As of 3 p.m., Saturday, February 20th, 2016, the 39th day of the second sessions of the 82nd Legislature, 1,088 bills have been introduced in the House. Of those, 70 of those bills have passed and been sent to the Senate for their consideration.
House Bill 4228 (Relating to transportation network companies) would work to create transportation network companies; to provide definitions; to declare not common carriers; to require permits; to require an agent for service of process; to provide for fare collection; identification; and electronic receipts; to require financial responsibility and disclosure thereof; to allow automobile insurers to exclude certain coverages; to define the relationship between drivers and transportation network companies. This bill would also prohibit alcohol or drug and provide requirements for drivers. House Bill 4228 would also require vehicle inspections. It would also work to prohibit street hails, cash trips and discrimination. This bill would also require customer records to be kept and to prohibit local entity taxes or licenses. This bill will now be discussed further in the Senate.
House Bill 2615 (West Virginia Small Business Capital Act) would work to create the West Virginia Small Business Capital Act. It exempts the offer and sale of certain securities from the Uniform Securities Act. This bill will now be sent to the Senate for further discussion.
House Bill 4146 (Providing insurance cover abuse-deterrent opioid analgesic drugs) would work to provide insurance coverage for abuse-deterrent opioid analgesic drugs. It provides that direct health care services cover abuse-deterrent opioid analgesic drugs while also providing certain contracts cover abuse deterrent opioid analgesic drugs. It, additionally defines applicable terms while providing an effective date. This bill will now be sent to the Senate for further discussion.
House Bill 4188 (Relating to the development and implementation of a program to facilitate commercial sponsorship of rest areas) would work to provide a program to develop and implement a program to facilitate commercial sponsorship of rest areas and welcome centers on controlled-access highway facilities. The bill also creates the Legislative Oversight Commission on Controlled-access Facilities Sponsorship to investigate, study and review the development and implementation of the program.
House Bill 4218 (Expanding the definition of “underground facility” in the One-Call System Act) would work to implement a formal recommendation offered by the West Virginia Commission on Oil and Natural Gas Industry Safety, which Governor Tomblin convened by executive order. Specifically, the bill expands the definition of “underground facility” in the One-Call System Act to include underground pipelines for gas, oil, or any hazardous substances that are four inches in diameter or greater and are not otherwise subject to one-call reporting requirements under federal or state law.
House Bill 4309 (Increasing criminal penalties for conviction of certain offenses of financial exploitation of an elderly person) would work to increase the criminal penalties for conviction of the offense of financial exploitation of an elderly person, protected person or incapacitated person. This bill would work to increase the criminal penalty for the offense of financial exploitation of $1,000 or more.
House Bill 2122 (Making it illegal for first responders to photograph a corpse; Jonathon’s Law) would work to make it illegal for anyone to photograph a corpse except for a legitimate purpose. This bill would prohibit and provide criminal penalties upon violation. This bill is being sent to the Senate for further discussion.
House Bill 4347 (Providing pregnant women priority to substance abuse treatment) which would work to give pregnant women priority to substance abuse treatment. This bill states that substance abuse or recovery service providers that accept Medicaid shall give pregnant women priority in accessing services and shall not refuse access to services solely due to pregnancy as long as the provider’s services are appropriate for pregnant women. The bill is now being sent to the Senate for further discussion.
House Bill 4417 (Increasing wages protected from garnishment) would work to potentially increase wages protected from garnishment. This bill will now be sent to the Senate for further discussion and consideration.
House Bill 2474 (Relating to the compensation of personnel employed at the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind) would update the minimum salaries in effect for personnel at facilities under jurisdiction of the State Board of Education. This bill would also authorize the board to establish salary schedules or compensation in excess of the minimums for certain teachers.
House Bill 2852 (Relating to legalizing and regulating the sale and use of fireworks) would authorize the sale of consumer fireworks, establish regulatory framework for sale of fireworks, require a certificate and permits for the sale of fireworks. The bill also establishes fees of which two-thirds will be delegated to the West Virginia Veterans’ Facilities Support Fund and one-third will be delegated to the Fire Protection Fund.
House Bill 4013 (Requiring a person desiring to vote to present documentation identifying the voter) would require voters to provide a photo identification when voting. The bill allows for exemptions for those who live in nursing care facilities where precincts are located and those with religious objections to having their photograph taken. Additionally, the bill allows an update for provisional ballot procedures, provides for complimentary photo ID cards to a voter upon request and representation that the photo ID card is requested for the purpose of voting, and establishes procedures for persons over a certain age lacking certain documents to acquire driver’s licenses and photo ID cards.
House Bill 4150 (Making a supplementary appropriation to the Department of Health and Human Resources) would appropriate funds to the Department of Health and Human Resources for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016.
House Bill 4151 (Making a supplementary appropriation to the Department of Education) would appropriate federal funds out of the Treasury to the Department of Education, State Board of Education – School Lunch Program and Department of Education, State Board of Education – Vocational Division for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2016.
House Bill 4159 (Making a supplementary appropriation to the Public Services Commission – Motor Carrier Division) would appropriate federal funds out of the Treasury to the Public Services Commission – Motor Carrier Division.
House Bill 4213 (Uniform Deployed Parents Custody and Visitation Act) would codify standard procedures for resolution and determination of custody and visitation issues when a parent is deployed in the military or other national service.
House Bill 4261 (Prohibiting the sale or transfer of student data to vendors and other profit making entities) would prohibit the department from transferring confidential student information to federal, state or local agencies or other persons or entities. The bill also would authorize student or redacted data to be provided as part of a contract with a vendor, and would add a new exception providing for the sharing of certain information in the event that the ACT or SAT tests are adopted for use as the state summative assessment.
House Bill 4499 (Relating to certain persons who have been disqualified or excused from jury service) would remove certain persons who have been disqualified or excused from jury service of the grounds of nonresidence from the voter registration rolls.
House Bill 4520 (Clarifying that certain hospitals have only one governing body whose meetings shall be open to the public) would clarify that hospitals owned or operated by nonprofit corporations, nonprofit associations or local governmental units, may have only one governing body whose meetings shall be open to the public.
