The House reconvened this afternoon to amend bills on second reading.
Several of the bills were amended and Senate Bills 154, 229, 474, 586, 790, and 825 were advanced with the right to amend. Senate Bill 856 was postponed one day. After completing second reading, the House recessed until 5 p.m., and the Rules Committee convened to move Senate Bill 526 back to the active calendar.
Upon reconvening, the House heard Senate messages. The House concurred with the Senate to complete seven bills. A motion was made to reject Senate Bill 748 on first reading. However, the motion was rejected. The bill will be on the amendment stage tomorrow and has several amendments pending.
The House recessed until 7 p.m.
When the House returned, House Bill 2026, the Budget Bill was received through Senate messages. The House amended the compromise budget into the bill. The changes include salary adjustments for constitutional officers to reflect salary in code; PEIA recalculation; reduction in personal services in departments with long-term vacancies; public defenders’ pay raises; increases to Higher Education Policy Commission, and increased funding for pregnancy centers, Health Right, birth to three, waiver programs, adoption, and foster care programs.
The General Revenue Fund budget is $5,317,557,000 with a surplus of $210,250,000. The compromised budget is $5,000,000 less than the Governor’s introduced budget. The General Revenue breakdown is:
- Legislative Branch: $31,377,663
- Judicial Branch: $168,226,450
- Executive Branch
- Governor’s Office: $16,940,401
- Auditor’s Office: $2,784,484
- Treasurer’s Office: $3,764,435
- Department of Agriculture: $27,986,674
- Attorney General: $5,986,622
- Secretary of State: $1,024,648
- Department of Administration: $102,657,122
- Department of Commerce: $83,673,866
- Department of Tourism: $36,515,705
- Department of Education: $2,274,594854
- Department of Environmental Protection: $7,915,309
- Department of Health: $110,920,051
- Department of Human Services: $791,025,664
- Department of Health Facilities: $219,135,015
- Department of Homeland Security: $576,549,322
- Department of Revenue: $68,574,248
- Department of Transportation: $9,108,595
- Department of Veterans Affairs: $17,843,754
- Bureau of Senior Services: $6,580,366
- WV Council for Career and Technical Colleges: $88,141,984
- Higher Education Policy Commission: $392,534,525
- Adjutant General: $17,289,059
The State Road Fund is $2,129,082,658, while “Other Funds” (special revenue) total $2,315,143,753. The Lottery Revenue Fund is $157,392,000, with a surplus of $16,750,000. The Excess Lottery Revenue is $335,008,512 with a surplus of $21,345,488. The expected Federal Funds total is $8,224,744,008 with Federal Block Grants totaling $730,395,275.
A $12,000,000 special revenue appropriation was made and to be used as follows: $1,000,000 for Division of General Services’ Capitol Complex Parking Garage Fund, $1,000,000 for the Division of Labor’s Bedding and Upholstery Fund, $2,000,000 for the Division of Natural Resources Planning and Development Division, $4,000,000 for the Fire Commission’s Fire Marshal Fees, and $4,000,000 for the Public Service Commission’s Motor Carrier Division.
The total funding for the Hope Scholarship is $24,000,000 from General Revenue and $9,000,000 from the Lottery Revenue Fund.
The compromise budget passed the House and heads to the Senate for concurrence.
The House is adjourned until 9 a.m. tomorrow, April 11, 2025.
Committee Meetings, Tomorrow, April 8
- The Rules Committee will meet at 8:45 a.m. in the Speaker’s Conference Room.
