance.

House Bill 3122 permits certain types of rifles to use an encapsulated propellant charge that loads from the breech.

Senate Passes Bill to Provide Free Feminine Hygiene Products in Schools

Christopher Marshall
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Senate Passes Bill to Provide Free Feminine Hygiene Products in Schools

The Senate passed SB489 on Wednesday, legislation that would require all county boards of education to provide free feminine hygiene products to students in grades three through 12.

Recent research has shown that more than two in five people with periods say they have struggled to purchase period products due to lack of income at some point in their life, often leading to missed work and school. The same body of research also indicates COVID-19 has only exacerbated the issue of access.

Comments from lawmakers and educators in the Education Committee indicated a need for this bill in communities throughout the state.

If this legislation completes action to become law, West Virginia would join 16 other states, including neighboring Maryland and Virginia in requiring period products in schools.

The Senate is in recess until 4 p.m.

Afternoon Meetings:

Pensions at 2 p.m. in 451M

Judiciary at 2 p.m. in 208W

Finance at 2:30 p.m. in 451M

House Updates Patient Brokering Act

Cheyenne DeBolt
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House Updates Patient Brokering Act

Today, the House passed Senate Bill 241, which gives the Inspector General authority to receive and investigate complaints of patient brokering.

Amendments were offered and rejected on House Bill 2002. House Bill 2002 increases the adoption tax credit beginning in 2023. The ill establishes the eligibility of adopted children of WV residents for early intervention. It also establishes the WV Mothers and Babies Pregnancy Support Program.

House Bill 2599 and House Bill 2762 were amended.

House Bill 2599 creates a mapping system for utility pole rights-of-way and easements. It requires pole owners to provide information to the Department of Economic Development so maps can be created with specific information about the poles. The amendment states that pole owners shall provide information obtained from attachers.

House Bill 2762 requires the State Fire Commission to propose rules providing those buildings commencing construction after July 1, 2023, housing emergency fire, rescue, or ambulance services shall be protected throughout by approved automatic sprinkler systems. The amendment provides that buildings less than 5,000 square feet are an exception as long as there is no sleeping area in the building.

The House is adjourned until 11 a.m. on tomorrow, Feb. 9.

Committee Meetings, Today

  • The Education Committee will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 432.
  • The Judiciary Committee will meet at 1:15 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.

Committee Meetings, tomorrow, Feb. 9

  • The Committee on Senior, Children, and Family Issues will meet at 9:15 a.m. in Room 460.
  • 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.
  • The Sub-Committee on Tourism will meet at 3 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 4 p.m. in Room 460.

House Veterans Affairs Committee Moves to Create Funeral Honor Guard

Cheyenne DeBolt
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House Veterans Affairs Committee Moves to Create Funeral Honor Guard

The Committee on Veterans and Homeland Security met this morning to consider legislation, including the following.

House Bill 3233 increases the officer uniform allowance for the National Guard. The bill also adds allowances for maternity and specialty uniform allowances.

House Bill 3254 establishes a State Military Funeral Honor Guard in honor of Hershel “Woody” Williams, known as the Hershel “Woody” Williams State Military Funeral Honor Guard to render professional military funeral honors.

House Bill 3152 makes the West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory the entity responsible for the certification, standards, and administration of secondary chemical tests. The bill also makes the West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory responsible for approval of the devices and methods of preliminary breath analysis.

Senate Bill 298 allows mutual aid agreements to be entered into by local emergency services or organizations for reciprocal aid in bordering counties of other states for day-to-day support for fire and emergency medical service calls.

House HHR Committee Advances Five Bills and Rejects One

Cheyenne DeBolt
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0
House HHR Committee Advances Five Bills and Rejects One

The Committee on Health and Human Resources met this afternoon to consider the following.

House Bill 2075 requires regular updates to a patient’s medication regimen to be provided to the patient’s pharmacy. The bill also requires labeling to clearly state what the medication is being used for.

House Bill 2994 extends the time a glass prescription is valid from one year to three years. It also extends the prescription for contacts from one year to 18 months. The bill was rejected.

House Bill 3278 updates the practice of optometry. The bill allows optometrists to perform all procedures in which the optometric is certified.

House Bill 3199 clarifies that the termination of ectopic pregnancy does not have to be reported when abortion data is reported to the vital statistics registration.

House Bill 3306 moves the Office of Drug Control Policy under the direction of the Governor from DHHR.

House Bill 3092 requires local and county health departments to issue a mobile food establishment reciprocity permit to a mobile food service establishment that is operating within the State of West Virginia and holds a valid mobile food establishment permit from the vendor’s county of residence.

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