House Bill 2240 this legislation would provide that an act of domestic violence or sexual offense by strangling is an aggravated felony offense. This bill would modify the current law to include the term “strangle” when describing malicious and unlawful wounding. The term “strangle” is also inserted in the description of 1st degree sexual assault.
House Bill 2457 would prohibit the use of the name or likeness of elected or appointed officials on publicly-owned vehicles. This legislation will solely limit the means officials can use in their campaigns. For example public officials names will now not be allowed to be advertised on a publicly owned vehicle and public funds are not permissible for purchases towards the campaign.
House Bill 2462 relates to certain deposits of tax proceeds. The bill intends to reduce the amount of sales tax proceeds deposited into the School Major Improvement Fund and School Construction Fund. It seeks to reduce the amount to the School Improvement Fund by $2,000,004 for fiscal years 2016 through 2020. The School Construction Fund would be reduced by $6 million for fiscal years 2016 through 2020. The bill also makes small changes to language to make it consistent with modern bill drafting practices.
House Bill 2493 relates to requirements for insurance policies and contracts. The bill intends to prohibit insurance policies and contracts providing accident and sickness insurance or direct health care services that cover anti-cancer medications from charging higher copayments, deductibles or coinsurance for orally administered anti-cancer medications than is required for anti-cancer medications administered by injection or intravenously. Certain acts to comply with the requirements are prohibited. The requirements apply to policies or contracts that are issued or renewed after January 1, 2016. The bill also allows for cost containment measures if the cost of compliance exceeds 2 percent of the total cost of coverage.
House Bill 2571 would create a special fund for pot holes on state roads and highways, to which private entities or businesses could make donations for specific repairs. The Division of Highways is who would fix the pot holes and other minor problems. The contributors would receive a letter of recognition regarding the repair they made possible.
House Bill 2627 would provide protection against property crimes committed against coal mines, utilities, and other industrial facilities. The bill adds waste management facilities and timber operations to the protected facilities. It also provides for criminal penalties for the removal, destruction, or damage of real or personal property that impairs the normal operation any equipment or system used for the protection of health and safety of any person.
House Bill 2662 would create the Eye Care Consumer Protection Law. This law will allow easier access for people to receive eye care whether it be a kiosk or the bill would prohibit prescriptions from being determined or performed by anyone who isn’t a licensee, or person under the direct supervision of a licensee.
House Bill 2770 would make a supplementary appropriation from the State Fund and State Excess Lottery Revenue Fund to the Division of Human Services. The purpose of this bill is to supplement, amend, and increase an existing item of appropriation in the aforesaid account for the designated spending unit for expenditure during the fiscal year 2015. This is intended to help balance West Virginia’s state budget.
House Bill 2733 the purpose of this bill is to remove certain drugs from Schedule III of the controlled substances law; to update the requirements of the Control Substance Monitoring Program and extend the expiration date of law relating to the Multi-State Real-Time Tracking System.
House Bill 2778 would create the West Virginia State Infrastructure Fund within the Division of Highways. This fund would work cooperatively with a federal level program to provide funds for transportation infrastructure projects within the state. The bill provides information on the scope of the fund, the power to enter into agreements to fund infrastructure projects, and the ability of the Commissioner of the Division of Highways to enforce the agreements created by the fund.
House Bill 2820 relates to affirmative defenses against mechanic’s liens. It adds language to the West Virginia Code to allow for such defenses. The bill provides that property owners of single family dwellings or residences are not entitled to affirmative defenses to mechanics’ liens if notice is timely given of the liability for unpaid bills for work performed of materials supplied.
House Bill 2933 would make a supplementary appropriation to the Department of Administration’s Public Defender Services. The bill aims to increase the amount of funding available to public defender lawyers. Doing public work costs a great deal of personal money to the lawyers and increasing the amount per case could possibly make the burden easier.
