On Wednesday morning, the Senate passed several bills, including one that would establish the Strategic and Critical Resources Act. In addition, the Senate introduced Senate Bills 979-992 and adopted Senate Resolution 32 regarding protecting WV coal jobs, coal power, and coal families.
Senate Bill 823 would supplement the 2026 budget for the Alcohol Beverage Control Administration.
This bill would allocate $750,000 from unappropriated state funds to cover current expenses for fiscal year 2026.
Senate Bill 648 would establish the Strategic and Critical Resources Act.
This bill would set statewide rules for the development and protection of minerals and materials vital to state and national security, energy, and critical infrastructure.
This bill would limit local regulations on the extraction and facilities of strategic resources outside urban areas. Critical resources would include aluminum, lithium, uranium, rare earth elements, and other federally designated materials.
Senate Bill 426 would strengthen protections for underground facilities in West Virginia.
This bill would allow the Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Board to investigate damage, assess penalties, require training, and issue liens for unpaid fines. Operators would be required to respond to One-Call notifications within 48 hours and provide accurate facility locations, or mutually agree to an extended response time.
All bills were reported to the House of Delegates for consideration.
Afternoon Meetings:
Banking and Insurance at 2 p.m. in Room 451M
Agriculture at 2 p.m. in Room 208W
Judiciary at 3 p.m. in Room 208W
Morning Meetings for Feb. 19:
Government at 9:30 a.m. in Room 208W
Education at 9:30 a.m. in Room 451M
The Senate is adjourned until Thursday, Feb. 19, at 11 a.m.
