The Senate met on Thursday morning and introduced Senate Bills 993-1014, passing several bills, including ones concerning the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Health.
House Bill 4696 authorizes the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to deposit certain federal abandoned mine land funds into the state’s Abandoned Land Reclamation Fund.
This bill updates state code to allow new federal funds, including those from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Safeguarding Treatment for the Restoration of Ecosystems from Abandoned Mines Act, to be deposited into the state’s reclamation fund.
Spending would continue to follow priorities under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977, which allowed a portion to be set aside for long-term environmental treatment.
House Bill 4740 exempts the Department of Health from standard state purchasing requirements when implementing the federal Rural Health Transformation Program.
The program aims to enhance rural healthcare, modernize delivery systems, strengthen workforce pathways, and expand healthcare technology throughout the state.
Both bills completed legislative action and now head to the Governor’s desk for consideration.
Afternoon Meetings:
Health and Human Resources at 1 p.m. in Room 451M
Finance at 3 p.m. in Room 451M
Judiciary at 3 p.m. in Room 208W
Morning Meeting for Feb. 19:
Military at 9:30 a.m. in Room 208W
The Senate is adjourned until Friday, Feb. 19, at 11 a.m.
