As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, March 1, the 50th day of the 2006 Regular Session, 1,497 bills have been introduced in the House of Delegates. Of those, 211 bills 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 sent to the Senate are:
House Bill 3019 would add two additional programs to the current number of community volunteer enrichment programs in public schools. The added programs would be the West Virginia Remembers Program, for veterans to speak in the public schools, and the West Virginia Community Arts In Education Program, for artists to share their experiences in the educational setting. The bill also would authorize the state board to establish rules for the new programs’ implementation.
House Bill 4089 would provide that on January 1, 2007, registration plates issued to a city or municipality law-enforcement department would include blue lettering on a white background with the word “West Virginia” on top of the plate. The plate would be further designed by the DMV commissioner to include a law enforcement shield together with other insignia or lettering sufficient to identify the motor vehicle as a municipal law enforcement department motor vehicle. Additionally, every municipality would provide the commissioner with a list of law-enforcement vehicles operated by the law-enforcement department of the municipality, and pay a $10 fee for each vehicle submitted by July 1, 2006.
House Bill 4023 would raise the state minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour. The increase would occur in stages, rising from the current $5.15 per hour to $5.85 per hour on July 1, 2006. By July 1, 2007, minimum wage would increase to $6.55 per hour. The final raise to $7.25 per hour would occur on July 1, 2008. The bill also would make it so the state’s minimum wage would increase in accordance with federal legislation.
House Bill 4437 would authorize the West Virginia Department of Agriculture emergency response vehicles to utilize red flashing warning lights. The emergency response vehicles would be designated by the Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture.
House Bill 4444 would allow ginseng to be grown, cultivated and harvested on West Virginia public land when land grant university researchers are performing research or demonstration projects regarding the growing, cultivating or harvesting of ginseng.
House Bill 4456 would remove limitations on beaver trappings. Previous limitations included the number of traps, the location of traps, and would allow for the disturbance of structures constructed by beavers when trapping.
House Bill 4472 relates to family court jurisdiction in all proceedings that concern grandparent visitation to children who are minors. The family court would have the power to grant reasonable visitation to a grandparent upon a finding that visitation would be in the best interest of the child and would not substantially interfere with the parent-child relationship. Additionally, a family court would be able to terminate grandparent visitation if it is proven that a grandparent has violated the terms and conditions of the order of visitation.
House Bill 4487 would allow one individual, who is at least 16 years old, to be in a vehicle to assist a hunter with a Class Q permit. A Class Q permit is a special statewide hunting permit allowing certain sportmen to hunt all legal species of game during the designated hunting seasons from a motor vehicle. The individual assisting the permittee would not be allowed to hunt with a firearm, bow or crossbow while assisting the person with the Class Q permit.
House Bill 4679 relates to qualified gift annuities. The law would do the following: exempt charitable gift annuities from insurance commission regulation; require that organizations, when entering into an agreement for a qualified charitable gift annuity, disclose to the donor in writing in the annuity agreement that a qualified charitable gift annuity is not insurance under the laws of this state; and, to set forth penalties for failure to provide the required notifications.
