Governor Jim Justice has issued an extended budget session for the 83rd Legislature to provide one extra day after the completion of the Regular Session for the Legislature to pass a budget.
During that day, April 9, the Legislature is only allowed to consider a budget and no other bills.
The Senate also passed a bill that would increase the penalties for exposing children to methamphetamine manufacturing.
The bill, HB 2083, will now be sent back to the House for concurrence.
The bill was passed earlier today, but the bill was brought back up for reconsideration of the Senate Judiciary Committee’s amendment to the bill. Senator Charles Trump, R-Morgan, Judiciary Chair, re-amended the bill with an identical amendment that fixes technical issues present in the original Judiciary amendment.
The Senate then advanced 35 bills from second reading.
HB 2129 would state the legal right and authority of state or local law enforcement to enter public areas on or adjacent to any private club, or take other appropriate police action to enforce the underage drinking laws of this state.
Senator Trump amended the bill on behalf of decisions made in committee by the Senate Judiciary Committee to make several modifications to the bill’s provisions.
HB 2195 would require county boards of education to implement comprehensive drug awareness and prevention programs for all student in grades K through 12.
HB 2348 would eliminate any requirement that class hours of students be consecutive when studying professions regulated by the board of Barbers and Cosmetologists.
HB 2402 would create a special procedure for a person in possession of an abandoned antique vehicle to apply for and receive title to the vehicle
Senator Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, amended the bill on behalf of decisions made in committee by the Senate Government Organization Committee, on which he serves as Chair, to conform to the language of SB 382, which has been passed by the Senate.
HB 2494 would provide that statewide school report cards are only to be made available to custodial parents and guardians of students upon request instead of automatically being sent to the parents and guardians.
HB 2503 would update the rulemaking authority of the Board of Osteopathic Medicine.
HB 2555 would remove the requirement that programs be jointly administered by labor and management trustees in order to qualify for tax credits for apprenticeship training in construction trades.
Senator Mike Hall, R-Berkeley, amended the bill on behalf of decisions made in committee by the Senate Finance Committee, on which he serves as Chair, to require that apprentices be legal residents.
Senator Glenn Jeffries, D-Putnam, made an amendment to the bill to keep employers from paying $2 below the state minimum wage for apprentices.
HB 2579 would increase the penalties for transportation of narcotics and certain controlled substances into the state.
Senator Trump amended the bill on behalf of decisions made in committee by the Senate Judiciary Committee to make several modifications.
HB 2585 would create criminal offenses relating to money laundering.
Senator Trump amended the bill on behalf of decisions made in committee by the Senate Judiciary Committee to make several modifications.
HB 2589 would require county boards of education to permit students who are homeschooled or attend private schools to enroll and take classes at the county’s vocational school.
Senator Kenny Mann, R-Monroe, amended the bill on behalf of decisions made in committee by the Senate Education Committee, on which he serves as Chair, relating to county boards of education and a career and technical education pilot program for middle school students.
HB 2603 would allow municipal plans that are funded at 125% or more to stop paying certain costs while it is so funded.
HB 2628 would clarify and strengthen the duties and powers of the Board of Medicine and the Board of Osteopathic Medicine with regard to evidence of serious misconduct by licensees and applicants for license under their respective jurisdictions.
Senator Blair amended the bill on behalf of decisions made in committee by the Senate Government Organization Committee to make technical corrections.
HB 2631 would prevent dismissal of complaints that exceed time standards for disposition when the accused causes delay that results in the time overage.
Senator Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha, made an amendment to the bill related to the time period for final rulings.
HB 2646 would terminate the Women’s Commission and discontinue its functions.
Senator Blair amended the bill on behalf of decisions made in committee by the Senate Government Organization Committee to make technical corrections.
HB 2691 would allow persons qualified by training to be a barber and a cosmetologist to elect to practice solely as a barber and maintain licensure by taking continuing education solely in subjects related to barbering.
HB 2702 would limit excused absences for personal illness or injury in the family to those of student’s parent, guardian or custodian and require a confirming statement from a medical provider to be given to the school no later than three days after the absence.
Senator Mann amended the bill on behalf of decisions made in committee by the Senate Education Committee to clarify certain language in the bill.
HB 2709 would authorize the City of South Charleston to levy a special district excise tax for the benefit of the South Charleston Park Place Economic Opportunity Development District.
HB 2771 would provide for teaching certificates for teachers whose spouses are married to a member of the Armed Forces who is on active duty stationed in this state.
Senator Mann amended the bill on behalf of decisions made in committee by the Senate Education Committee to clarify certain language in the bill.
HB 2792 would require the Library Commission to survey libraries in this state in order to provide a report to the Governor and the Legislature regarding the status of libraries and to propose a ten-year maintenance and construction plan based on the needs of libraries in this state.
HB 2797 would clarify that there is statutory immunity for government agencies and officials from actions of third-parties using documents or records of governmental agencies for unlawful acts.
HB 2805 would declare certain claims against the state to be moral obligations of the state and to authorize payments from certain related funds.
Senator Hall amended the bill on behalf of decisions made in a subcommittee of the Senate Finance Committee to strike three payments to certain claims as detailed in the bill.
HB 2815 would alter public education higher education governance and change the powers of the Higher Education Policy Commission, Council for Community and Technical College Education and other institutions of higher education.
Senator Mann amended the bill on behalf of decisions made in committee by the Senate Education Committee to make several modifications to the bill’s provisions and language.
Senator Trump made an amendment to Senator Mann’s amendment to rewrite a particular subsection to create a study and request a report from the Higher Education Policy Commission related to General Revenue appropriations.
Senator Ed Gaunch, R-Kanawha, made another amendment to Senator Mann’s amendment to include West Virginia State University in certain provisions of the bill.
HB 2833 would describe specific categories of information that must be included in the annual report of each professional licensing authority established in Chapter 30 of the West Virginia Code.
HB 2839 would update the schedules for legislative review of state departments and regulatory boards, and to outline the procedures and scope of reviews of departments, regulatory boards, agencies and programs.
Senator Blair amended the bill to make technical corrections and reorganize a section for clarity.
HB 2869 would provide that certain state employees may be granted a leave of absence with pay while providing assistance as an essential member of an emergency aid provider during a declared state of emergency.
Senator Blair amended the bill on behalf of decisions made in committee by the Senate Government Organization Committee to repeal certain code sections.
HB 2897 would raise the amount required for competitive bidding of construction contracts by the state and its subdivisions, public service districts, and sanitary boards to $50,000, and except public service districts from competitive bidding for emergency repairs.
Senator Blair amended the bill on behalf of decisions made in committee by the Senate Government Organization Committee to add a new subsection the clarifies a certain situation in which a contracting public entity shall not award a contract.
HB 2941 would make clear that the DOH shall utilize the Attorney General for legal assistance and services.
HB 2961 would amend the procedure by which a charitable gaming licensee may appeal the Tax Commissioner’s sanctions against the licensee for violations of the charitable gaming laws, by allowing the licensee to petition the Office of Tax Appeals for an administrative hearing rather than the Tax Commissioner.
HB 2962 would enlarge the authority of the Tax Commissioner to perform background investigations of employees and contractors to make it possible for the Tax Commissioner to receive federal tax information for the Internal Revenue Service.
Senator Blair amended the bill on behalf of decisions made in committee by the Senate Government Organization Committee to make technical corrections.
HB 2967 would remove the requirements for the State Tax Commissioner to administer the fiduciary supervisor/fiduciary commissioner qualifying test and annual training seminar, and transfer those responsibilities to the respective county commissions.
Senator Trump amended the bill to move certain training responsibilities to the State Auditor from the Tax Commissioner and insert the provisions of SB 259 into the bill.
HB 3022 would require the reporting of fraud and misappropriation of funds to the Legislature’s Commission on Special Investigations.
Senator Mike Romano, D-Harrison, amended the bill to require counties and cities to report fraud to their County Prosecutor instead of to the Special Investigations Commission.
HB 3037 would remove the Division of Energy as an independent agency and redesignate the Division of Energy as the Office of Energy within the Development Office of the Department of Commerce, and designate the Secretary of Commerce, or his or her designee, as Chair of the West Virginia Public Energy Authority Board.
Senator Blair amended the bill on behalf of decisions made in committee by the Senate Government Organization Committee to make technical corrections and clarify certain language.
HB 3048 would increase the cap mandated on the collection of Tier II fees for chemical inventories.
HB 3053 would clarify when a vehicle lighting unit is functional, permit additional lighting to be uncovered if such devices are dimmable and allow two auxiliary lights.
HB 3080 would institute a “Celebrate Freedom Week” for public schools and require the instruction in the study of the Declaration of Independence and other founding American historical documents, including the Bill of Rights, during this week.
Senator Mann amended the bill on behalf of decisions made in committee by the Senate Education Committee to remove the three-hour instruction minimum.
Of those bills on second reading, HB 2546 was requested to lie over for one day. This bill would allow uniform costs to be deducted from an employee’s final paycheck if the uniform is not returned.
All bills on first reading were advanced to second reading.
Committee Meetings Tomorrow
Government Organization: 8 a.m. in 208W
Education: 8 a.m. in 451M
Judiciary: 9:30 a.m. in 208W
Finance: 9:30 a.m. in 451M
Transportation and Infrastructure: at the first recess of tomorrow’s floor session in 451M
The Senate is adjourned until 11 a.m. tomorrow.
