The Senate convened at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday for the final floor session of the 2020 regular session.

Legislation was completed for SB 150, the 2020 Senate budget bill.

The Senate completed legislation after concurring with additional House amendments for House bill 4092, which updates the current foster care system in the state. The bill increases reimbursement for child placement agencies and foster families, increases the number of children allowed in a foster care family and requires the DHHR to use a tiered reimbursement model to increase the rate for families caring for foster children with more specific needs.

House bill 4543 relates to insurance coverage for diabetics and the cost of insulin. It is estimated that there are over 240,000 West Virginians diagnosed with diabetes, all who rely on daily doses of insulin to survive. In recent years, the cost of insulin has escalated and can cost over $600 per month. This bill reduces the cost of insulin to cost $100 or less per month, regardless of the type of insulin used.

House bill 4737 waives the requirement for the completion of the FASFA in order to receive state-sponsored financial aid under certain conditions. The bill would mostly apply to students who don’t have access to the forms needed to complete the FASFA because they are under the care of someone other than their parents.

All of Governor Jim Justice’s executive nominations were confirmed on Saturday.

The Senate adopted Senate Resolution 71, which memorializes the life of Karl Cameron “Butch” Lilly, a former Assistant Clerk of the WV Senate who passed away in November 2019. A brief recess was held for the presentation of this resolution. Lilly’s loved ones visited the Senate chamber to be recognized.

Resolution 72 was also adopted, urging Congress to safeguard pharmaceutical supply chains.

Senate Resolution 73 was adopted as well, which memorializes the life and work of Dorothy Vaughn, a NASA mathematician and computer programmer.

The Senate also adopted Resolution 75, recognizing the dedication and public service of the Senator Roman W. Prezioso, Jr., D-Marion, the current Senate Minority Leader. Several members of the Senate rose in support of the resolution and thanked Prezioso for his contributions to the West Virginia Legislature. This is his last session before his retirement.

Senate Resolutions 76, 77 and 78 were adopted as well, recognizing the dedicated service of Senators Corey Palumbo, D-Kanawha, and Kenny Mann, R-Monroe and Paul Hardesty, D-Logan, respectively. Both senators have chosen not to run for re-election this year and were thanked for their contributions.

The Senate convened at 10:00 a.m. on Friday and amended and passed House bill 4092. This bill seeks to update and improve the current foster care system. The Senate Finance Committee discussed and amended the bill on Thursday, reducing the budget to $4.9 million and requiring the DHHR to use a tiered system for foster care reimbursement. This system would grant a higher rate to foster families caring for older children and/or children with more acute needs. The bill also creates a foster child bill of rights as well as a foster parent bill of rights.

Senator Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, explained a proposed amendment to restore the bill’s budget to $16.9 million. An updated revenue estimate of $20 million allowed for enough financial flexibility to cover this funding. This increases payment to the foster families to $26 per day to the lowest tier, with the highest tier receiving more funding than the version passed by the House. This amendment also increases the payment to child placement agencies, with the floor tier receiving $65. Additional funds will be dedicated to family reunification support, resources for providers and to increase resources for the foster and kinship family certification processes.

Senator Stephen Baldwin, D-Greenbrier, proposed an amendment to provide foster families with greater certainty of when they will be reimbursed. The amendment designates a specific week each month for the distribution of reimbursement rather than funding being varied from week to week.

Senator Corey Palumbo, D-Kanawha, proposed an amendment adding to the foster child’s bill of rights described in the bill. Palumbo moved to add the right to be free from unsolicited restraint and isolation, described in the version of the bill passed by the House. The amendment ties this right to another right in the bill related to abuse and exploitation.

The amendments to the amendment were adopted and the bill was unanimously passed in the Senate.

The Senate concurred with House amendments and completed legislation for 11 bills on Friday.

Senate bill 136 prohibits misleading lawsuit and advertising practices, such as an advertisement presenting itself as a public service announcement or a public health alert. The House amendment adds the term “medications” to the bill.

Senate bill 144 creates a misdemeanor penalty for making a false statement to a police officer investigating a misdemeanor crime.

Senate bill 289 creates the Green Alert Plan, which creates a program to recover missing at-risk veterans.

Senate bill 490 relates to criminal offenses to agricultural facilities.

Senate bill 578 recalculates the tax on generating, producing or selling solar energy-produced electricity.

Senate bill 614 changes the method of allocating money from Safe School Funds.

Senate bill 662 removes restriction that no more than 2 fiduciary commissioners operate in the same county.

Senate bill 668 enacts the Uniform Trust Decanting Act.

Senate bill 678 waives fines and fees for completing the Getting Over Addicted Lifestyles Successfully (GOALS) Program.

Senate bill 750 creates extended learning opportunities via elective credits granted through certain programs and activities outside the traditional classroom setting.

Senate bill 812 is a supplemental appropriation that transfers funds from the state Lottery Net Profits to Bureau of Senior Services.

House bill 4438 relates to the licensing of advance deposit wagering.

The Senate adopted Resolution 69, recognizing WV Kids Cancer Crusaders. Resolution 70 was also adopted, designating March 6, 2020 as McDowell County Day at the Legislature. Two brief recesses were held to present these resolutions.

The Senate is adjourned until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow.

The Senate Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will meet at 8:30 a.m. in room 451M.

The Senate convened at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday and passed 18 House bills.

House bill 4524 seeks to remove outdated prohibition laws from the state. The bill allows for the sale of alcohol for offsite drinking across the entire state. There are currently 13 “dry” areas in West Virginia, which cannot sell alcohol. The bill allows political subdivisions to remain dry and provides that areas of the state may opt out of selling alcohol rather than opting to sell alcohol, because allowing the sale of alcohol will be the default.

House bill 4094 was passed, which adds to the duties of the Foster Care Ombudsman and the investigation responsibilities of the Foster Care Ombudsman Program. The bill creates access to foster care children and records to assist in investigations of complaints of the Foster Care Ombudsman’s duties. The bill establishes limitation of the Ombudsman’s liability and makes investigations confidential.

House bill 4001 creates the W4est Virginia Impact Fund and the Mountaineer Impact Office. The Fund would invest in projects around the state to promote economic development, job creation and infrastructure development in the state.

The Senate met again at 6:30 p.m. and concurred with House amendments to complete legislation for Senate bill 583, which seeks to establish a program to further development of renewable energy sources to improve economic resources in the state. The purpose of the program is to lessen the state’s dependent on limited energy resources and encourage innovation and job creation.

The Senate has called for a Conference Committee to discuss amendments to House bills 4049 and 4887.

The Senate adopted 3 Senate Resolutions on Thursday. Brief recesses were held for the presentation of these resolutions.

Senate Resolution 66 designates March as Red Cross Month. Workers and volunteers of the Red Cross visited the chamber for the presentation of the resolution.

Senate Resolution 67 designated March 5, 2020 as Treatment Court Day at the Legislature.
Senate Resolution 68 recognizes the Buckhannon-Upshur 4-H Air Rifle Team. The team visited the Senate chamber to be recognized.

The Senate is adjourned until 9:30 a.m. on Friday.

The Senate convened at 10:00 a.m., passing 3 Senate bills and 22 House bills.

One bill, House bill 4415, seeks to improve the protection and recovery of missing and endangered children in West Virginia. The bill establishes a missing foster child locator unit program within the Department of Health and Human Resources. The unit would receive reports of missing foster children, assist law enforcement in locating these children and interviewing and completing trafficking screening for these children once they are recovered. The bill also establishes the Missing Child Information Act, which establishes requirements and duties for law-enforcement agencies to better the process of recovering missing children.

House bill 4551 defines criteria for continuing to receive an adoption subsidy if the adopted child is placed out of the home. The bill establishes an enhanced definition of the support requirement and provides means of reducing subsidy for families with children in long-term residential placements.

House bill 4519 creates a summer youth intern pilot program in the Department of Commerce for high school students. The bill creates a framework for schools and communities to engage their local stakeholders in programs teaching college and career skills and life skills for the changing modern workforce.

Three Senate supplemental appropriation bills were passed on Wednesday.

SB 854 expires $105,000 from the Purchasing Card Administration Fund to the Department of Arts, Culture and History.

SB 855 transfers $750,000 from the Purchasing Card Admission Fund to the West Virginia Commuter Rail Access Fund.

SB 856 transfers $222,563 from Synthetic Fuel-Producing County Fund to the Department of Commerce’s Marketing and Communications Operating Fund.

The Senate concurred with House amendments on four bills, completing their legislation.

Senate bill 125 prohibits victims of sexual assault from being subjected to certain physical examinations.

Senate bill 163 provides that marketplace facilitators are to collect the hotel occupancy tax. The bill states that a hotel operator may not represent to the public in any way that it will absorb any part of the tax or that the tax is not to be an element in the price to the customer.

Senate bill 545 authorizes the Insurance Commissioner to transfer special revenue funds from the Insurance Commission Fund to the Old Fund. The Old Fund was created to pay workers’ compensation claims with a date of injury on or before June 30, 2005.

Senate bill 651 simply clarifies the definition of “mortgage loan originator”.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 6 was also adopted, naming the Walter E. Swiger, Jr. memorial Bridge.

The Senate adopted Resolution 63, which designates March 4, 2020 as Recovery Community Day at the Capitol. Resolution 64 was also adopted, recognizing the efforts of the Kanawha State Forest Foundation. Two brief recesses were held for the presentation of these resolutions.

Resolution 65 was adopted as well, which designates the West Virginia State Folk Festival as the official site of the WV State Pepperoni Roll Championship.

House Concurrent Resolution 33 was adopted by the Senate, naming the USAF Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Donald Belknap Memorial Bridge.

The Senate is in recess until 7:00 p.m.

The Senate Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure will meet at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow in room 451M.

The Senate Committee on Government Organization will meet at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow in room 208W.