The Judiciary Committee met today to discuss a bill relating to the Adult Drug Court Participation Fund.
House Bill 3057 updates the language of the Adult Drug Court Participation Fund and establishes how the money in the fund is to be used. Currently, expenditures from the Drug Court Participation Fund are not authorized from collections but are to be made in accordance with appropriation.
This was a strike and insert which the committee voted on to become the bill. The committee adopted the strike-and-insert and reported the bill to the floor.
The committee also took up House Bill 3018, which relates to the West Virginia Public Employees Insurance Agency’s reimbursement of air-ambulance providers. The bill sets forth the amount that PEIA will reimburse air ambulance providers for the transportation of individuals covered by its plans. Currently, West Virginia code sets the reimbursement rates for air ambulance services at the Medicare rate. The committee advanced the bill to the House floor.
The committee also took up House Bill 2699, which relates to municipal annexation by minor boundary adjustment. Some delegates expressed confusion on the bill and asked many questions. The committee tabled the bill for these reasons.
The committee advanced House Bill 2540, which prohibits the waste of game animals, game birds or game fish. New code in the bill makes it unlawful for any person to cause through carelessness, neglect or otherwise to let any edible portion of any big game or game fish to go to waste needlessly. The bill also provides that it is unlawful for any person to take any big game and detach or remove from the carcass the head, hide, antlers, tusks, paws, claws, gallbladder, teeth, beards, or spurs only and leave the carcass to waste. The bill will be reported to the House.
The committee rejected House Bill 2646, which would provide a safe harbor for employers to correct underpayment or nonpayment of wages and benefits due to separated employees, this bill was rejected by the committee. After multiple amendments were made and delegates had expressed their concerns and stances the committee rejected the bill.
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