The Senate Judiciary Committee met on Thursday afternoon and advanced two bills on the Strategic and Critical Resources Act and the appointment of chief deputies.
Senate Bill 648 would establish the Strategic and Critical Resources Act.
This bill would establish a statewide framework to encourage the development of critical resources such as minerals essential for energy, technology, and national security. Regulations would be put in place by the state and federal government, not local governments.
The bill was reported to the full Senate with a recommendation of passage.
Senate Bill 185 would change state law to allow county sheriffs to appoint more than one chief deputy with the consent of the county commission.
This bill is intended to provide flexibility to have multiple top deputies to help manage larger departments or workloads.
“Some agencies require more supervision than others, and that’s where this bill will come into place,” Executive Director of the West Virginia Sheriffs’ Association, Rodney Miller, stated.
The bill was reported to the full Senate with a recommendation of passage.
