As of 4 p.m., Friday, March 24, 2017, the 45th day of the regular session of the 83rd Legislature, 686 bills have been introduced in the West Virginia Senate. Of those bills, 40 have passed this week along with one bill from the House, all of which have been sent to the House for further consideration. The Senate has also completed legislation on two bills. Among those:
House Bill 2300 would regulate the use of step therapy protocols by providing a simple and expeditious process for exceptions to the protocols that the health care provider deems not in the best interests of the patient.
Bills Passed by the Senate
Senate Bill 16 would repeal a section of the code that provides a tax credit for wind power projects.
Senate Bill 27 would permit home-based, micro-processing foods to be sold at farmers markets.
Senate Bill 36 add sales of gasoline, diesel fuel and blended fuel to the list of products exempted from the Unfair Practices Act.
Senate Bill 216 would prohibit the exclusion, modification or limitation of any warranty or remedy in the sale of used motor vehicles, specifically pertaining to “as is” motor vehicle sales.
Senate Bill 219 would create a criminal offense to hold all participants involved in a conspiracy to violate the drug laws responsible.
Senate Bill 243 would repeal statutory language authorizing a minor over age of fourteen years to nominate a guardian in domestic relation matters.
Senate Bill 288 would double the penalties for child abuse offenses.
Senate Bill 290 would allow distillery or mini-distillery operators to offer liquor for purchase and consumption on the premises on Sundays beginning at 1 p.m.
Senate Bill 308 would define legislatively that the administrative and law enforcement activities of the natural resources police officers of the Division of Natural Resources are directly related to the conservation and management of the state’s fish and wildlife.
Senate Bill 339 would create a legislative coalition to study and report to the Legislature on chronic pain management in the state.
Senate Bill 341 would establish a West Virginia business growth in low-income communities tax credit.
Senate Bill 360 would create a legislative coalition to study and report to the Legislature on diabetes in the state.
Senate Bill 362 would permit the redirection of the deposit of revenues collected from certain surcharges and assessments on workers’ compensation insurance policies and derived from net terminal income funds by the Governor through executive order to the General Revenue Fund.
Senate Bill 398 would create The Emergency Volunteer Health Practitioners Act to regulate the practice of volunteer health practitioners during an emergency and create a registration system that grants reciprocity to licenses issued to volunteer health practitioners in other states during an emergency.
Senate Bill 414 would create the Division of Multimodal Transportation under the Secretary of Transportation and to combine the employees, equipment, assets, liabilities and duties previously executed by the Public Port Authority, the state Aeronautics Commission and the West Virginia State Rail Authority.
Senate Bill 461 would exempt the West Virginia State Police from state purchasing requirements.
Senate Bill 467 would increase the maximum bet permitted for limited video lottery terminals, remove restrictions on bill denominations accepted by limited video lottery terminals and fix the state share of gross profits from limited video lottery revenues at 50% beginning July 1, 2017.
Senate Bill 468 would remove restrictions on where KENO theme lottery games may be played, specifically, games that utilize an electronic computer and video screen to operate a lottery game and communicate the results thereof, such as the game “Travel,” and do not utilize an interactive electronic terminal device allowing input by an individual player.
Senate Bill 472 would permit bear hunting with guides.
Senate Bill 479 would allow sales of liquor by retail licensees after one o’clock p.m. on Sundays and transfer the authority to set the maximum wholesale markup percentage of all liquor, other than wine, from the commissioner to the Legislature.
Senate Bill 480 would authorize local units of government to adopt local energy efficiency partnership programs and to create districts to promote the use of energy efficiency improvements by owners of certain real property, and provide for the financing of such programs.
Senate Bill 499 would create the Debt Resolution Services Division within the Auditor’s office administered by the existing employees of the Auditor’s office.
Senate Bill 500 would add language to the West Virginia Code providing clarity in the representation of cases relating to Medicaid fraud and abuse, as well as continue the fraud control unit in the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Attorney General’s office after July 1, 2017.
Senate Bill 523 would make statutory changes related to converting to a biweekly pay cycle from a monthly or semimonthly cycle for state employees.
Senate Bill 524 would prohibit implementation of Common Core academic standards and require adoption and implementation of certain other academic standards for a minimum of five school years after date of implementation.
Senate Bill 533 would provide that no wine or liquor excise tax will be collected on purchases of wine or intoxicating liquors in the original sealed package for resale, if the final purchase of the wine or intoxicating liquor is subject to the excise tax.
Senate Bill 547 would generally modify fees to be paid to the Secretary of State.
Senate Bill 548 would provide for the specific escheat of United States savings bonds and all rights and legal title thereto and define terms.
Senate Bill 554 would create the crime of false swearing in a legislative proceeding and penalties for violators.
Senate Bill 559 would permit limited video lottery retailers with more than one location to sell one or more of their operations to another person.
Senate Bill 564 would modify the West Virginia Independent Living Act and provisions relating to the statewide Independent Living Council to conform to requirements of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
Senate Bill 572 would require that elections for county surveyors be conducted on a nonpartisan basis and provide for the appointment and election of a new county surveyor if the office is vacated.
Senate Bill 581 would make technical corrections to the Uniform Trust Code.
Senate Bill 585 would strike the code section regarding locomotive power units and helper units.
Senate Bill 595 would allow portions of otherwise exempt property that are being used for nonexempt purposes to be separately assessed and taxed for property tax purposes.
Senate Bill 608 would clarify that lawful businesses or business structures operating in this state are unaffected by enactment of prohibitory legislation absent express language in the enactment prohibiting the continued operation of the business or use of a business structure.
Senate Bill 620 would increase penalties for vehicles driving slow in the passing lane or for overtaking a vehicle or turning or making a lane change without giving a signal and clarify that signaling is required when changing lanes.
Senate Bill 684 would correct existing incorrect references in the two sections relating to the West Virginia State Police.
House Bill 2028 would allow a pro se plaintiff or petitioner to file a claim or petition against the state, a state officer or state agency in the circuit court of a county in which the plaintiff or petitioner resides or in which a claim arose, instead of only allowing such claims to be heard at the Kanawha County Circuit Court.
House Bill 2447 would rename the Court of Claims the state Claims Commission, among other modifications.
House Bill 2766 would establish a new special revenue fund to collect and remit moneys to the Adult Drug Court Participation Fee Fund in the state to maintain and administer the state’s adult drug court programs.
Senate Bill 18 would require a new comprehensive statewide student assessment.
Senate Bill 61 would Provide consumers sales and service tax and use tax exemption for certain services and tangible personal property sold for repair, remodeling and maintenance of aircraft.
Senate Bill 76 would create the West Virginia Second Chance for Employment Act.
Senate Bill 183 would transfer the Division of Forestry from the Department of Commerce to the Department of Agriculture.
Senate Bill 419 would create special revenue fund sources for the Division of Labor to meet statutory obligations.
Senate Bill 464 would eliminate taxation on annuity consideration received by life insurer.
Senate Bill 486 relates to health care provider taxes.
Senate Bill 535 would reorganize the Division of Tourism and rename it to the West Virginia Tourism Office. The bill also allows for increased flexibility to market the state with a more strategic and results driven approach.
Senate Bill 538 would create special conditions of parole.
