The House of Delegates convened at 10 a.m. this morning and discussed Senate Bill 564 which expands comprehensive coverage for pregnant women through Medicaid.
This bill was well received and passed the House with minute opposition. The bill does exactly what it says and expands coverage for pregnant women through Medicaid. Considering that it was also National Women’s Day lawmakers spoke about how important this bill was to women and to children.
Senate Bill 40 establishes the Military Service Members Court Program. This bill establishes the program and functions to serve military veterans who suffer with arduous issues. The program has been shown to significantly help combat veterans struggling with mental health issues as well as substance abuse. The bill passed the House.
Senate Bill 103 relates generally to Public Defender Services. This bill includes a pay raise for public defenders and is the first to do so in nearly 30 years. The bill also passed the House.
Senate Bill 396 waves occupational licensing fees for low income individuals and military families. This bill waves initial license fees for any chapter 30 license for low-income individuals and military families. The bill was passed by the House after concurring with Senate amendments and has officially completed legislation.
Senate Bill 544 increases salaries for members of a WV State Police over three-year period. This bill increases annual salaries of West Virginia State Police by $3,000 per year for three consecutive years. The bill was passed by the House.
Senate Bill 522 creates the Special Road Repair Fund. The program created with this bill would be administered by the Division of Highways and would be funded by a $110,000,000 appropriation for the 2020 fiscal year. The bill lists out provisions of how counties would control the procedures and how procedures are to be administered for road repair. The bill was also passed by the House.
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