As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, 2005, the 22nd day of the 2005 Regular Session, 434 bills have been introduced in the Senate. Of those, 19 have been passed by the Senate since Feb. 24th and have been sent to the House for its consideration.
Senate Bill 49 would repeal a section of West Virginia Code that requires the circuit court of each county to appoint three persons to inspect a county jail on a yearly basis. The bill would remove this provision because it is no longer effective with the creation of the Regional Jail System.
Senate Bill 63 would require legislative approval by passage of a concurrent resolution for giving any road, highway or bridge a memorial designation. The bill states that the Commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Highways does not have the authority to make such changes without legislative approval.
Senate Bill 94 would allow school activities for students, faculty senate meetings and other professional activities for teachers to occur in any order. The bill would further provide additional flexibility for instructional support and enhancement days.
Senate Bill 104 would repeal a section of the West Virginia Code relating to working prisoners by county commissioners, since prisons are no longer located in every county.
Senate Bill 154 would require promulgation of emergency and legislative rules designed to allow persons to beneficially use water treatment plant sludge.
Senate Bill 162 would modify the time period the Economic Development Authority has to allocate the tax credits available under the Capital Company Act. The legislation would allow the Authority to allocate tax credits for economic development and technology centers at any time during a fiscal year, not just during the first 90 days.
Senate Bill 183 would authorize the warden of a correctional facility to allow an inmate to withdraw money from a mandatory savings account that contains 10 percent of all money earned during incarceration. This withdrawal would prepare the inmate for reentry into society.
Senate Bill 184 would repeal an outdated section of the Code that allows wardens to offer rewards up to $500 for the apprehension and redelivery of escaped convicts. The bill was recommended for introduction and passage by the Legislative Oversight Committee on the Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority.
Senate Bill 198 would establish specialized fire safety standards for Bed and Breakfast Establishments (B&Bs). No smoking would be allowed in the B&Bs. Also, the facilities would be required to have smoke alarms in all common areas, guest areas and hallways and to have primary and secondary means of departure.
Senate Bill 229 would provide regulatory relief to banks and credit unions by repealing or amending certain reporting requirements since most of the information is available from federal banking agencies. Banks would no longer have to submit to the State Commissioner of Banking an annual report specifying the location of each office and the amount of loans outstanding in each office for its main office and each branch in the state. Banks would only have to report the amount of deposits and shares held by each office in the state.
Senate Bill 238 would require those in the business of purchasing scrap metal to make record of steel purchases. The entities already have to report the purchase of many other metals.
Senate Bill 248 would temporarily void the requirement that technology expenditures be made in accordance with the Education Technology Strategic Plan. The requirement would be void if the Governor failed to appoint members to the Education Technology Strategic Plan Advisory Committee.
Senate Bill 269 would supplement, amend, reduce and increase existing items in the State Road Fund for the designated spending unit for expenditure during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005.
Senate Bill 281 would continue the Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council until July 1, 2008. It was created in 1974 to develop, with the Commissioner of the Bureau of Public Health, standards for emergency medical service personnel and to provide advice to the Office of Emergency Medical Services and the Commissioner.
Senate Bill 282 would continue the School Building Authority (SBA) until July 1, 2007. The SBA was created in 1989 to facilitate and provide state funds for the construction and maintenance of school facilities to meet the educational needs of the people of West Virginia.
Senate Bill 283 would continue the Health Care Authority (HCA) until July 1, 2008. The HCA was created in 1983 with the responsibility of collecting information on health care costs, developing a system of cost control and ensuring accessibility to appropriate acute care services.
Senate Bill 284 would continue the Office of the Insurance Commissioner until July 1, 2007. The office was created in 1947 to provide an environment that leads to an affordable and available insurance market by administering and enforcing the Insurance Code of West Virginia.
Senate Bill 285 would continue the Division of Culture and History until July 1, 2007. The division was created in 1977 to help identify and present the ideas, arts and artifacts of West Virginia Heritage.
Senate Bill 286 would continue Public Defender Services until July 1, 2008. The service was established to fund all indigent defense for West Virginia.
