Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
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House Legislation (03/19/21-03/25/21)

As of Friday, March 26, 2021, 1307 bills have been introduced to the House. Of those bills, 137 have passed and advanced to the Senate.

House Bill 3130 eliminates the sunset prevision on towing rates.

House Bill 2914 removes the president of the historical society and the president of the historical association as ex officio voting members of the archives and history commission.

House Bill 2823 exempts buildings or structures used exclusively for agricultural purposes from the provisions of the State Building Code

House Bill 2808 removes salt from the list of “mineral” for severance tax purposes.

House Bill 2782 repeals domestic animal tax.

House Bill 2777 repeals municipal amusement tax.

House Bill 2742 provides authority to process an online driver’s license or ID renewal or reissue when an address update is needed. This would supersede current legislative rule.

House Bill 2633 creates the 2021 Farm Bill, which amends and updates code relating to agriculture.

House Bill 2499 reduces taxes for arms and ammo manufacturing.

House Bill 2496 changes appellate rights of property owners concerning valuation, classification, and taxability of real estate and personal property taxation.

House Bill 2174 is the West Virginia Monument and Memorial Protection Act of 2021.

House Bill 2920, a supplemental appropriation bill, adds funds from the Treasury to the Department of Health and Human Resources, Division of Health, Laboratory Services Fund.

House Bill 2899, a supplemental appropriation bill, adds funds to the Department of Commerce.

House Bill 2897, a supplemental appropriation bill, expires funds to certain accounts within the Department of Commerce.

House Bill 2829 provides for the amortization of annual funding deficiencies for municipal police or firefighter pension and relief funds.

House Bill 2796, a supplemental appropriation bill, expires funds of the West Virginia Development Office to the surplus balance of General Revenue.

House Bill 3010 extends the special valuation method for cellular towers to towers owned by person not subject to regulation to the Board of Public Works.

House Bill 2785 makes three changes: 1.) Parents make decision to remove their child from kindergarten program, 2.) Removes placement requirement to enroll in first grade for students who attend certain Montessori programs, and 3.) Requires that out-of-state students be placed in the grade from which they transferred.

House Bill 2760 amends the economic opportunity tax credit and the high technology manufacturing tax credit to provide more target and effective tax incentives for economic development.

House Bill 2630 requires the West Virginia DEP to pay back fines to political subdivisions if they make required upgrades or fixes in relation to those fines.

House Bill 2638, Mylissa Smith’s Law, creates patient visitation privileges during a pandemic.

House Bill 2195 requires the law-enforcement officer, within 24 hours of a vehicle crash, to share the owner/operator and insurance information for all the involved parties with all the other involved parties and/or their insurance agents.

House Bill 3215 amends the requirements to become an elected prosecutor.

House Bill 3177 removes outdated provisions and report requirements in education.

House Bill 3164 removes language that transportation is required to be charged with kidnapping.

House Bill 3045 deletes the July 1, 2023 sunset provision that would end a rebuttable presumption for a workers’ compensation benefits claim that a professional firefighter developed leukemia, lymphoma, or multiple myeloma arising out of and in the course of employment as a firefighter.

House Bill 2985 is the Second Chance at Life Act of 2021, which requires doctors to provide certain information when prescribing a chemical abortion.

House Bill 2874 extends the current veteran’s business fee waivers to active-duty members and their immediate family.

House Bill 2427 allows the Department of Health and Human Resources to create rules relating to behavior health center licensure.

House Bill 2029 relates to teacher preparation clinical experience programs.

House Bill 2028 exempts veterinarians from the requirements of controlled substance monitoring.

House Bill 3294 creates the Unemployment Insurance Program Integrity Act.

House Bill 3293 requires that a secondary student athlete’s participation in single-sex athletics be based upon the athlete’s biological sex as indicated on the athlete’s original birth certificate issued at the time of birth.

House Bill 3231 provides that public utilities not required to pay interest on security deposits held for up to eighteen months.

House Bill 3191 requires employers to notify retirants if their subsequent employment will negatively impact the retirant’s retired status or benefit.

House Bill 3137 accelerates the conversion of the transfer tax on the privilege of transferring real property from a state excise tax to a county excise tax,

House Bill 3107 declares the Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder diagnosed by a licensed psychiatrist is a compensable occupational disease for first responders and makes PTSD workers’ compensation coverage for first responders a voluntary program for employers.

House Bill 2953 clarifies that counties can hire firefighters as paid staff and to modify the existing procedures to include a referendum procedure by a county commission, as it relates to amending fire fees for counties.

House Bill 2792 allows new customers of natural gas to receive direct access from natural as supplies and modifies the ability of existing customers to receive direct access to natural gas service if the end user expands its existing service of 25 million cubic feet of natural gas per year or more.

Senate Legislation (03/19/21- 02/25/21)

As of Friday, March 25, 2021, 713 bills have been introduced to the Senate. Of those bills, 133 have passed and advanced to the House.

Senate Bill 562 establishes procedures for determining juvenile competency to stand trial and creates a disposition alternative for juveniles determined to be incompetent.

Senate Bill 626 regulates purchases of automobile catalytic converters. This bill would create a crime for possessing a catalytic converter without documented proof of legal purchase.

Senate Bill 532 limits claims for state tax credits and rebates.

Senate Bill 531 relates to incomplete, duplicative, or redundant claims for refund.

Senate Bill 422 deals with a legal action known as “piercing the veil,” which means a court essentially holding the members of an LLC personally responsible if their business runs afoul of the law. It is a practice used with litigation involving corporations.

Senate Bill 636 requires courses in all public, private, parochial, and denominational schools for instruction of the institutions and structure of American government.

Senate Bill 569 establishes limits applicable to the award of damages for medical monitoring.

Senate Bill 36 requires the Legislative Auditor to conduct a performance audit of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission and authorizing the inspection of records and examination of personnel.

Senate Bill 693 updates certain terms used in WV Personal Income Tax Act.

Senate Bill 479 moves authority for the West Virginia veterans service decoration and West Virginia Service Cross to the Division of Veterans Affairs.

Senate Bill 478 permits the use of established federal marketplace programs for the purchase of supplies.

Senate Bill 398 places a moratorium on coverage under the West Virginia PEIA unless the employer is the State, its boards, agencies, commissions, departments, institutions, or spending units or a county board of education.

Senate Bill 395 expands the PEIA Finance Board membership.

Senate Bill 586 provides a 50 percent discount on all fees and charges relating to state parks for West Virginia veterans.

Senate Bill 658 requires sheriff’s departments to participate and utilize Handle With Care Program for trauma-inflicted children.

Senate Bill 651 allows county boards of education to publish financial statements on website.

Senate Bill 644 Exempts certain persons pursuing degree in speech pathology and audiology from license requirements.

Senate Bill 610 provides tuition and fee waivers as state higher education institutions for volunteers who have completed service in AmeriCorps programs in WV.

Senate Bill 509 removes requirements that determination of medical stability be found prior to admission to mental health facility.

Senate Bill 487 updates the Division of Purchasing’s procurement and spending thresholds.

Senate Bill 483 allows others to be taken before any person authorized to administer oaths.

Senate Bill 361 extends supervision for conviction of soliciting a minor and using obscene matter with intent to seduce a minor.

Classifications Created for Criminal Felonies and Misdemeanors Advances

The Judiciary Committee met this morning and afternoon, advancing House Bill 2017.

House Bill 2017 was the entire focus of the morning meeting. Counsel explained the 404-page criminal code rewrite. The bill adds two new articles of code: Article 17 – Classification of Offenses and Authorized Disposition of Offenders and Article 18 – Restitution and Fines. For sentencing, felonies are classified in six categories, misdemeanors are classified in three categories, and petty offenses are not classified. Several articles of the criminal code have been rewrote to incorporate the new class system into it.

The Felony Classifications are as follows:

  • Class 1- Minimum: Life with Mercy, Maximum: Life without Mercy
  • Class 2- Minimum: 15 years, Maximum: 60 years
  • Class 3- Minimum: 5 years, Maximum: 30 years
  • Class 4- Minimum: 3 years, Maximum: 15 years
  • Class 5- Minimum: 2 years, Maximum: 10 years
  • Class 6- Minimum: 1 years, Maximum: 5 years

Fines for felonies are fixed at not more than $500,000 unless other provided.

The Misdemeanor Classification are as follows:

  • Class 1: 1 year maximum
  • Class 2: 6 months maximum
  • Class 3: 90 days maximum

Fines for misdemeanors are no more than $2,500 for a class 1, no more than $750 for a class 2, no more than $500 for a class 3, and no more than $300 for a petty offense.

Fines against enterprises, which are any entity other than an individual person, are as follows:

  • Class 1 felony: $10M
  • Class 2 felony: $5M
  • Class 3, 4, 5, and 6 felony: $1M
  • Class 1 misdemeanor: $100,000
  • Class 2 misdemeanor: $50,000
  • Class 3 misdemeanor: $10,000
  • Petty offense: $5,000

The committee recessed again and returned at 6:40 pm. They advanced six bills in the evening meeting.

House Bill 2997 adds a defense to civil penalty impose for a result of delivery of fuel to a state other than the destination state printed on the shipping document for fuel. This will update our code and bring it in line with surrounding states to collect taxes more properly.

House Bill 3089 makes utility workers essential employees during a state of emergency.

House Bill 2918 makes the Family Drug Treatment Court Program permanent.

House Bill 3030 authorizes the Commissioner of the Division of Highways to allow an increase of gross weight limitation and dimensional restrictions on certain roads in Greenbrier and Pocahontas Counties.

House Bill 2884 provides protection for customers of municipality owned utilities.

House Bill 2730 allows a debtor in bankruptcy to use the federal law exemptions.

The Judiciary Committee will meet tomorrow at 9 am in 410M.

Senate Passes Bill Requiring Sheriffs to Utilize Handle With Care Program

The Senate passed a bill Thursday that would require sheriff’s departments in all 55 counties to participate and utilize the Handle With Care Program for trauma-inflicted children.

Senate Bill 658 would require sheriff’s departments to notify teachers after a child has been on the scene of a police incident. Whether it be a domestic dispute, a death, a car accident, a drug overdose, or any other incident where law enforcement has been called, the child’s teacher would be notified.

As of now, participation isn’t required by law, only suggested.

No details regarding the specific situations would be released to teachers, just a notification to handle the child with care. That could mean allowing the student to take a test at a later date, helping them with homework, forgiving a due date, or any number of things.

The lead sponsor of the bill, Senator Amy Grady (R-Mason, 04), a teacher, has seen first hand how kids can be affected in school following a traumatic experience.

“A little extra love, a little extra patience, a little more understanding, can go a long way, Grady said. This is a program that works.”

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

The Senate is adjourned until tomorrow, March 26, at 10 a.m.

All meetings are available for video streaming at our Legislature Live page.

Health and Human Resources will meet at 2:30 p.m. in 451M.

Energy, Industry and Mining will meet at 2:30 p.m. in 208W.

Education will meet at 3:30 p.m. in 451M.

Government Organization will meet at 3:30 p.m. in  208W.

Finance will meet at 4:30 p.m. in 451M.

Judiciary will meet at 4:30 p.m. in 208W.

Bill Passes Making PTSD Workers Compensation Available for First Responders

The House concurred with the Senate on House Bill 2797 and House Bill 2905 to complete the legislation.

Six resolutions were adopted by the House. They were House Concurrent Resolutions 12, 25, 26, 33, 48, and 56.

The House passed nine bills, including House Bill 3107 and House Bill 2953, and rejected House Bill 2702.

House Bill 3107 declares that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder diagnosed by a licensed psychiatrist is a compensable occupational disease for first responders and makes PTSD workers’ compensation coverage available to first responders.

House Bill 2953 clarifies that counties can hire firefighters as paid stay and modifies the existing procedures to include a referendum procedure by a county commission, as it relates to amending fire fees for counties.

The House is in Recess until 6 pm.

Committees

Today’s Meetings

A Virtual Public Hearing will be held on Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 3 pm on House Bill 3300 – Relating to reducing personal income tax rates generally.

Tomorrow’s Meetings

The House convened to hear reports from committees at 6:15 pm.

The House is adjourned until 11 am tomorrow, March 26, 2021.

The Judiciary Committee will resume its meeting in 410M immediately after session adjourns.

Senate Completes Action on Racetrack Modernization Fund

The Senate concurred in the House amendments Wednesday, completing action on Senate Bill 9, which would continue the Racetrack Modernization Fund.

This legislation allows the racetracks to request funds from the state Lottery Commission to buy new video lottery machines, among other items. The roughly $10 million, is cash that originally came from gambling revenues.

The yearly appropriation, which has been in place for close to a decade, helps Mardi Gras Casino in Nitro, Mountaineer Racetrack in Chester, Wheeling Island Casino in Wheeling and Hollywood Casino in Charles Town.

Supporters of this legislation contended that with the casinos already paying a very high tax rate, they need this money to remain competitive with casinos in surrounding states.

Opponents of the bill questioned why the state continues to subsidize the casinos given that they are owned by out of state companies.

The bill now heads to the Governor’s desk to await his signature.

The Senate is adjourned until tomorrow, March 25, at 11 a.m.

All meetings are available for streaming on our Legislature Live page.

Pensions will meet at 2:30 p.m. in 451M

Finance will meet at 3 p.m. in 451M

Judiciary will meet at 3 p.m. in 208W.

House Passes Business Fee Waiver for Active-Duty Military Members

Ten bills passed from the House today, including House Bill 2874, House Bill 3045, and House Bill 3164.

House Bill 2874 extends the current veteran’s business fee waivers to active-duty military members, their spouses and immediate family members.

House Bill 3045 removes the sunset provision of July 1, 2023 that would end a rebuttable presumption for workers’ compensation benefits claims that a professional firefighter developed certain types of cancer arising out of and in the course of employment as a firefighter.

House Bill 3164 removes the language that transporting a victim is needed to be charged with kidnapping.

House Bill 3102 was moved to the House Calendar. House Bills 2702 and 2792 were moved to the Special Calendar.

The House is adjourned until 11:00 am tomorrow, March 25, 2021.

Committees

Today’s Meetings

Tomorrow’s Meetings

A Virtual Public Hearing will be held on Thursday, March 25, 2021 at 3 pm on House Bill 3300 – Relating to reducing personal income tax rates generally.

Ag and Natural Resources Moves to Expand Coyote Control Program

The Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources met this morning and advanced four bills.

Senate Bill 61 expands the Coyote Control Program to include breeding cows on a voluntary basis.

Senate Bill 339 expands the protection from nuisance suits to include agriculture operations, such as urban agriculture, aquaponics, and hydroponics.

Senate Bill 359 requires law enforcement investigating an accident to notify a landowner of fence damages if livestock are present.

Senate Bill 66 allows for donation request when purchasing hunting and fishing licenses to go to WVU Rifle Team.

Bill to Hold Local Elections with State Elections Advances

The House Judiciary Committee meet at 9 am and 4 pm today, advancing several bills.

House Bill 3106, as amended, increases the time for a bond hearing to 5 days. The bill also changes that any magistrate or judge can hold the hearing. A committee substitute adds failure to hold meeting within 5 days the person may be released on PR bond unless it is a crime against a person.

House Bill 2927 adds caregiving expenses to lawful elections, The Secretary of State would create rules relating to the expenses.

House Bill 2592 provides that all local elections be held on a date that a state election is being held.

House Bill 3269 requires the DEP to assume all costs necessary for certification by a registered professional engineer and permits a privately owned dam before the secretary may recover costs for remediation from an owner. The bill advances to Finance.

House Bill Originating clarifies appointments to ballot vacancies. It closes a loophole which counties have been able to appoint ballot vacancies after the primary election.

Action on House Bill 2997 has been Postpone until Thursday, March 25, 2021.

House Bill Originating relates to work release. It establishes a program for reentry and housing.

Senate Passes Two Veterans Bills

The Senate passed two bills to benefit veterans during Tuesday’s floor session.

Senate Bill 479 would move authority for the West Virginia veterans service decoration and West Virginia Service Cross to the Division of Veterans Affairs.

Senate Bill 586 would provide a 50 percent discount on all fees and charges relating to state parks for West Virginia veterans.

These bills now move to the House of Delegates for consideration.

The Senate has adjourned until tomorrow, March 24, at 11 a.m.

Streaming is available for all meetings on our Legislature Live page.

Government Organization will meet at 2:15 p.m. in 208W.

Education will meet at 2:15 p.m. and then plan to reconvene at 5 p.m. in 451M.

Judiciary will meet at 3:15 p.m. in 208W.

Finance will meet at 3:15 p.m. in 451M.

Health and Human Resources will meet at 4:15 p.m. in 451M.

Workforce will meet tomorrow at 10 a.m. in 208W.