As of 4 p.m., Thursday, January 23th, 2014, the 16th day of the 2nd session of the 81st Legislature, 426 bills have been introduced in the Senate. Of those, four of those have passed and been sent to the House for further consideration. Among those:
Senate Bill 3 passed the Senate on unanimously and has moved to the House for further consideration. This proposal would allow a real property owner to give property to their beneficiary directly without the owner’s will being approved by a court of law.
Senate Bill 278 was passed unanimously in the Senate and has moved on to the House for further consideration. This bill would redefine scrap metal to exclude gold, silver, palladium and platinum jewelry, bullion, ingots or coins. These items could no longer be considered scrap metal and therefore could not be sold or purchased by a scrap metal dealer.
A sampling of bills introduced in the Senate:
Senate Bill 382 would exempt certain veteran organizations and active duty United States military organizations from indoor smoking regulations adopted by local boards of health.
Senate Bill 384 would prohibit certain insurers from making people, covered under certain insurance contracts, use a mail-order pharmacy. This proposal allows a person the option of using a mail-order pharmacy or a nonmail-order policy to fill prescriptions as long as the prices are comparable.
Senate Bill 387 would clarify that duly authorized officers of the United States, Washington D.C. or other states, have legal custody of their prisoners while they are in West Virginia. This bill clarifies who is responsible for a prisoner when coming to or passing through West Virginia.
Senate Bill 390 would call for misdemeanor criminal penalties for people who knowingly and willfully use automated telephone calls to spread false, misleading and or deceptive information during a declared state of emergency.
Senate Bill 396 would eliminate boards, councils, tasks forces and committees that are no longer necessary to the State.
Senate Bill 397 would more clearly define the scope of financial exploitation of the elderly and other protected people, and would decrease the age of an elderly person from 65 to 60.
Senate Bill 403 would would prohibit any species of carp to be possessed, sold, offer to sell, import or released into the waters of West Virginia.
Senate Bill 409 would align schools and schools system accreditation. This proposal would establish critical need alternative teaching certificates, modernize school buses by adding propane as an alternative fuel to reduce additional transportation costs, and address transferable college credits.
Senate Bill 411 would raise the West Virginia Minimum wage gradually by July 2016. The raise would be in two steps and would raise from $7.25 per hour, to $7.85 by June 30, 2015, and by July 1, 2016 to $8.25.
Senate Bill 419 would provide amnesty for a person who seeks medical care for themselves or someone else who is possibly experiencing an overdose. This bill would protect people from charges if they are experiencing an overdose and need to go to a hospital. This would prevent overdose by decreasing fear of prosecution so the person is more likely to get medical care.
Senate Bill 422 would give students financial aid for professional degrees out-of-state that aren’t offered in West Virginia. Upon graduation with the professional degree that student must come back to West Virginia and work for as many years that the student received financial aid for, or the student can reimburse the state the amount of financial aid they received.
