The Health and Human Resources met this afternoon, advancing several bills.

House Bill 2754 adds pharmacy technicians to the list of individuals authorized to perform immunizations. It also reduces the age of the recipient.

House Bill 2756 adds the reporting of medical marijuana to the controlled substance monitoring database.

House Bill 2757 expands eligibility for the WV Invests grant program to include a hospital-based allied health program.

House Bill 2759 updates the health care provider tax.

House Bill 2007 prohibits physicians from performing irreversible gender reassignment procedures on minors.

The Committee on Energy and Manufacturing met this afternoon and considered four “rules” bills, advancing all to Judiciary.

House Bill 2644 authorizes the Department of Environmental Protection to create a legislative rule relating to rules for quarrying and reclamation.

House Bill 2645 authorizes the Department of Environmental Protection to create a legislative rule relating to a recycling assistance grant program.

House Bill 2646 authorizes the Department of Environmental Protection to create a legislative rule relating to the Reclamation of Abandoned and Dilapidated Properties Grant Program.

House Bill 2647 authorizes the Department of Environmental Protection to create a legislative rule relating to the reclamation of solar and wind electricity generating facilities.

The Committee on Workforce Development met this morning and advanced two bills.

House Bill 2005 establishes a dual enrollment pilot program to be administered by the HEPC and the CCTC in conjunction with the State BOE.

Some counties already have dual enrollment but not all. Some dual enrollment is limited to students who are already planning on going to college. This program would provide the opportunity to students who may want to go to college but not be certain about funding for postsecondary education. This program can be done virtually if enough students are not enrolled to do the course in person.

The bill was amended to ensure this program doesn’t only apply to public school students, but also homeschool, charter, micro-school, learning pod, and private school students.

House Bill 2515 provides single parents resources as they attempt to reenter the workforce, obtain a degree, or secure workforce training.

The House Education Committee met this afternoon to consider two pieces of legislation.

House Bill 2602 places classifications back into code that were inadvertently deleted in 2022 when House Bill 4829 passed. The bill advances.

House Bill 2003 provides early childhood assistant teachers and systems of support to help students achieve grade-level literacy and numeracy by the end of third grade. The bill replaces a transformative intervention framework with a multi-tiered system of support addressing both reading and mathematics. It includes the use of screening and/or benchmark assessments approved by the State Board to be administered three times throughout the school year. Services will be provided to students identified as having substantial deficiencies in screening assessments. The bill requires professional development for the teachers and the training and instruction provided by education preparation programs that prepare candidates seeking licensure for elementary education. Effective for the school year beginning July 1, 2026, the bill requires the retention in third grade of public-school students who demonstrate minimal grade level understanding and ability upon recommendation of teacher and student assistance team, with exceptions. If below level upon entering the fourth grade, an intervention will be provided. The bill requires an early childhood classroom assistant teacher in first, second, and third grade classrooms that have more than 12 pupils. The bill was amended and has advanced to the Finance Committee