As of 4 p.m., Wednesday, February 15, the 36th day of the 2006 Regular Session 1226 bills have been introduced in the House of Delegates. Of those, 62 have been passed by the House and sent to the Senate for its consideration. Some of the bills that passed the House this week and have been sent to the Senate are:
House Bill 2141 would require non-profit organizations to obtain a permit from a county commission to solicit monies from cars on public highways. One of the requirements to receive the permit would be that the organization certify that only persons over the age of 18 would participate in the solicitation.
House Bill 2312 would require all hotels and motels with rooms that are designated as handicapped accessible to install, at a minimum, grab bars in all showers and tubs. The grab bars would have to meet the specifications detailed in the American Disabilities Act of 1990.
House Bill 2947 would specify the forms of payments that can be made for delinquent property taxes on property that will be sold by the county sheriff. The bill would require the delinquent payment made within 14 days of the scheduled sale of the property be made only by cashiers check, money order, certified check or United States currency.
House Bill 4004 would prohibit law enforcement officials from using traffic cameras to detect or convict individuals of traffic violations.
House Bill 4041 would provide for a limited amount of liability immunity for volunteers of a public health department. The immunity would apply to simple negligence arising from the volunteer’s acts or omissions during the course of their service. The immunity would not apply to acts of intentional torture or gross negligence.
House Bill 4065 would expand the crimes for which parole hearings notification forms must be completed. The bill would add the following crimes to the list that requires notification of parole hearings: bank robbery, voluntary manslaughter, negligent homicide, driving under the influence causing death, fleeing causing death, malicious wounding, malicious assault, child abuse resulting in death, child neglect resulting in death.
House Bill 4072 would make it a misdemeanor offense for a person to remove a dog’s tags if they are not the owner of the dog. The penalties for conviction of this misdemeanor would be public service for 5-15 days and/or a fine of $50 – $100.
House Bill 4107 would increase the penalties for a care giver who abuses or neglects an elderly or incapacitated person who is under their care. This bill would change conviction of this offence from a misdemeanor to a felony and require that the incarceration time be served at a state correction facility instead of a county jail, and would increase the fines and jail time.
House Bill 4129 would require telephone solicitors who call on behalf of charitable organizations to tell the person called, if they ask, how much of the donated money the solicitor will keep and how much will actually go to the charitable organization.
House Bill 4240 would change the name of the Community and Technical College of Shepherd to the Blue Ridge Community and Technical College.
House Bill 4260 would enhance the objectives of audits performed by the State Board conducted on educational facilities’ performance. The bill also would require the State Board to report their findings to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability no later than December 1, 2006.
House Bill 4295 would establish a bird dog training permit. The fee for this permit would be $10.
House Bill 4306 would prohibit individuals from demonstrating within 500 feet of a funeral service or procession. The bill would make individuals encroaching upon the procession closer than 500 feet after previously being warned by law-enforcement officials face felony charges. Penalties of this offense would result in incarceration for one to five years, or a fine of $500-$2000, upon conviction.
House Bill 4307 would allow drivers of antique cars and motorcycles an extended time period on weekends to drive their vehicles for recreational purposes. Currently the time period is Saturday through Sunday evening. This bill would extend the time to begin at 4:00 p.m. on Friday.
House Bill 4309 would detail the type of information to be placed on a racial profiling form that West Virginia law enforcement officials must complete after a traffic stop, as part of a statewide study on racial profiling. The bill would require the Director of the Governor’s Committee on Crime, Delinquency and Correction to publish the findings of this study and analysis of the information by February 1, 2009, and provide copies of this publication to the Governor and to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.
House Bill 4447 would allow county Boards of Education to lease school buses to non-profit organizations for the use of transportation to and from fairs, festivals and other educational and cultural events. The driver would be required, by this law, to be regularly employed by the county Board of Education.
