As of 4 p.m., Wednesday, February 8, the 29th day of the 2006 Regular Session, 1,104 bills have been introduced in the House of Delegates. Of those, 42 bills have been passed by the House and sent to the Senate for its consideration. Some of the bills that have passed this week are:
House Bill 4112 would extend the time for the County Commission of Mineral County to meet as a levying body, set the levy rate and certify its actions to the Tax Commission until May 16, 2006.
House Bill 4133 would give magistrate courts concurrent juvenile jurisdiction with circuit courts in enforcing the laws prohibiting the possession or use of tobacco or tobacco products by minors. The measure also gives concurrent juvenile jurisdiction to municipal courts.
House Bill 4239 would continue the West Virginia Division of Unemployment Compensation. The purpose of the division is to administer unemployment compensation services through the collection of employer contributions and the payments of benefits to eligible people.
House Bill 4308 would limit the definition of conviction for purposes of administrative license revocation proceedings for individuals driving under the influence of alcohol, controlled substances or drugs.
House Bill 2607 would add sickle cell anemia and congenital adrenal hyperplasia to newborn screening requirements.
House Bill 4106 would correct the special one-day license provisions for the sale of wine by a distributor to be for a non-retailer, such as a non-profit organization.
House Bill 4008 would authorize existing city and county housing authorities to merge to form a regional housing authority. This merger would be authorized through the creation of a joint resolution that includes transfer of assets and liabilities, membership of authority and adoption of plan of the merger.
House Bill 4096 relates to the amount of an appeal bond. The measure would limit bond amounts, consolidate multiple judgements for bonding purposes and provide exceptions to bonding limitations.
House Bill 4353 would require law enforcement officers to have a valid complaint, signed by a magistrate or municipal judge, with showing of probable cause before reporting said offense to the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles.
House Bill 4392 would continue the West Virginia Conservation Agency. The purpose of the agency is to coordinate statewide conservation efforts, which include controlling floods, conserving West Virginia’s natural resources and wildlife, and protecting public lands.
House Bill 4296 would provide an employer immunity from liability for disclosing job-related information concerning an employee or former employee to a prospective employer. The measure also would require written disclosure of the job-related information and provide for the correction of false or misleading information.
House Bill 4368 would allow the Alcohol Beverage Control Agency Commissioner to investigate and impose penalties against licensed wine sellers for violations. The measure also would allow for the assessment of optional penalties in addition to revocation or suspension of a license. However, if the violation is willful, the license would be revoked.
A Sampling of Bills Introduced in the House
House Bill 4357 would make it a misdemeanor to lie to a deputy sheriff or municipal police officer who is conducting an investigation of a felony. An individual who is convicted of this misdemeanor would be fined no more than $500 and/or confined in jail for no more than one year.
House Bill 4370 would authorize volunteer and part volunteer fire departments to create a fund to recognize their volunteers with an award for their years of service.
House Bill 4389 would require county clerks to notify property owners of the existence of a lien filed against their property. The measure further requires a fee of $1 for filing a lien and if a county clerk fails to notify an individual of the lien, he or she is liable for the amount of any injury the person may receive because of the failed notice. The injured individual also may choose to recover $50 from the clerk or justice.
House Bill 4394 would designate April 1 of each year as “Coal Miners Memorial Day” and make it a state holiday.
House Bill 4406 would remove the requirement to evaluate classroom teachers who have five years experience and no unsatisfactory evaluations for at least three years. This measure also would allow these teachers to only be evaluated when the principal determines it is necessary or if the teacher wants to be evaluated.
House Bill 4444 would permit land grant university researchers performing research to plant ginseng seed and to dig, collect or gather ginseng on state public lands while providing exceptions to the permit requirements for growing and digging the herb. This measure also creates an expiration date for ginseng dealer permits.
House Bill 4455 would prohibit any person who deals in children’s products from re-manufacturing, retrofitting, selling, contracting to sell or otherwise placing in the stream of commerce, unsafe children’s products. This measure also would require the Bureau of Public Health to provide an updated list of children’s products considered to be unsafe as well as a list of presumptions of certain children’s products. An individual who violates the provisions in this measure would be guilty of a misdemeanor and fined between $100 and $500 if convicted. A second or subsequent offense would result in being fined between $500 and $1000 if convicted.
