As of 4 p.m., Wednesday, February 16, 2011, the 36th day of the 80th Legislature’s 1st Regular Session, 533 bills have been introduced in the Senate. Of those, 20 passed this week and have been sent to the House for further consideration. Bills passed by the Senate this week include:
Senate Bill 61 would authorize the Supreme Court to appoint hearing officers for juvenile drug courts.
Senate Bill 196 would make it a crime to rob or attempt to rob a person under the pretense of having a deadly weapon. It would also increase certain criminal penalties.
Senate Bill 205 would update the meaning of “federal taxable income,” as well as certain other terms used but not defined in the West Virginia Corporation Net Income Tax Act. The bill would conform the terms to align with their meaning under the Internal Revenue Code for federal income tax purposes.
Senate Bill 215 would update the meaning of “federal adjusted gross income,” as well as certain other terms used but not defined in the West Virginia Personal Income Tax Act. The bill would conform the terms to align with their meanings under the Internal Revenue Code for federal income tax purposes.
Senate Bill 219 would authorize the loan of funds from the Rainy Day Fund to the Unemployment Compensation Fund when funds are necessary to ensure that the Unemployment Compensation Fund contains at least $20 million to pay all unemployment claims. The bill would also require that loans from such funds would be repaid in full without interest from money in the Unemployment Compensation Fun in excess of $20 million.
Senate Bill 222 would amend the West Virginia Municipal Police Officers and Firefighters Retirement System to ensure the continuance of a qualified status under federal tax law. The bill would also amend the direct rollover provision of the plan by adding Roth IRAs to the definition of “eligible retirement plan” and amending the definition of “eligible rollover distribution” to provide that distributions of after-tax amounts may be rolled over to a Roth IRA.
Senate Bill 239 would extend the period higher education institutes would have to deposit monies into research endowments.
Senate Bill 255 would supplement, amend, add a new item and increase existing items of appropriation in certain accounts for the designated spending units for expenditure during the fiscal year 2011.
Senate Bill 280 would change certain deadlines associated with the termination and resignation of service personnel, transfer of school personnel and rehiring of probationary employees.
Senate Bill 303 would add captive cervids to the list of animals that one may kill a dog if observing a dog chasing or harming the animal.
Senate Bill 329 would update code provisions to conform to the Streamlined Sales Tax Agreement.
Senate Bill 331 would make a technical correction in the definition of “eligible taxpayer,” relating to corporation net income tax.
Senate Bill 337 would make failure to wear a safety belt a primary offense.
Senate Bill 338 would permit the state to opt out of a federal statute that would otherwise not allow a West Virginia citizen, convicted of a felony involving a controlled substance, from receiving certain benefits provided by the Social Security Act and the Food Stamp Act.
Senate Bill 371 would update the list of jurisdictions identified as being tax havens.
Senate Bill 375 would authorize the Policy Commission and the Council to collect and disseminate information to aid consumers in assessing the performance of state institutions of higher education and to require them to revoke an institution’s authority to confer degrees under certain conditions.
Senate Bill 376 would permit unit owners’ associations to institute legal action against a unit owner to collect dues or assessments that are overdue or who is behind on payment of dues to the association.
Senate Bill 385 would remove an archaic section of the criminal code that provides for a lower penalty for assault or battery on an athletic official than for assault or battery on a member of the general public.
Senate Bill 439 would clarify that s complaint must be filed first with the State Regulatory Board and would establish a two year statute of limitations for actions involving manufactured housing.
Senate Bill 464 would amend the petitioning procedure to regain the right to possess firearms so it complies with the minimum criteria to establish qualifying mental health relief from firearms disabilities under the NICS Improvement Act of 2007. The bill would remove individuals from the federal NICS Index who have been adjudicated in West Virginia to regain their right to possess firearms.
The Senate passed five bills and adopted one resolution in a brief late morning chamber session.
Additionally, eight bills were introduced. A sampling includes 
The Carpenter Family sang the National Anthem and “Beulah Land” to begin this morning’s House of Delegates session.
Today in the Senate, one resolution was adopted and five bills were passed in a late morning chamber session.
This morning, the House of Delegates passed nine bills after reading them for a third time. One of those bills was 
Today the Senate honored the lives of two former colleagues who recently passed this week.
This morning, the House of Delegates concurred with a Senate amendment and adopted 
Today, members of Charleston’s Station No. 2 Fire Department pulled fire engines onto the State Capitol Complex grounds to lift an American flag honoring the victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.