As of 4 p.m., Friday, March 3, 2017, the 24th day of the regular session of the 83rd Legislature, 782 bills have been introduced in the West Virginia House of Delegates. Of those bills 20 have passed this week and have been sent to the Senate for further consideration. Among those:
House Bill 2740 is a supplemental appropriation bill; it would draw funds from the surplus balance of the General Revenue to supplement funding for public defenders.
Senate Bill 231 would provide that State Board of Education may delegate its Medicaid provider status and subsequent reimbursement to regional education service agencies or county boards subject to the county board determining that there is a net benefit and no detraction from the educational program of the county.
House Bill 2329 would make it unlawful to produce, manufacture, or possess fentanyl.
House Bill 2620 would create a central repository of drug overdose information in West Virginia; it establishes the reporting system requirements. It establishes reporting requirements of entities and information required to be reported. It provides for data collection and reporting; it also provides for rule-making authority, as well as criminal and administrative penalties for noncompliance.
House Bill 2646 would terminate the Women’s Commission and discontinues its functions.
House Bill 2506 would allow permit limits to be calculated using design flows recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Act for human health; specifically, the use of the harmonic mean flow. It also allows for mixing zone overlapping while retaining the application of water quality criteria that are developed for protection of drinking water. The bill will be sent to the Senate for further consideration.
House Bill 2083 would increase the felony criminal penalties for exposing children to methamphetamine manufacturing. The current penalty is one to five years. This bill increases the penalty to two to 10 years. The bill also gives meaning to “seriously bodily injury” sustained in location of the manufacturing.
House Bill 2123 would make the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind eligible to participate in any and all funding administered or distributed by the West Virginia School Building Authority.
House Bill 2486 would prohibit the restrictions that are inconsistent with any applicable policy of insurance or the performance of insurance functions with respect to the receipt or use of medical records that are obtained by insurers in connection with insurance claims and civil litigation.
House Bill 2542 would give institutions of higher education more authority in human resources and personnel. The bill defines classified and nonclassified employees and removes mandating a temporary salary.
House Bill 2585 would create two criminal offenses relating to money laundering. They are (1) laundering criminal proceeds through financial transaction and (2) the transportation, transmission, or transfer of criminal proceeds.
House Bill 2479 would adopt and implement the provisions of the Uniform Deployed Parents Custody and Visitation Act in West Virginia. The bill codifies standard procedures for resolution and determination of custody and visitation issues when a parent is deployed for national service.
House Bill 2364 prohibits electioneering during early voting periods in and around early voting locations to the same extent as is currently prohibited at polling places on election day.
House Bill 2619 adopts the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ Risk Management and Own Risk Solvency Assessment Model Act for implementation by West Virginia insurers so that they are better equipped to assess their financial condition and remain solvent.
House Bill 2630 authorizes the Board of Medicine and the Board of Osteopathic Medicine to share stag when efficient and practical to do so.
House Bill 2648 would increase the minimum sentence by three years for individuals convicted of manufacturing, delivering, or transporting controlled substances in the presence of a minor.
House Bill 2651 requires nationally normed standardized achievement tests to be administered to nonpublic students the ages of seven and seventeen. It also requires that the test administrated be published or normed within ten years from the date of administration.
House Bill 2684 imposes penalties for repeat violations of the prohibition on driving under the influence on a suspended license by persons under the age of 21.
Additional House Bills
House Bill 2453 would expand the list of persons the Commissioner of Agriculture many license to grow or cultivate industrial hemp. The bill requires a statewide and a nationwide background check. This bill was referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
House Bill 2641 would treat retired natural resource officers like all other law enforcement and exempt them from the state income tax. This bill was referred to the Committee on Finance.
House Bill 2662 would prohibit the wanton waste of game animals, game birds, or game fish. The bill makes it illegal to waste game that has been wounded, killed, or taken while hunting or fishing. Hunting/fishing license could be suspended for five years; could also be fined or jailed. This bill was referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
House Bill 2566 (also known as The WV Fresh Food Act) would require that state programs purchase a minimum of 20 percent of its fresh food from in-state fresh food producers. Many questions were raised regarding this act, such as how would it be monitored, would it be more expensive, and the big one: can our farmers produces that much food in-state? As the bill reads, each institution would be required to purchase 20 percent. Institutions include schools, universities, correction facilities, and others. The bill will be on the agenda of the next meeting of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee.
House Bill 2520 would prohibit the use of tanning devices by a person under the age of 18. Currently, law states that persons 14 to 17 can use a tanning device with parental consent. This law would replace that law and state no one under the age of 18 shall use a tanning device. According to the dermatologist who presented, the use of these devices is directly correlated to the development of skin cancers. The bill is now being reviewed in the Judiciary Committee.
House Bill 2375 would establish a Small Business Empowerment and Economic Expansion Program providing tax relief to newly-established small businesses. This bill was amended to prevent people from dismantling their business and then reapplying for the grant with a new similar business to the one that was dismantled. This halts people from abusing the tax program. The bill was referred to the Committee on Finance.
House Bill 2548 would relate to the use of outside speakers by persons licensed to manufacture, sale, possess for sale, transport or distribute non-intoxicating beer. The bill was referred to the Committee on Judiciary.
House Bill 2725 would prevent the Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists from regulating the use of hair, nail, skin, and other beauty products that are commonly available as retail, consumer products. This bill will be on second reading Monday.
Senate Bill 116 would allow the Governor’s Committee on Crime, Delinquency and Corrections to issue a legislative rule relating to Law-Enforcement Training and Certification Standards. This bill is in the House Judiciary Committee.
