On Day 51 of the Legislative Session, every bill up for passage was read in full.

Senate Bill 22 applies royalty payment disputes on conventional vertical oil and natural gas wells filed on or after July 1, 2025. The bill states that a lessee who fails to pay royalties on mineral production within six months of the due date is liable to the lessor for an amount three times the market value of the unpaid royalty.

Senate Bill 459 requires a member of a municipal or county planning commission to have maintained continuous West Virginia residency for the three years immediately preceding his or her appointment. Additionally, it requires the member to have been a resident of the municipality or county for one year immediately preceding his or her appointment.

Senate Bill 522 requires the Secretary of State to notify an LLC by certified mail with written notice of a determination to dissolve with the grounds of dissolution. The Secretary of State would then file a certificate of dissolution on the LLC, but not be requires sending it via certified mail, if the LLC provides an email address, the SOS will email it.

Senate Bill 525 requires the Secretary of State to notify a nonprofit corporation by certified mail with written notice of a determination to dissolve with the grounds of dissolution. The Secretary of State would then file a certificate of dissolution on the nonprofit corporation, but not be requires sending it via certified mail, if the nonprofit corporation provides an email address, the SOS will email it.

Senate Bill 538 removes the sunset date for the right of first refusal to land reuse agencies and municipal land banks to acquire certain tax-delinquent properties. This permits these entities to purchase qualifying tax-delinquent properties before they are offered at public auction. The bill requires an annual report to the West Virginia Land Stewardship Corporation, which reports to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.

Resolutions Adopted Today

House Concurrent Resolution 88 – Honoring First Responders Honor Board’s Medal of Valor Nominees
House Concurrent Resolution 96 – Urging West Virginia’s members of Congress to ask the President not to cut funding for the Local Food in Schools and Child Care Nutrition
Senate Concurrent Resolution 6 – US Army Major Jerome Lee Workman Memorial Bridge
Senate Concurrent Resolution 9 – Becker Brothers, Eugene, and Kermit Becker Memorial Bridge
Senate Concurrent Resolution 16 – US Army SPC Johnny Long Memorial Bridge
Senate Concurrent Resolution 17 – US Marine Corps PVT Arlie Haught Memorial Bridge

The House is adjourned until 9 a.m. tomorrow, April 4, 2025.

Committee Meetings, Today April 3

• The Committee on Government Organization will meet at 1:30 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Committee on Education will meet at 1:45 p.m. in Room 432M.
• The Committee on Energy and Public Works will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 410.
• The Committee on Health and Human Resources will meet at 4 p.m. in Room 215E.

Committee Meetings, Tomorrow, April 4

• The Rules Committee will meet at 8:45 a.m. in the Speaker’s Conference Room.
• The Committee on Government Organization will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Committee on Education will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 432M.
• The Judiciary Committee will meet after the floor in Room 410.

The House passed 22 bills during today’s floor session and rejected one.

House Bill 3154 was rejected in a 45 to 52 vote. The bill would have allowed Limited Video Lottery owners to advertise as other gambling businesses do. Opponents of the bill felt that LVL gambling is different than other forms of gambling and could target the most vulnerable of the population. Proponents felt the funds from LVL could increase meaning more funding for other schools and other important issues in the state.  

House Bill 2014 establishes the Certified Microgrid Program. The bill removes a restriction on the location of districts to state property, including its political subdivisions. The bill allows for more microgrids, but only if they consume internally 60% of the electricity generated when fully operational by one or more high-impact data centers. These microgrids are limited to selling 10% of the electricity generated to the wholesale market.

House Bill 2152 promotes payment to vendors of commodities and services to the state. The bill states that a state agency must pay any legitimate claim for payment within 45 days after the claim has been received. If the agency fails to pay the claim within the requisite 45 days, then the agency must report that failure to the State Auditor. Additionally, any vendor or grantee who does not receive payment within the requisite 45 days may report that violation to the State Auditor. The State Auditor is required to publish a list of non-compliant agencies on its website and update the list on at least a monthly basis.

House Bill 2777 transfers the requirement of keeping homeschool information from county school boards to the state department. The bill also removes the requirement that homeschool educators submit satisfactory evidence of a high school diploma or equivalent, a post-secondary degree or certificate, or from an institution of higher education that has been authorized to confer a post-secondary degree or certificate.

House Bill 3411 repeals code relating to expired legislative commissions including the Legislative Building Commission, the WV Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission and Fund, The Council of Finance and Administration, the Steering Committee for the WV Enterprise Resource Planning Board, the WV Sentencing Commission, the Toll Road Study Commission, the Select Committee on Outcomes-based Funding Models in Higher Education, Equal Pay Commission, Joint Legislative Oversight Commission on State Water Resources, Commission on Interstate Cooperation, and the Legislative Oversight Committee on WV Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority. Additionally, the bill removes legislative membership from the Employee Suggestion Award Board, the WV Forest Management Review Commission, the WV Economic Development Strategy, the WV Fusion Center, and the State Board of Risk and Insurance Management. Finally, the bill moves the duties of the Joint Commission of Government Operations duties to the Joint Committee on Government Organizations.

House Bill 3444 repeals the sections of code relating to the inflammation of the eyes of newborns. With the repeal, the mandate to apply antibiotic erythromycin is removed, the reporting requirements are removed, and penalties for not applying are removed.

The House is adjourned until 11 a.m. tomorrow, April 2, 2025.

Committee Meetings, Today April 1

• The Committee on Government Organization will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 215E.

Committee Meetings, Tomorrow, April 2

• The Judiciary Committee will meet at 9 a.m. in Room 410.
• The Finance Committee will meet at 9 a.m. in Room 460.
• The Rules Committee will meet at 10:45 a.m. in the Speaker’s Conference Room.
• The Committee on Government Organization will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Committee on Education will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 432M.
• The Committee on Energy and Public Works will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 410.
• The Committee on Health and Human Resources will meet at 3:30 p.m. in Room 215E.

The House returned to session around 4:30 p.m. to finish taking up the calendar. Additional bills passed including:

House Bill 3373 extends the Division of Economic Development to January 1, 2030.

House Bill 3389 excludes the Department of Tourism as a “governmental agency” to allow the Department to be exempt from the requirement to offer the division of vocational rehabilitation the opportunity to operate the Department’s food service facilities.

House Bill 3424 removes language relating to short-term loans being provided to released inmates for the cost of reentry. It was stated that this loan was never funded nor used.

House Bill 3429 allows the Department of Environmental Protection to evaluate letters of interest from engineering firms to generate “Prequalified Lists of Consultants.”

House Bill 3505 requires all health plans in West Virginia to provide coverage for cancer treatments of scalp cooling systems.

The House had 26 bills on Second Reading today, with a few being amended.

Senate Bill 275 removes the requirement of a high school diploma for school cooks and custodians. The amendment adds that those without a high school diploma must be 21 or older to be a cook or custodian. This is to prevent students from dropping out to become cooks or custodians at the school.

Senate Bill 282 allows retired teachers to be long-term teachers in areas of critical need without a limit on the number of days. The amendment requires the county board to post the position until it is filled by a regularly employed teacher. The posting is to occur at the start of each semester. This requirement is not necessary when the substitute is teaching for a leave of absence or if the position is filled by a regularly employed teacher who cannot start immediately.

The amendment to Senate Bill 650 clarifies that interventionists cannot be used as aides in kindergarten or first-grade classrooms.

House Bill 2014 had several amendments offered, but only two were adopted. The first amendment adopted clarified that the bill related to thermal baseload generating. The second amendment clarified that the bill should not impact microgrid districts certified before January 1, 2024, or any special contract entered into or approved by the Public Service Commission before January 1, 2025.

House Bill 2777 relates to removing certain information for home-schooled children. Two amendments were offered and rejected. The first would have removed all exemptions and stated no parent had to enroll students in school or report on a child’s educational status. The second amendment would have removed the submission requirement on assessments for homeschooled students in grades 3, 5, 8, and 11. Both amendments were rejected and the bill advanced.

The House is adjourned until 11 a.m. tomorrow, April 1, 2025.

Committee Meetings, Tomorrow, April 1

• The Judiciary Committee will meet at 9 a.m. in Room 410.
• The Finance Committee will meet at 09:30 a.m. in Room 460.
• The Rules Committee will meet at 10:45 a.m. in the Speaker’s Conference Room.
• The Committee on Government Organization will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 215E.

On day 48 of the Legislative session, the House passed 27 bills in its morning floor meeting. Before the floor session, the Rules Committee moved House Bills 2409, 3432, 3446, and 3518 to the inactive calendar. House Bills 2054 and 3154 were transferred to the active Special Calendar.

Some bills passing today were:

Senate Bill 458 implements “universal licensure” which has been implemented in 26 other states. The bill applies to Chapter 30 boards, which would be required to issue occupational licenses for a person who has established residency in the state. The person must have completed all necessary requirements and examines in other states and be in good standing with the state they are licensed in.

House Bill 2002 creates a one-stop shop for permits relating to construction, economic development, infrastructure, and natural resources.

House Bill 2013 exempts new hires and those who switch positions from the civil service system and grievance process starting July 1, 2025.

House Bill 2156 gives DOH 30 days to respond to highway entrance permits. If the department does not respond, the request is auto-approved. If the permit is contested, the DOH has 15 days to respond. If the DOH follows the process and denies the request, the applicant can contest the denial in magistrate court within 15 days. If the applicant complies with the guidelines, there is an application fee. If the applicant requests emergency access or a shorter timeframe than outlined, the DOH may require a $500 application fee.

House Bill 2351 increases the compensation for panel attorneys to $90 for in-court work and $70 for out-of-court work.

House Bill 2571 provides tow companies with access to driver information provided by the DMV at any hour as long as the company is regulated by the Public Service Commission.

House Bill 2894 amends the human trafficking code and adds a new crime – human smuggling. The bill defines “human smuggling” as the knowing act of transporting, transferring, receiving, isolating, enticing, or harboring an illegal alien to avoid enforcement of state or federal immigration laws. The bill excludes immediate family members when transportation is done voluntarily. The bill sets penalties for smuggling an adult and a minor.

House Bill 3152 is the annual claims bill, which directs payment of moral obligations of state agencies for claims against the state.

House Bill 3167 requires hair follicle drug tests for parents in cases of substantiated abuse and neglect. The bill was amended to allow parents to opt into a follicle test if they believe they’ve had a false positive urine drug test. Hair follicle drug tests are considered the most accurate.

House Bill 3279 makes changes to the WVU and WVSU Boards of Governors. The bill requires a representative from the agriculture or forestry professions. The bill requires the WVU board to include representatives from WVU Tech and WVU Potomac. These added members are voting members. The bill also removes faculty, staff, and students from being voting members to nonvoting advisory members.

Resolutions introduced today can be found here.

During committee reports, six bills were read for the first time.

The House is in recess until 4 p.m.

Committee Meetings, Today March 31

• The Judiciary Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. in Room 410.
• The Finance Committee will meet at 1:50 p.m. in Room 460.
• The Subcommittee on Energy and Public Works will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 410.
• The Committee on Health and Human Resources will meet at 3:30 p.m. in Room 215E.