The Senate passed a bill that would protect certain military records from public release during a very brief floor session Friday morning.
Senate Bill 208 amends West Virginia law to create specific exemptions from public disclosure for specifically outlined military records. These exemptions apply to information that is classified to protect national or state security, vulnerability assessments and response plans for terrorist acts, communication codes, and deployment plans of military and homeland security entities.
The legislation also exempts specific intelligence and investigative records related to terrorism shared between various law enforcement and military agencies, as well as sensitive military information that, if disclosed, could threaten public safety, endanger military personnel, or benefit an adversary. This includes details on deployment, operational plans, tactics, rules of engagement, critical infrastructure security, and personnel and equipment information for the National Guard, armed forces, or Department of Defense.
The bill now heads to the House of Delegates for consideration.
Also on Friday, seven bills were read a second time, all advancing to the passage stage on Monday without amendment. Seven other bills were read a first time. Those bills can be found here.
The Senate is adjourned until Monday, Feb. 2, at 11 a.m.
