Another early morning for the House of Delegates. After gaveling in around 8:30 a.m., the House concurred with the Senate to complete legislative action on eight bills. During the morning session, the House also passed 24 bills, completing legislative action on 17 of them.
House Bill 4190 requires the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to establish a statewide Purple Alert Plan for missing cognitively impaired persons by July 1, 2025.
House Bill 4552 requires immediate verification of candidates’ party affiliation prior to the acceptance of the certificate of announcement for candidacy. If the candidate’s current party does not match the party listed on the certificate, the clerk, secretary of state, or recorder can refuse the announcement. The bill is effective January 1, 2025.
House Bill 4967 provides environmental liability protections to individuals who want to purchase and redevelop brownfield properties for economic development.
House Bill 5520 originally removed the presumptions of competency and incompetency for juveniles. The Senate amended bill amends the code to reduce the age of presumptive incompetency from age 13 to age 12. The bill also clarifies that a juvenile presumed incompetent or where competency has yet to be determined is still subject to pre-adjudicatory procedures but cannot be adjudicated until judicially determined to be competent.
Senate Bill 820 requires the Department of Hunan Services to develop performance measures for substance abuse programs. The bill also requires the department to develop a quality withhold program and a work plan for automatic day-one enrollment to managed care organizations for all Medicaid enrollees.
Senate Bill 824 expands membership of the WV Motorsports Committee from five to 17 members. Members will be appointed by the Governor and will not be compensated nor reimbursed for committee service.
Senate Bill 866 amends the code to designate the State Treasurer as the chair of the WV Investment Management Board (IMB). This would take effect July 1, 2025.
Senate Bill 152 requires a poster or framed copy of the US national motto “In God We Trust” to be displayed in every main building of every public charter, elementary, and secondary school, and in state institutions of higher education.
Senate Bill 159 prohibits persons who have been convicted of certain crimes against minors from holding positions on either the state board of education or a county board of education. Some of the crimes include distribution and display to a minor of obscene matter, use of obscene matter with intent to seduce a minor, use of a minor to produce obscene matter or assist in doing sexually explicit conduct, sexual assault, and sexual abuse.
Senate Bill 222 requires the Director of the Division of Natural Resources to develop a program to encourage the use of state parks and forests by resident veterans. The bill requires the director to report on the program by December 1, 2024.
The House is in recess until 2 p.m.
Committee Meetings today, March 7
The Rules Committee will meet at 1:45 p.m. behind the House Chamber.
