Today, the House of Delegates passed five bills, amended two, and postponed action on one.
House Bill 4017 makes changes to voter election laws. The bill states voter registration 21 days before the election at 11:59 p.m. online or at the close of business at the county clerk’s office if registering in person. The bill also states that any person who coerces or offers any type of payment in exchange for a person to register to vote is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be fined and/or confined to jail. The bill also prohibits a person from voting in person if they have already submitted an absentee ballot. Opponents of the bill took issue with the lack of a definition of “payment” for voter registration, as many colleges set up tables with water and snacks when registering students to vote. The Secretary of State also awards the Jennings Randolph Award to the high schools with the most registered seniors every year. The bill advances to the Senate.
House Bill 4350 removes the executive committee of parties to appoint candidates to the ballot up to three weeks after filing has closed. The bill would only allow appointments to the ballot if no candidate from any party has filed for election. Opponents felt this bill helped incumbents keep their seats and took choices away from voters. Proponents felt it was unfair for those who registered within the filing deadline to not know who their opponent would be or if they would have an opponent. The bill advances to the Senate.
House Bill 4434 prohibits state agencies and local governments from restricting the use or sale of motor vehicles based on the power source.
House Bill 4860 clarifies general education teachers shall not be responsible for daily accommodation logs. The bill only requires general education teachers to acknowledge accommodations at the end of each grading period as required by the IEP. All accommodations of the students are the responsibility of the special education instructor to monitor progress.
House Bill 4976 requires the General Inspector’s contact information on all state agencies and boards’ websites.
House Bills 4376 and 4776 were amended. House Bill 4855 was postponed one day.
Bills introduced today can be found here.
Resolutions introduced today can be found here.
The House is adjourned until tomorrow, January 31, 2023, at 11 a.m.
Committee Meetings, today Jan. 29
The Committee on Energy and Manufacturing will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 410.
The Committee on Technology and Infrastructure will meet at 1:15 p.m. in Room 434.
The Committee on Health and Human Resources will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 215E.
The Committee on Economic Development and Tourism will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 410.
Committee Meetings, tomorrow Jan. 30
The Committee on the Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse will meet at 9 a.m. in Room 215E.
The Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources will meet at 9:15 a.m. in Room 460.
The Committee on Artificial Intelligence will meet at 9:30 a.m. in Room 434.
The Committee on Workforce Development will meet at 10 a.m. in Room 410.
The Rules Committee will meet at 10:45 a.m. behind the House Chamber.
The Judiciary Committee will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 410.
The Finance Committee will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 460 for Budget. Jan. | Feb.
The Education Committee will meet at 2 p.m. in Room 434.
The Committee on Government Organization will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 215E.
