The Senate has completed legislation on seven bills that will now be sent to the governor for approval.
SB 206 would expand the definition of kidnapping to including taking or gaining custody of, confining or concealing another person by force or threat of force; or by duress, fraud, deceit misrepresentation or enticement.
SB 214 would adopt the Uniform Electronic Legal Material Act to preserve and protect certain legal material in official electronic records that may be unavailable in physical form.
SB 222 would disqualify an individual from receiving benefits for any week, or portion of a week, in which he or she left or lost his or her job as a result of a strike.
SB 225 would permit magistrates to conduct a proceeding for a temporary emergency protective order dealing with a temporary custody order entered by a family court.
SB 261 would increase the salary or wages of a judgment debtor, that may be exempt from execution by a judgment creditor, who is an employee of state, a state agency, or any political subdivision of the state, from 30 to 50 times the federal minimum hourly wage (then in effect).
SB 445 would include children conceived as a result of a sexual assault in the definition of “abused child.”
SB 634 would create an exemption for the Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) from having to go through the requirements of the Division of Purchasing when entering into agreements with West Virginia University or Marshall University for the provision of services, to encourage collaboration and cost-saving between the Universities and the DHHR.
Of those bills sent from the House to the Senate for concurrence, Majority Leader Ryan Ferns, R-Ohio, made a title amendment to SB 151 and sent the bill back to the House for concurrence, the House amendments to SB 419 were rejected and sent back to the House and HB 2447 was referred to a sub-committee to for review before concurrence or rejection of the House amendments.
The Senate also passed a bill that would authorize the issuance of special “In God We Trust” motor vehicle registration plates.
The bill, HB 2180, will now be sent to the House for consideration.
Members of the Senate also adopted HCR 26 to urge Congress to name the NASA IV & V Facility in Fairmont after West Virginia mathematician Katherine Coleman Johnson, HCR 94 to make August 26th of each year “Katherine Johnson Day” and SR 66 to honor Katherine Johnson for receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Senate Bills 304, 476 and 694 and House Bills 2188, 2364, 2404, 2479, 2509, 2518, 2519, 2522, 2526, 2586, 2653, 2706, 2731, 2739, 2796, 2856 and 2948 were advanced from second reading.
Of those bills, eight were amended.
Senator Charles Trump, R-Morgan, amended HB 2364 to make minor language changes.
Senator Trump also made amendments to House Bills 2404, 2479, 2509, 2526 and 2731 on behalf of decisions made by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, for which he serves as Chair.
Senator Tom Takubo, R-Kanawha, made an amendment to HB 2739 related to allowing the DHHR to maximize the number of qualified group emergency medical transportation service providers eligible to receive a certain supplemental reimbursement.
Senator Craig Blair, R-Berkeley, amended HB 2948 to incorporate the provisions of related bill SB 419 into the bill.
All bills on first reading were unanimously advanced to second reading.
Committee Meetings Today
Government Organization: 1 p.m. in 208W
Finance: 2 p.m. in 451M
Judiciary: 2:30 p.m. in 208W
Committee Meetings Tomorrow
Transportation and Infrastructure: 10 a.m. in 208W
Government Organization: 2 p.m. in 208W
Education: 2 p.m. in 451M
The Senate is in recess until 4 p.m. this evening.
