The Senate Committee on the Judiciary met Friday afternoon for a brief meeting to discuss three Senate bills and one House bill on the agenda.
House Bill 2030 would authorize the Division of Corrections (DOC) and the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to create a valid West Virginia identification card for inmates in DOC facilities. The DOC would be required to ensure that each inmate has a proper identification card upon release, and the cards would expire 90 days after being released.
Senate Bill 340 would repeal article 20E of the insurance code, which created the West Virginia Medical Professional Liability Insurance Joint Underwriting Association Act. It would also repeal article 20F of the insurance code, which created the Physicians’ Mutual Insurance Company Act.
Senate Bill 402 would designate the Division of Forestry as the primary agency for the collection, preparation and central registry of information relating to timber theft. Anyone who would willingly cut and steal timber worth less than $1,000 would be convicted of a misdemeanor and subject to more than 30 days incarcerated and/or a $1,000 dollar fine. If the timber is worth more than $1,000, the person would be convicted of a felony and subject to one to three years incarcerated and/or fined three times the value of the timber.
Senate Bill 510 would amend the prerequisites for filing a medical professional liability claim. The bill would require that the 30-day notice for filing a claim include specified information about any agents, servants, employees or officers of the health care provider who would be named in the potential suit.
The Committee approved all fours bills, and will be reported to the full Senate on Monday to be voted upon.
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