Today, the House convened and passed four bills.

Before today’s floor session, House Rules met and moved House Bill 2060 and House Bill 2054 to the inactive House Calendar. House Bill 2008 and House Bill 2009 were moved to the active Special Calendar, and then both were advanced to third with the right to amend.

The four bills that head to the Senate are:

Senate Bill 240 creates the crimes of sexual extortion and aggravated sexual extortion. A person commits sexual extortion (or sextortion) if they knowingly and intentionally disclose or threaten to disclose private photos of another person to compel the victim, the victim’s spouse, child, or other family member, to do or not do something against their will. If found guilty of felony sexual extortion, one could be imprisoned for 1 to 5 years for the first offense, 3 to 10 years for the second offense, and 10 to 20 years for a third and subsequent offense. Aggravated sexual extortion is sexual extortion that involves a minor or vulnerable adult; or if the victim suffers serious bodily injury or death.  If found guilty of felony aggravated sexual extortion, one could be imprisoned for 10 to 20 years.

House Bill 2267 is a rule bundle for the Department of Revenue. The agencies included in the rules are the Alcohol Beverage Control Administration, Insurance Commission, Lottery Commission, and Tax Division.

House Bill 2710, the Truth in Giving Act, requires thrift operators to provide signage indicating whether they are a 504C charity organization or a for-profit organization at donation drop-off and on the store door. This allows donors to know who/what they are donating to. The bill came about because individuals thought they were donating to charity, but they were donating to for-profit businesses.

House Bill 2871 changes negligent homicide to vehicular homicide. Vehicular homicide remains a misdemeanor with a fine of $1,000 to $10,000 and/or up to a year in jail. The bill adds to this section of the code aggravated vehicular homicide and vehicular homicide in a school zone or construction zone. Aggravated vehicular homicide is when one acts with deliberate disregard for the safety of others. The felony offense can be fined up to $20,000 and/or imprisoned for 1 to 5 years. For vehicular homicide in a school or construction zone, the individual would be guilty of a felony and may be fined $2,500 to $5,000 and/or imprisoned for 2 to 10 years. The bill was amended to include embryo/fetus as a protected person in vehicular homicides.

Bills introduced today can be found here.

The House is adjourned until 11 a.m. tomorrow, March 11, 2025.

Committee Meetings, Today March 10

• The Appropriations Subcommittee will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 460.
• The Subcommittee on Agriculture, Commerce, and Tourism will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Committee on Education will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 432M.
• The Subcommittee on Economic Development will meet at 1 p.m. in the McManus Room.
• The Subcommittee on Government Administration will meet at 2 p.m. in Room 215E
• The Subcommittee on Energy and Public Works will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 410.
• The Subcommittee on Human Services will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Subcommittee on Public Health will meet at 3:30 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Subcommittee on Public Education will meet at 5 p.m. in Room 432M.

Committee Meetings, tomorrow March 11

• The Finance Committee will meet at 9 a.m. in Room 460.
• The Judiciary Committee will meet at 9 a.m. in Room 410.
• The Subcommittee on Courts will meet at 9:30 a.m. in Room 410.
• The Subcommittee on Legal Services will meet at 9:45 a.m. in Room 410.
• The Subcommittee on Homeland Security will meet at 10 a.m. in Room 410.
• The Subcommittee on Banking and Insurance will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 460.
• The Committee on Government Organization will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Subcommittee on Public Education will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 432M.
• The Subcommittee on Educational Choice will meet at 1:40 p.m. in Room 432M.
• The Subcommittee on Local Governments will meet at 2 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Subcommittee on Higher Education will meet at 2:20 p.m. in Room 432M.
• The Subcommittee on Investments will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 460.
• The Committee on Health and Human Resources will meet at 3:30 p.m. in Room 215E.

The Senate passed a school discipline bill on Monday, legislation intended to help teachers deal with extreme student behaviors.

Senate Bill 199 outlines specific actions for teachers of grades K-6 to take when a student exhibits violent, threatening, or disruptive behavior: immediate removal of the student, parental notification, potential suspension, evaluation and a possible alternative learning environment.

The student would be sent to the school’s counselor, school social worker, school psychologist or behavior inhibitionist who would be required to conduct a functional behavioral assessment.

This staff member would create a “behavior plan” for the student that would be followed for two weeks. If adequate progress is being made after two weeks then that plan would continue. If the student is not making progress, then the behavioral plan could be changed and followed for another two weeks.

If the student is still not showing progress after two weeks of following the amended behavior plan, the student is to be placed in a behavioral intervention program or with a licensed behavioral health agency where the county has access.

If the county has no behavioral intervention program, the student would be immediately removed from the classroom, parents would be notified to pick up the child, and the student would be suspended for one to three days while alternative accommodations are made.

The student would not return to school until a risk assessment is done. After the risk assessment, the student could return to school provisionally for five to 10 days. If another incident occurs, the student would be placed in an alternative learning environment for the rest of the semester or school year.

This bill now heads to the House of Delegates for consideration.

The Senate is adjourned until tomorrow, March 11, at 11 a.m.

Afternoon Meetings:

Workforce at 1 p.m. in 208W

Transportation at 1 p.m. in 451M

Pensions at 2 p.m. in 451M

Energy at 2 p.m. in 208W

Finance at 3 p.m. in 451M

Judiciary at 3 p.m. in 208W

Morning Meetings for March 11:

Education at 9:30 a.m. in 451M

Gov. Org. at 9:30 a.m. in 208W

The House convened today to pass seven bills. House Bill 2060 was postponed one day.

Senate Bill 456 defines “male,” “female,” and “biological sex” throughout the West Virginia Code. It defines single-sex spaces.

Senate Bill 490 prohibits ranked choice voting in elections in West Virginia.

House Bill 2129, the Parents Bill of Rights, states that parents have a fundamental right to direct the upbringing, education, care, and medical care of their children and that the government cannot infringe upon those rights. There are limitations to prevent child abuse and other unlawful actions of the parent. The bill allows any parent who feels their rights have been violated to bring an action for injunctive relief against a person violating the article.

House Bill 2560 creates Infrastructure Ready Jurisdictions, by incentivizing municipalities to not have additional permitting requirements, other than those found in state code.

House Bill 2678 allows private schools to request a Division of Highways designation of a school zone.

House Bill 2942 extends the sunset date for the WV Department of Environmental Protection’s Design-Build Pilot Program to December 31, 2027.

House Bill 2943 extends the sunset date for the hazardous waste management fee to June 30, 2030

On Second Reading, House Bill 2054 was postponed one day. Senate Bill 240 was amended. The remaining bills advanced without amendment.

Senate Bill 240 creates a felony for those engaging or threatening to engage in sexual extortion. The bill outlines penalties. The bill was amended to include others living in the home with the victim other than the child or spouse.

Resolutions introduced today can be found here.
Bills introduced can be found here.

The House is adjourned until 11 a.m. Monday, March 10, 2025.

Committee Meetings, Today March 7

• The Subcommittee on Legal Services will meet immediately after the floor session in Room 410.
• The Subcommittee on Homeland Security will meet after LS in Room 410.
• The Committee on Government Organization will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Subcommittee on Higher Education will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 432M.
• The Subcommittee on Educational Choice will meet at 2 p.m. in Room 432M.

Committee Meetings, Monday, March 10

• The Appropriations Subcommittee will meet at 9 a.m. in Room 460.
• The Judiciary Committee will meet at 9 a.m. in Room 410.
• The Subcommittee on Courts will meet at 9:30 a.m. in Room 410.
• The Subcommittee on Legal Services will meet at 9:45 a.m. in Room 410.
• The Subcommittee on Homeland Security will meet at 10 a.m. in Room 410.
• The Rules Committee will meet at 10:45 a.m. in the Speaker’s Conference Room
• The Subcommittee on Agriculture, Commerce, and Tourism will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Committee on Education will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 432M.
• The Subcommittee on Economic Development will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 460.
• The Subcommittee on Government Administration will meet at 2 p.m. in Room 215E
• The Subcommittee on Energy and Public Works will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 410.
• The Subcommittee on Health Care Regulation will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Subcommittee on Public Health will meet at 3:30 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Subcommittee on Human Services will meet at 4 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Subcommittee on Public Education will meet at 5 p.m. in Room 432M.

The Senate passed five bills during Friday morning’s floor session.

Senate Bill 22 would enact enhanced damages for nonpayment of royalties due from oil, natural gas, or natural gas liquids production under the terms of a lease or other agreement.

Senate Bill 117 would permit physicians to be exempt from specified traffic laws when responding to an emergency call. The legislation provides that the physician must continue to exercise due care and provides for rule making.

Senate Bill 267 would permit holders of commercial driver’s licenses that have been downgraded solely as a result of their medical certification becoming expired or invalid to restore their commercial license upon presentation of a valid current medical certification.

Senate Bill 503 would allow sheriffs to appoint more than one chief deputy with consent of county commission.

Senate Bill 573 would provide prohibitions on the use and sale of motor vehicles based on the energy source used to power the vehicle.

These bills now head to the House of Delegates for consideration.

The Senate is adjourned until Monday, March 10, at 11 a.m.

Morning Meetings for Monday, March 10:

Gov. Org at 9:30 a.m. in 208W

The Judiciary Committee met this morning.

Markup & Passage

House Bill 2131 gives the WV Legislature legal standing in court actions related to unauthorized election law and rule changes by state officials. Both chambers would have to agree to bring suit and hire a lawyer.

House Bill 2164 authorizes local school boards, public charter schools, and private/religious schools to employ school safety officers (SSOs). The SSOs would be authorized to carry a firearm on school property. They are not law enforcement and have no power to arrest, but they can detain individuals on school property. School boards must obtain insurance. The Guardian Program was added to the committee substitute.

House Bill 2351 increases compensation for panel attorneys of the Public Defender Services to $80 for out-of-court work and $100 for in-court work. The PDS must report a summary of legal services.

Committee Hearing

House Bill 2067, the West Virginia Firearms Liability Clarification Act, gives firearms manufacturers protections from liability when an individual uses a firearm to commit a crime.

House Bill 2881 expands the number of members in the Child Abuse and Neglect Investigation Unit to 19. The bill allows for retired State Police to be a part of the unit.

House Bill 3017 requires ballot tabulating equipment to not be connected to the internet. The bill requires inspections and audits by the clerk. The Secretary of State will also do random inspections.

The Senate passed two bills dealing with transgender issues during Thursday’s floor session.

Senate Bill 299 would modify state regulations on pubertal modulation, hormonal therapy, and gender reassignment.

The legislation would restrict gender affirming care for minors. The bill amends existing codes to prohibit physicians, physician assistants, and advanced practice registered nurses from providing gender reassignment surgeries and gender-altering medications to minors, with very limited exceptions for certain medical conditions.

The Legislature passed a near-total ban on medication-based gender affirming care in West Virginia in 2023. This bill would remove a previous exception from two years ago that currently allows hormonal therapy for severe gender dysphoria under specific conditions, such as multiple mental health and medical professional opinions, along with parental consent.

The legislation stipulates that violation of the law by medical professionals would constitute unprofessional conduct, subject to disciplinary actions by licensing boards. The bill would allow individuals to pursue legal recourse for actual or threatened violations, including compensatory damages and injunctive relief. The legislation also empowers the Attorney General to enforce compliance.

Supporters of this bill argue it is a way of protecting children from potentially harmful and irreversible procedures, while opponents are concerned about the potential for increased suicide and self-harm risk among transgender youth if access to care is abolished.

If the bill completes legislative action it would take effect on Aug. 1. There is currently no grandfather provision in the legislation for individuals that are already receiving treatment when the law takes effect.

Also on Thursday, the body passed Senate Bill 154, which aims to restrict instruction related to sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools.

The bill prohibits public school employees from knowingly providing false or misleading information to parents and/or guardians regarding a student’s gender identity or intention to transition. The legislation mandates that school employees report student requests for accommodations when affirming a gender identity different from their biological sex to school administrators, who must then inform the student’s parents.

The bill establishes an administrative process for addressing violations, including a complaint procedure, school investigation, and potential sanctions against educators. These sanctions include a written warning for the first offense, a 30-day suspension without pay for the second offense, and a recommendation for termination for the third offense.

Under the legislation, aggrieved party can file a complaint with the school, and if unsatisfied, appeal to the board of education, and subsequently file a lawsuit in civil court to seek damages.

Supporters of the bill have argued that children exploring their gender identity may be struggling with their mental health and that parents should be aware of these issues.

Opponents of the legislation fear it could harm vulnerable students who may not feel safe disclosing their gender identity to their parents.

The bills now head to the House of Delegates for consideration.

The Senate is adjourned until tomorrow, March 7, at 10 a.m.

Afternoon Meetings:

Judiciary at 3 p.m. in 208W

Finance at 3 p.m. in 451M

Morning Meetings for March 7:

Military at 9 a.m. in 208W

In today’s House floor session, five bills passed to the Senate, and two bills were amended.

House Bill 2117 amends absentee voting. The bill requires ballots to be received by 7:30 p.m. on the election day. Currently, the absentee vote must be postmarked by election day and arrive by canvassing. The bill also rolled in another bill to limit the number of absentee voting applications an individual can hand out to a group of voters without the voters specifically requesting them to provide 10 applications.

House Bill 2441 disqualifies individuals who fail a drug test while working in a safety-sensitive position from claiming unemployment.

House Bill 2444 allows the Lottery Commission to examine financial records only related to limited video lottery (LVL) when reviewing the LVL permittee’s financial records.

House Bill 2653 updates the outdated code of the West Virginia Law Institute.

House Bill 2709 allows voters who have moved within the county to vote in their new precinct without having to cast a provisional ballot. The individual must provide proof of address change, such as a license or utility bill.

Senate Bill 456 defines sex, male, and female in the West Virginia code.  Two amendments were offered. The first amendment states that nothing in the article authorizes any person other than a healthcare provider to visually or physically examine a child to verify the biological sex of the child without the consent of the child’s parents. This amendment was adopted. The second amendment was similar and added that nothing in the section allowed an inspection of the genitalia of an adult or a child. This amendment was rejected.

House Bill 2129 creates the Parents Bill of Rights. One amendment was offered and adopted. The amendment allows an individual to bring an action for injunctive relief against someone who violates this article.

Action on House Bill 2054 was postponed one day.

Bills introduced today can be found here.

The House is adjourned until 11 a.m. tomorrow, March 7, 2025.

Committee Meetings, Today March 6

• The Appropriations Subcommittee will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 460.
• The Subcommittee on Agriculture, Commerce, and Tourism will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Committee on Education will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 432M.
• The Subcommittee on Government Administration will meet at 2 p.m. in Room 215E
• The Subcommittee on Energy and Public Works will meet at 3 p.m. in Room 410.
• The Committee on Health and Human Resources will meet at 3:30 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Subcommittee on Environment, Infrastructure, and Technology will meet immediately after EPW in Room 410.

Committee Meetings, Tomorrow March 7

• The Appropriations Subcommittee will meet at 9 a.m. in Room 460.
• The Judiciary Committee will meet at 9 a.m. in Room 410.
• The Subcommittee on Courts will meet at 9:30 a.m. in Room 410.
• The Subcommittee on Legal Services will meet at 9:45 a.m. in Room 410.
• The Subcommittee on Homeland Security will meet at 10 a.m. in Room 410.
• The Committee on Government Organization will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Subcommittee on Higher Education will meet at 1 p.m. in Room 432M.
• The Subcommittee on Educational Choice will meet at 2 p.m. in Room 432M.

The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill on Wednesday in response to a tragedy that took place last August on a Boone County football field.

Senate Bill 585 honors Cohen Craddock, a 13-year-old middle school football player that passed away after suffering a football-related head injury during a practice.

The legislation would require all youth football players in West Virginia to wear a soft-shell cover such as Guardian Caps on their helmets for organized practice. The bill would also establish a grant program in Craddock’s honor to cover the cost of the helmet covers. It would also create a Student Athlete Safety Advisory Council to explore ways to improve safety for all high school sports.

Ryan Craddock, Cohen’s father, addressed the committee Wednesday, recalling a time shortly after the tragedy, where he began researching what could be done to prevent incidents like Cohen’s from happening to other youth football players. During that research, he discovered Guardian Caps.

The NFL mandated its players to wear the protective shells during practices back in 2022, with the exception of quarterbacks, kickers, and punters. The NFL authorized players to wear Guardian Caps in games if they chose to before the start of the 2024 season.

Ryan wondered why youth football players with undeveloped brains weren’t able to benefit from similar mandates.

Some lawmakers had concerns regarding the limited resources available in high athletics within the state for head injuries and treatment, noting that some schools in West Virginia have athletes using old and outdated helmets during practice and games.

Some also cited medical sources saying that Guardian Caps do not provide the level of protection that many allege.

Despite those concerns, the bill advanced and now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

The Public Health Subcommittee met this afternoon.

Committee Hearing

House Bill 2776 requires positive results of alpha-gal syndrome to be reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some states already report alpha-gal to the CDC. Alpha-gal is caused by a tick, usually a Lone Star tick. The body develops antibodies against the alpha-gal. The alpha-gal can cause an allergy to a sugar molecule in red meat and other mammal products. Reporting will help track how widespread the disease is in the state.

The bill advances to markup and discussion.

House Bill 2349 requires medication-assisted treatment programs to offer long-acting reversible contraception to female patients recovering from addiction. The problem this bill is trying to address is the number of babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome.

The bill advances to markup and discussion.

The Committee Substitute for House Bill 2378 allows for the continuation of the needle exchange program if it is in affiliation with the county health department to ensure regulations are being followed. The introduced bill originally repealed the exchange program; the committee substitute changed this.

The bill advances to markup and discussion.

The House Education Committee met this afternoon.

Markup & Passage

House Bill 2166 creates the Behavior Health Workforce Initiative within the Higher Education Policy Commission.  

House Bill 2190 adds Potomac State College to the definition of community and technical college education program for participation in the “Learn and Earn Program.”

House Bill 2411 adds a computer science requirement for graduation for high school students in West Virginia.

House Bill 2614 allows the county board to pay a lump sum payment of up to $6,000 to an estate if the employee passes away while still employed.

Committee Hearing

House Bill 2576, the NIL Act, protects rights, responsibilities, authorities, and limitations relating to the name, image, and likeness of an individual who participates as a student-athlete in an institution of higher education. The bill puts guardrails in to protect institutions and students. Student-athletes can be compensated for the use of their name, image, or likeness. The bill does prohibit student-athletes from endorsing certain items.

Following the lead of other states to protect institutions, the bill allows contractional agreements between a nonprofit, which would be established, and students/agents/lawyers.

The bill advances to markup and discussion.

House Bill 2595, the Non-Profit Athletics Act, allows for higher education institutions to enter a contract with a private corporation for operational, economic, fiscal, and educational development activities. The Non-Profit would be controlled by a board with primarily administrative work and assist with students contracting with other businesses for sponsorships.

The Non-Profit will be similarly structured to the research corporations and to the Country Roads Trust. Currently, no appropriation from the state is planned to be used for the Non-Profit. Fees, donations from the foundation, and athletics will cover the cost of the Non-Profit.

The bill advances to markup and discussion.