As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, February 21, 2007, the 50th day of the 2007 Regular Session, 757 bills have been introduced in the Senate. Of those, 210 have passed the Senate and will now go to the House for its consideration. They include:
Senate Bill 100 would require school employees to be reimbursed for mileage costs when they use their personal vehicle for school business. School employees would be given the same reimbursement that state employees receive when they use their personal vehicles for work-related matters.
Senate Bill 107 would revise current law to include threatening the use of a firearm as robbery in the first degree. This proposed change would charge a robber with first-degree armed robbery for visibly possessing a firearm.
Senate Bill 165 would give funding to certain public elementary schools that adopt school uniform policies. Each school approved by the state board of education to participate in the school uniform pilot program would receive a $10,000 grant. The school’s faculty senate and local school improvement council would decide the distribution of the money. The grant money could be used for the purchase of uniforms, computers and technology, to refurbish playgrounds, to enhance student behavior, to improve school safety, to increase academic achievement and to address the problems of at-risk students.
Senate Bill 376 would allow the Director of the Division of Natural Resources to charge a fee for wildlife that is killed, captured or kept in captivity for the use of scientific studies. The previous law had no charge for a permit to collect these animals.
Senate Bill 388 would establish the procedures for allocating the costs of medical support between the responsible parties in a child support order. This bill also would provide guidelines for setting the medical support, including premium costs.
Senate Bill 479 would allow county commissions to use county money to repair or improve orphan roads after the roads have been declined for repair by the Department of Administration or the Division of Highways. Once a county commission has made improvements or repairs to a road the commission may then apply to the Division of Highways for ownership of the road.
Senate Bill 510 would allow State Board of Education members to participate in the public employees insurance program. The bill would consider these appointed members “employees” during their term in office. The board members would be required to pay the entire premium cost if he or she chooses to be covered by the insurance plan.
Senate Bill 561 would discontinue the exemption that allowed salvage yards built before 1988 to not use screens. The bill would now require all salvage yard owners that are within 1,000 feet of a private residence or 5,000 feet of a residential community to use screens to mask the scrap yard.
Senate Bill 613 would prohibit the transport of a loaded crossbow in a vehicle and would clarify the proper ways to transport the weapon. The bill also would allow a person to hunt with a crossbow only if they have a class Y hunting permit.
Senate Bill 631 would give contractors a refund essentially equaling the sales tax on materials, services, machinery or supplies bought for the construction, alteration, repair or improvement of buildings or structures that are used by people or groups that have exemptions from paying sales taxes.
Senate Bill 667 would establish the Andrew J. Trail Purple Heart Recipient College Bill of Rights Act of 2007. This would allow every resident of the state who has been honorably discharged from any branch of the US Military and has received a purple heart to attend a state college or university without paying tuition or fees for eight semesters. After the eight-semester limit has been met, the recipient will be required to pay the full tuition for any additional semesters.
Senate Bill 738 would require the West Virginia Parkways, Economic Development and Tourism Authority to report any proposed toll or toll revisions to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance. The bill would then require the Legislature to vote on the proposed toll or toll revision.
Senate Bill 750 would reduce the rate of the corporation net income tax from 8.75 percent to 6.5. This reduction would be phased in over the course of three years. For the tax year 2008 the tax would be 7.5 percent and by January of 2009 the tax will be lowered to 7 percent.
