The House Judiciary Committee advanced several bills this morning.
Judiciary
House Bill 4603 would create a diversion process to allow parents who are having their children removed from their home to be placed with a family member under guardianship. This process is only available to select child abuse and neglect cases. Cases that are not available to this process include, but are not limited to, those where a parent has subjected a child to abandonment, torture, and chronic abuse. This bill was advanced to the floor.
House Bill 4656 would address absenteeism in students and shift the focus from punitive to preventative. This bill would remove having 10 or more unexcused absences as a status offense. This bill would also provide different services to prevent chronic absenteeism, such as financial help, mental health support services, or transportation to school if needed. This bill was advanced to the floor.
House Bill 4799 would establish the cold case task force for the State of West Virginia. This task force would investigate and prosecute offenders in cold cases. The cold case task force would be authorized to cooperate with federal, state, and local law-enforcement agencies. This bill was advanced to the floor.
House Bill 4842 would clarify the civil cause of action for people exposing intimate images. This civil action would be similar to the civil cause of action for people who commit sexual extortion. This bill was advanced to the floor.
House Bill 4850 would require online training to be provided for Executors/Executrixes of an Estate. This bill was advanced to the floor.
House Bill 5341 would create a domestic violence registry. This registry would include several pieces of information about the names of the people who have been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor offense of domestic violence. This information would include, but is not limited to, the address where the person will reside or resides at the time of registration, their Social Security number, a full-face photograph, a brief description of the crime or crimes for which the registrant was convicted, fingerprints and palm prints, and motor vehicle information. This bill was advanced to the floor.
House Bill 5401 would clarify how West Virginia voters residing overseas can vote in West Virginia elections. This bill would clearly state that any individual who is a United States citizen who is temporarily living abroad and was a West Virginian resident can vote in the state and federal elections.
House Bill 5406 would make the WV State Police Forensic Laboratory responsible for certification, standards, and administration of secondary chemical tests. The bill also makes the forensic laboratory responsible for approving the devices and methods used in preliminary breath analysis.
House Bill 5416 would give trustees and pastors the authority to make a deal with only one trustee and the pastor, whether it be for borrowing money or encumbering property.
House Bill 5444 would increase the amount of fees to be paid by parolees based on their ability to pay, which would be an increase from $40 to $50. This fee would be only for the supervision.
House Bill 5449 would repeal the Addiction Treatment Pilot Program since the pilot program no longer exists.
House Bill 5454 would make the WV State Police Forensic Laboratory responsible for certification, standards, and administration of secondary chemical tests. The bill also makes the forensic laboratory responsible for approving the devices and methods used in preliminary breath analysis.
