The Finance Committee had a brief meeting this morning and recessed until this afternoon. The committee considered the following:
House Bill 4812 caps the amount of money to which third-party vendors or contractors who collect B&O taxes on behalf of cities or municipalities may be entitled to their services.
House Bill 5188 eliminates the prerequisite that a disabled police officer or firefighter be found unable to engage in other substantial gainful employment before awarding disability benefits.
House Bill 4734 offers a pay equity salary adjustment of a total of three percent of each employee’s salary for those who have three or more years of continuous employment. Those with less than three years of experience shall receive a salary adjustment once they reach three years of service.
House Bill 4883 provides salary increases for individuals in code: State Police and School Personnel.
The House returned in the afternoon.
House Bill 5594 exempts contracts and MOUs with spending units in state government and WVU and Marshall University.
House Bill 5604 adds to the purchasing division section of the code. The bill gives spending units an exemption for technological infrastructure under $250,000. The bill also creates IT marketplace portals to facilitate purchases.
House Bill 4709 requires the State BOE and Commerce Department to create a list of apprenticeships, certifications, and credentials for students to educate them on opportunities in the state.
House Bill 5514 increases the number of annual training hours for county board members. It also increases the compensation for attending meetings and reduces the number of meetings board members may be compensated to attend. The bill prohibits compensation if training requirements aren’t met.
House Bill 5289 establishes a partnership between Workforce West Virginia through its Division of Workforce Development and the West Virginia Board of Education for the implementation of the educational interactive program for STEM high schools and technical schools in the state.
House Bill 5405 allows the DOE to use the funding it already has for professional development to train less than certified FTEs. The $15 million, which is already in the DOE’s budget, will be used to train the 1700 noncertified FTEs, new teachers, and certified teachers looking to expand their experience.
House Bill 5595 expedites the process for certain road condition claims. The bill requires the Division of Highways to establish a line item in its budget for the expedited payment of certain stipulated road condition claims.
