The House Judiciary Committee met Wednesday advancing several bills.
One of the bills the committee advanced was House Bill 2609, which relates to presumptions of abandonment and indication of ownership in property. Currently, financial organizations are required to file an annual report with the State Treasurer concerning property that is presumed abandoned. Currently, this report must contain information about demand, savings or time deposits five years after the last indication by the owner of interest in the property.
This bill seeks to prevent unnecessary reporting and administrative costs associated with reporting of accounts held by a financial organization for active customers of the financial organization.
The committee advanced the bill to the House floor.
Senate Bill 18 relates to crimes committed on State Capitol Complex. This bill would remove the requirement that a person must have a valid concealed handgun license to lawfully keep a firearm in their vehicle on the Capitol grounds. The Senate committee substitute states that a person who may otherwise lawfully possess a firearm may keep a firearm in his or her vehicle if locked and out of view.
This bill was passed by the committee and reported to the House.
Senate Bill 61 adds certain crimes for which prosecutors may apply for wiretap. Under current law, a prosecutor may apply for a wiretap upon a showing of reasonable cause to believe the wiretap would provide evidence under six crimes. These are kidnapping, aiding the escape of a detainee, violations of the controlled substances act, human trafficking, treason and participation in an organized criminal enterprise. This bill also permits prosecutors to apply for wiretaps in extortion investigations.
There was one amendment made to the bill that removed the provision “attempted extortion” as a permissible crime for wiretap. The committee then passed the bill as amended and reported it to the House.
House Bill 2109 extends the maximum period of confinement a judge may impose for certain, first-time probationary violations. The purpose of this bill is to extend the maximum period of confinement a judge may impose for certain, first-time probationary violations form 60 days to six months. For subsequent violations, the judge receives greater sentencing discretion than provided currently. The bill passed the committee and was reported to the House.
House Bill 2720 authorizes certain investigators and first responders to carry firearms. This bill allows the West Virginia Attorney General’s investigators, reserve deputies, firefighters and ambulance personnel to carry firearms upon completion of a firearms training and certification program and they must maintain certification in a manner which is equivalent to that which is required of members of the State Police.
The agency of which the individual is a member may, if the so elect, authorize reimbursement of personnel for the cost of such training, but is not required to do so. It incorporates the training requirements for reserve deputies as adopted by Judiciary previously.
The bill passed the committee and will be reported to the House.
House Bill 2618 refers to including undue influence as a factor in the definition of financial exploitation of an elderly person or protected person. This bill amends both the civil and criminal actions for financial exploitation of an incapacitated person, elderly person or protected person to expand the definition of financial exploitation to include the use of undue influence resulting in financial or asset loss or disadvantage.
There were four amendments made to the bill that included language changes and the bill was then passed by the committee and reported to the House.
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