As of 4 p.m., Wednesday, January 21, 2004, the eighth day of the 2004 Regular Legislative Session, 723 bills have been introduced in the House of Delegates, including 624 carry-over bills. Carry-over bills and resolutions are proposals that did not pass or were pending upon the adjournment of the first regular session within a respective two-year Legislature. These proposals must be requested by their original sponsors and retains their original language.
Five bills have been passed by the House and will now go to the Senate for its consideration. These are:
Committee Substitute for House Bill 2268 would designate teachers and substitute teachers as professional educators and address critical needs and shortages. This bill would reactivate provisions which previously authorized County School Boards to employ retired teachers in areas of critical need and shortage. However, the policy must limit the employment of retired teachers when no other teacher who holds certification and training in the area of need is available.
House Bill 3052 relates to including Family Courts into certain jurisdictional references of the Clerk of the Circuit Court by changing the official title of the Clerk of the Circuit Court to Clerk of the Courts. The bill would also require that the Administrative Director of the Supreme Court of Appeals keep a full and complete account of all money transactions in connection with the various county law libraries and of the receipt of all books and other documents lodged in the libraries.
House Bill 4039 relates to the posting of positions for the employment of persons other than professional educators as coaches. This bill would remove the prior requirement that the posting of coaching positions be posted after the employment of persons other than professional educators have been hired in a coaching position and remained there for at least three consecutive years.
House Bill 4040 relates to the criteria for filling vacancies in the case that more than one person who is permanently employed seek the same posted position. The criteria would be an overall rating of satisfactory on the previous two evaluations, rather than over the previous two years.
House Bill 4045 would require the submission of evidence to the State Superintendent that the County Superintendent has provided the required bond and good security. The bill would also require that each County Superintendent hold a professional administrative certificate endorsed for superintendent, or a first class permit endorsed for superintendent.
Sampling of bills introduced this week:
House Bill 4052 would increase the number of persons to whom credit union services would be extended. Credit union membership would be limited to persons within one or more groups having a common bond or bonds of similar occupation, employer, association or interest, or to those who reside or work in a well-defined community, neighborhood or rural district (using standards established by the National Credit Union Administration).
House Bill 4081 would require that County School Boards post the position of County Superintendent for at least 30 days prior to making an appointment. The posting requirement would not apply to a reappointment or an interim appointment.
House Bill 4055 would create a compact between states for the protection and return of juvenile offenders, runaways, and other juveniles. The Governor of this state would be authorized and directed to execute a compact on behalf of the state of West Virginia with any other state or states to execute the compact for the supervision and return of juvenile offenders, juvenile runaways and other juveniles.
House Bill 4066 would increase certain County Clerk, Circuit Clerk, Assessor, Sheriff, Prosecuting Attorney and Magistrate Court fees and dedicate the fee increases to the Courthouse Facilities Improvement Fund. Other portions of the increased fees would go toward a special revenue account administered by the Executive Director of Public Defender Services to provide funding for private attorneys appointed to provide representation.
House Bill 4079 would establish a program to employ rehabilitative drug treatment instead of incarceration for most persons arrested for nonviolent drug offenses. There would also be created in the State Treasury a special revenue account which would be known as the “Substance Abuse Treatment Trust Fund”. The fund would consist of all appropriations to the fund and all interest earned from the investment of the fund and any gifts, grants or contributions received.
House Bill 4037 would provide for an appropriation of at least $8 million for alternative education programs. The first $2 million would be distributed to the counties based on net enrollment and the remainder would be distributed to counties in competitive grants for pilot or innovative programs.
House Bill 4050 would transfer all powers and duties of the Public Energy Authority relating to bonding authority, including statutory responsibilities and contractual obligations related to outstanding bonded debt, to the State Treasurer.
House Bill 4059 would distribute the net terminal income of racetrack video lottery terminals from reduced distributions to the Tourism Development Fund to be deposited in the Development Office Promotion Fund and in the Higher Education Policy Commission’s Research Challenge Fund. This bill would also provide for uses and expenditures of such funds.
House Bill 4076 would require the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources to consider a method to obtain Medicaid reimbursement to retail pharmacies for the cost of certain prescriptions in a dosage that is less than the smallest available package and there is a reasonable expectation that the remaining portion of the broken package cannot be sold.
