The House of Delegates convened at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 12 on the 35th day of the regular session of the 84th West Virginia Legislature. On this day, six bills were on third reading, five of which were passed.
Before the consideration of business, Delegate Cody Thompson, D-Randolph, made a motion to discharge House Bill 2733 from the table for immediate consideration. House Bill 2733 would add the terms “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the list of protected classes under the state Human Rights Act.
Delegate Thompson’s motion to remove House Bill 2733 was rejected, as was a following motion to discharge the bill from the House Committee on Industry and Labor. The bill remains tabled.
One of the bills on third reading was House Bill 2330. This bill would allow military veterans who have certain qualifications to qualify for examination for licensure in certain fields. If a service member obtains a MOS related to the fields of plumbing, HVAC operation, or fire safety installation, they can also opt to take the examination for state licensure without going through additional state training under passage of this bill. House Bill 2330 was passed unanimously.
House Bill 2405, a bill to impose a tiered tax on managed healthcare providers within the state. If passed, the tax would be applied at the beginning of fiscal year 2021. The intent of the bill is to maximize federal matching dollars for utilization in the state’s Medicaid program. House Bill 2405 passed as well.
House Bill 2468 was postponed for one day and will appear on tomorrow’s agenda for third reading.
House Bill 2674 would create a loan repayment program for mental health professionals who have worked in the state of West Virginia within an underserved area for at least five years.
Delegate Martin Atkinson, R-Roane, spoke in favor of the bill’s passage.
“This bill would give mental health providers a chance to live, work, and raise a family within our beautiful state,” Atkinson said. “This would increase needed mental health support for our students, teachers.”
House Bill 2674 was passed by the House of Delegates.
House Bill 2734 was also passed on this day, a bill that would expand the utilities that currently can apply to the WV Public Service Commission for special reduced rates for low income utility customers to include privately owned sewer utilities and combined water and sewer utilities. West Virginia individuals receiving TANF, Social Security, and other specific forms of government assistance would be eligible to apply for these reduced utility rates if this bill passes.
House Bill 2813 was an additional bill on third reading that was passed. This bill would facilitate the collection of West Virginia use taxes from out-of-state retailers that do not have a physical presence in the state but “have an economic nexus” within the state.
Bills on second reading that were passed without amendment include Senate Bill 18, Senate Bill 323, House Bill 2109, House Bill 2609, and House Bill 2647.
Senate Bill 61, a bill on second reading in the House, was amended by the House Judiciary Committee. They added a portion to the bill pertaining to the admissibility of evidence within state courts. The amendment passed unanimously.
Bills on first reading were also advanced on this day. Most notably, Senate Bill 451 was read for the first time on this day. It will be on second reading and go through the amendment process during tomorrow’s House Floor session.
The House of Delegates is adjourned until 11 a.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, February 13th.
Committees Meeting Today:
- The House Committee on Political Subdivisions will meet at 1 p.m. in 215-E.
- The House Committee on Energy will meet at 2 p.m. in 418-M.
- The House Committee on Health and Human Resources will meet at 2 p.m. in 215-E.
- The House Committee on Pensions and Retirement will meet at 4 p.m. in 460-M.
Committees Meeting Tomorrow Before Floor Session:
- The House Committee on the Judiciary will meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow in 418-M.
- The House Committee on Government Organization will meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow in 215-E.
- The House Rules Committee will meet at 10:45 behind the House Chamber.
