The House met this afternoon to amend bills on second reading.
Senate Bill 116 would authorize MAPS to promulgate legislative rules and was amended to include a rule that was previously overlooked.
Senate Bill 174 would exempt the transportation of household goods from PSC jurisdiction and was amended technically.
Senate Bill 187 would provide for confidentiality of patient’s’ medical records and was amended to include certain records. The bill was put on third reading upon the amendment and was passed.
Senate Bill 202 relates to pawnbrokers generally. The bill would prevent those who shoplift and return the items to receive gift cards from pawning gift cards. The bill was amended to make it so that pawnshops can’t receive gift cards over $100 or a total of $300 in the span of a month.
Senate Bill 235 relates to motorcycle registration renewal. The bill was amended and then passed.
Senate Bill 238 would increase the tax credits allowed for rehabilitation of certified historic structures. The bill in its original form would make the credit go from ten percent to twenty-five percent. The bill was amended to make the change incremental and add some other qualifications. Delegate Nelson said many states use this, it has some caps, and could be used across the state. The bill was then put on third reading and was passed.
Senate Bill 233 would require all DHHR-licensed facilities be able to access the WV Controlled Substances Monitoring Program Database. The bill was amended so only relative information would need to be reported in the database.
Senate Bill 388 relates to dangerous weapons on public school property. The bill was amended to be more clear.
Senate Bill 433 would permit counties to increase the excise tax on privilege of transferring real property. Delegate Phillips (I-Logan) moved to amend the bill to make wind power facilities not be eligible for exemptions of the excise tax.
“This would repeal a statute from 2001. If they can’t stay on their own two feet in 16 years, then we can’t be expected to prop them up any longer,” said Delegate Phillips.
The amendment was deemed not germane and was not adopted.
Senate Bill 440 relates to the use of Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority funds. The bill was amended.
Senate Bill 444 would establish the Court Advanced Technology Subscription Fund. The bill was amended to make it more clear.
Senate Bill 454 would provide more efficient collection and submission of state moneys received from court transactions or court services. The bill would streamline the collection process. The bill was not amended but was put on third reading and was passed.
Senate Bill 461 would exempt WV State Police from state purchasing requirements. The bill was not amended but put on third reading and passed.
Senate Bill 486 relates to health care provider taxes. The bill would raise additional revenue to provide hospitals with money that would be matched federally. The bill was not amended but was put on third reading and passed.
Senate Bill 523 would convert to a biweekly pay cycle for state employees. The bill was amended to provide more flexibility for the supplementary pay of State Police. The bill was then put on third reading and was passed.
Senate Bill 535 would reorganize the Division of Tourism. The bill was amended to stay in tune with other legislation.
Senate Bill 608 would clarify lawful business structures are unaffected by enactment of prohibitory legislation. The bill was not amended but put on third reading and was passed.
Senate Bill 622 relates generally to tax procedures and administration. The bill was amended to change rules on releases and to keep it consistent with other legislation.
Senate Bill 630 would establish the Accessibility and Equity in Public Education Enhancement Act. There was a strike and insert amendment.
Delegate Westfall (R-Jackson) amended the bill to give the ability so that students may be supervised by those who aren’t teachers during an online course.
Delegate Espinosa (R-Jefferson) said, “This amendment would make certain that a professional supervisor would be in the classroom during online instruction at the school.”
Delegate Moye (D-Raleigh) said, “This amendment would make it so teachers aren’t in the online classes. There needs to be a teacher available so if a student has questions, the teacher is available and can deal with that.”
“You still won’t need a teacher when it is done from home. This just monitors kids in school,” said Delegate Westfall (R-Jackson).
Delegate Wilson (R-Marshall) began speaking Spanish to Delegate Evans. Delegate Wilson then asked, “If you aren’t a Spanish teacher, what does it matter that a teacher is in the classroom instead of another person? It is obvious we don’t already have enough teachers already. Let us allow these other professionals to keep order in the classroom.”
Delegate Thompson (D-Wayne) said, “I take offense to the idea that teachers can’t help with other subjects. Teachers are taught to teach, not to only teach history, or math, or social studies.”
The amendment was adopted with a vote of 57 yeas to 40 nays.
The strike and insert amendment as presented by Delegate Ellington (R-Mercer) was adopted in a vote of 53 yeas and 44 nays.
Senate Bill 656 relates to Student Data Accessibility, Transparency and Accountability Act. The bill was amended for clarifications. The bill was also amended to let 15 year olds participate in sending their scores to colleges, scholarships, and financial aid. The bill was then put on third reading and was passed.
Senate Bill 658 would establish a procedure for retitling mobile and manufactured homes. The bill was not amended but put on third reading and passed.
Senate Bill 667 would limit the authority of the Attorney General to disclose certain information provided by the Tax Commissioner. The bill was not amended but put on third reading and was passed.
Senate Bill 686 would exempt facilities governed by DHHR that provide direct patient care. There was an amendment to keep it in line with other bills. The amendment was adopted.
Senate Bill 687 relates generally to coal mining, safety and environmental protection. The bill was amended to alter some dates to get logistics of the bill corrected.
Delegate Fleischauer (D-Monongalia) moved to amend the bill to keep aquatic monitoring in the bill.
Delegate Pushkin (D-Kanawha) said, “I don’t know a lot about fish and bugs, but once they are already dead before we monitor them, it is too late.”
Delegate Zatezalo (R-Hancock) said it doesn’t change water standards.
Delegate Marcum (D-Mingo) said, “Lets vote to reject the amendment and vote for coal and progress.”
Delegate Phillips (I-Logan) said, “West Virginia is the only state that has this law.”
Delegate Fleischauer (D-Monongalia) said, “This is not random language but has been in effect for several years. If you are in favor of the canaries in the coalmine, vote for this amendment.”
The amendment was rejected with 10 yeas and 88 nays.
Senate Bill 691 relates to off-road vehicles. The bill was amended to sync the bill with another bill for consistency and compatibility.
Senate Bill 27 relates to microprocessor permits. There was a strike and insert amendment to the bill. The amendment would allow processed foods to be sold in farmers markets. The food must be made in West Virginia and there are classes that must be taken to acquire the permit.
There was an amendment to the amendment by Delegate C. Miller (R-Cabell) that returned the bill to its original purpose. The amendment was passed.
There was another amendment that would let the Health department inspect the kitchen once a year.
The House is in Recess until 4:30 p.m.
Update:
The House of Delegates resumed their agenda of bills on second reading.
Senate Bill 412 relates to the WV Jobs Act reporting requirements.
The Committee on Government Organization moved an amendment.
Delegate G. Foster (R-Putnam) moved to amend the amendment to give construction companies an exemption to the bill so their information on contracts wouldn’t be available publicly.
Delegate Bates (D-Raleigh) said, “I just don’t see what the problem is with us knowing how much we are paying people for the projects the taxpayers of West Virginia are paying. I believe we should reject this amendment and reject the whole bill.”
Delegate Canestraro (D-Marshall) said, “We need to ask ourselves why the government would want to hide what we are paying people. This is shameful. We need to reject this amendment, it is junk.”
Delegate Diserio (D-Brooke) said, “This is another kick in the teeth to working West Virginians.”
Delegate Wilson (R-Berkeley) said, “We are protecting private citizen’s private information that work in private companies.”
Delegate G. Foster (R-Putnam) said, “This is protecting the individuals.”
Delegate Moore (R-Jefferson) said, “This is about personal privacy and I hope that everyone votes for this amendment.”
Delegate Fluharty (D-Ohio) said, “This flies in the face of everything I thought this body stands for as a whole, but especially on that side of the aisle. This is a red vote.”
The amendment failed with 31 yeas and 67 nays.
Delegate Thompson (D-Wayne) moved to amend the amendment. He said that the bill would give preference to those living in West Virginia. The amendment was rejected.
The committee’s amendment was then adopted.
House Bill 2364, House Bill 2446, House Bill 2494, House Bill 2619, House Bill 2839, House Bill 2961, House Bill 3037, Senate Bill 4, and Senate Bill 386 were all concurred with and then passed.
The committee on Rules meets at 8:45 tomorrow.
The House is adjourned until 9 a.m. tomorrow.
