Tag: house

For the week ending April 4, 2025

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Members of the House of Delegates began the process of completing a balanced state for the next state Fiscal Year, which begins July 1, 2025.

The House passed its budget bill, House Bill 2026, by a vote of 80 to 17 with three Delegates absent Friday afternoon. The total General Revenue budget in the bill is $5,113,274, 982 with an expected General Revenue surplus of $128,750,000 reserved for what is commonly referred to as the “back of the budget.”

The House Finance Committee built the budget using the Fiscal Year 2025 budget as its starting point and guide. The bill used long-standing vacancies in many agencies to effectuate a small 2% savings as well as roughly $300,000 savings in salaries as a result of department mergers. House Bill 2026 increased the employer share to PEIA for all agencies by about $40 million. The House budget put back the broad 10% cut made to the Department of Human Services last year, as well as an increase to the Department’s line items based on its requests for a total of about $90 million. The Department of Health’s Birth to Three program sees an increase of $7 million and the Division of Corrections receives a $30 million increase over the previous year’s budget in House Bill 2026. Another increase from the previous budget included in this year’s budget bill is $5 million going to appointed counsel as well as a new $1.8 million to court-appointed special advocates. The measure now goes to the Senate for debate.

The House passed Senate Bill 458, the Universal Professional and Occupational Licensing Act of 2025, by unanimous vote Monday. The measure would require the board of any profession regulated under W.Va. Code Chapter 30, which includes dentists, funeral directors, practical nurses, accountants, architects, foresters and physical therapists, to issue an occupational license to a resident of the state who is licensed in at least one other state in the same discipline and who meets several requirements for good standing. The bill currently is with Gov. Morrisey for action.

House Bill 2002, Establishing the One-Stop Shop Permitting Process, also passed the full House Monday by unanimous vote. It has gone to the Senate for debate and would streamline the state’s permitting processes while making them more accessible through a public dashboard. All 100 Delegates voted Tuesday to send House Bill 2152, the Prompt Payment Act of 2025, to the Senate for deliberation. It would require state agencies to pay legitimate and uncontested invoices within 45 days of receipt and late payments would be reported to the State Auditor, who would be required to publish and online list of noncompliant agencies.

The 60-day, regular legislative session ends at midnight April 12.

Contact: Ann Ali at (304) 340-3323

For the week ending March 28, 2025

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Members of the House of Delegates began meeting twice a day this week as the legislative deadline for bills to pass from the House of Delegates to the Senate draws near.

The House overwhelmingly voted Tuesday to pass Senate Bill 199, which was more than a year in the making. The measure would address student behavior intervention and teacher safety. It would establish guidelines for the re-entry of a student who has been excluded from the classroom or school bus for disorderly conduct. A behavioral plan, developed by a school counselor, school social worker or school psychologist, would need to be developed before the student could return. It also would require the counselor or social worker to participate in a conference and implement a behavioral plan before a student who had been excluded twice in one semester could be readmitted.

Delegates spent a great deal of time on the floor this week discussing foster care and child welfare. House Bill 2027, which passed the full House by a vote of 97-2, would change the process for the state to remove a child from a foster home. It would specify that a child who has been in a suitable placement for more than 15 consecutive months, or 50 percent of the child’s life, cannot be removed unless it is in the child’s best interest.

House Bill 2880 had only one vote against its passage. It would assign a “Parent Resource Navigator” through the Court Improvement Program or Public Defender Services to serve as part of the Bureau for Children and Families’ multidisciplinary team. This individual would be charged with helping parents trying to be unified or reunified with their children work through the legal system.

House Bill 2377, which unanimously passed the House Thursday, would bring more transparency to fatalities and near fatalities of children involved in the child welfare system while still maintaining necessary confidentiality. It would update child welfare data reporting and create a Critical Incident Review Team to review both fatalities and near fatalities involving children in the child welfare system. It would allow the Foster Care Ombudsman to access relevant reports and would require reports to be retained for at least one year.

House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay, addressed the House at the end of Wednesday’s floor session, reminding them the incremental changes they had voted on that day ultimately result in systematic reforms.

“It may not have seemed that way to those outside the body, outside the building, but we took up questions today of how we address — how society addresses — some of the most vulnerable people in our charge,” Hanshaw said. “We took up a discussion about foster care and young people who are our responsibility. We talked about issues of criminal justice reform, how one gets a black mark expunged from one’s record to enter the workforce and rejoin society as a productive member. We talked about issues of criminal justice. This was a big day.”

Speaker Hanshaw also noted the oversized emphasis that often becomes put on the Legislature when crises occur.

“You know, not every problem — not every problem — can be solved by the government. Not every problem can be solved by a law, not every problem can be solved by a judge, not every problem can be solved by the governor,” he said. “We had, on the discussion of our first bill today, what I believe to be a very meaningful conversation about what the role is of families in society and how we as the government relate to those who are just simply trying to keep a family together.

“And I think it’s important to note that we have children in foster care in West Virginia. We have a foster care problem that wasn’t created by the government, that wasn’t created by the courts, that wasn’t created by the Legislature, that wasn’t created by DHHR. It was created because men and women chose to prioritize drugs and substance abuse and other things over their children.”

Hanshaw reminded the Delegates to “continually reflect on the fact that the very best we can do is our best.”

“Our goal today, for the next period of time we have together, for this legislative session and always, needs to be to contribute as well as we can contribute in the society to allow men and women of West Virginia, families of West Virginia, citizens of West Virginia, to solve our own problems and continue to create an environment in which that’s possible.”

The 60-day, regular legislative session ends at midnight April 12.

Contact: Ann Ali at (304) 340-3323

For the week ending March 21, 2025

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Members of the House of Delegates voted this week to pass several education-related bills to the Senate for debate as the legislative deadline for bills to pass from one Chamber to the other approaches.

House Bill 2802, which passed the House by a vote of 98-0 Tuesday, was inspired by a successful local partnership between law enforcement and schools. It would allow law enforcement officers to substitute as many as eight of their required 16 hours of annual in-service training for hours served on-site in a school safety program.

“The thought is that officers would spend time in schools within their jurisdiction or immediately surrounding their jurisdiction, knowing that in the event of a school shooting every officer from anywhere close to that area is going to be responding to the school,” said HB2802 Lead Sponsor Delegate Jonathan Pinson, R-Mason. “If officers have had the opportunity to take eight of their 16 hours of in-service training inside a local school somewhere, they know where the cafeteria is, so if they get a call that a school shooter is in the cafeteria, that institutional knowledge will already be present; they’re not trying to figure out where the classrooms are, they’re not trying to figure out where certain facilities are.”

Pinson said he began working nearly four months ago with the state’s Law Enforcement Professional Standards (LEPS) Subcommittee of the Governor’s Committee on Crime, Delinquency and Corrections, which is responsible for law enforcement officers’ training and certification. The program is being modeled after the Shield Program in Jackson County, which is in Pinson’s district.

“Ultimately, they agreed this is an excellent idea,” he said, noting the bill was needed to allow the LEPS Subcommittee to set the parameters of a program and the subcommittee had already voted to create this one-to-one exchange for training hours. “I believe the LEPS Committee will go into further detail as to what they expect of these officers when they report to the schools for eight hours rather than reporting to in-service for eight hours.

“The thought being that those officers are out of their vehicle, they’re in the school, they’re around the school, they’re checking doors, they’re talking with students.”

Pinson said the Shield Program has allowed officers to develop relationships with teachers and students, which has led to several crimes against children being stopped or solved.

“It has also increased the unpredictability,” he said. “If someone wants to do harm to a school, they don’t know if that’s a day there may be an officer or two officers fulfilling their one-to-one exchange time.”

House Bill 2164, which would allow public and private schools to employ school safety officers, passed the House by a unanimous vote last week. The bill requires the state Division of Protective Services to establish standards for school safety officers, allowing them to carry firearms, requiring background checks and information sharing with the Division of Protective Services as well as annual training. House Bill 3166, which would allow each county board of education to establish standardized school safety mapping data and require the data be shared with relevant state and local agencies, also passed the House without a single vote against it this week.

House Bill 3024, unofficially called the guaranteed course transfer bill, passed the House unanimously. It would establish a framework to ensure students have a seamless road among high schools, career and technical education centers, community and technical colleges as well as baccalaureate institutions for post-secondary credits to guarantee transfer in a uniform way.

A bill to prohibit most cellphone use in schools passed the full House by a near-unanimous vote. House Bill 2003 would require the West Virginia Board of Education to establish rules for implementing the ban while allowing accommodations for students with disabilities, medical needs or Individualized Education Programs (IEP).

“I do believe there are a lot of distractions in the classroom, not only cell phones but also behavior. That’s why we had bills on discipline and behavior that came up,” said House Education Committee Chairman Delegate Joe Ellington, R-Mercer. “As far as devices, there are opportunities for devices to be used during the instructional day. We do have exceptions built into that.”

The 60-day, regular legislative session ends at midnight April 12.

Contact: Ann Ali at (304) 340-3323

For the week ending March 7, 2025.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As the 60-day, regular legislative session nears the halfway point, members of the House of Delegates continue to use their new two-step committee process to discuss potential new laws as well as solutions to issues throughout the state that may not require a change to the law.

“This process requires us to take a long, hard look at an issue, and the byproduct is that everyone in the room ends up being educated in some way,” said Deputy House Speaker Delegate David Kelly, R-Tyler. “You wouldn’t have a lot of these discussions without having the specific bills introduced, but if we can walk away from a committee meeting with some area of agreement, that’s a success to me.”

Kelly spent time this week in the House Standing Committee on Health and Human Resources discussing a bill he sponsored, House Bill 2358. The measure would impose deadlines in certain circumstances for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to perform an autopsy and provide the autopsy report.

Kelly said during his presentation of the bill that he understands the state’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner would say they need more money, and there is a national shortage of coroners, but West Virginia’s county prosecutors also need to be able to conduct timely investigations when necessary. Kelly said right now it takes about eight months on average for an autopsy report to be completed and shared with prosecutors.

“It’s hard to bring up shortcomings when you’ve learned just how short-staffed they are,” Kelly said after the meeting. “I am hopeful that another bill on the move to help entice more graduates to stay will help alleviate that issue.”

Members of the House Education Committee advanced two bills this week, House Bill 2572 and House Bill 2595, which would establish some guardrails for the state’s colleges and universities to best leverage Name, Image, Likeness opportunities for their student athletes. Members of the House overwhelmingly voted in favor of passing a bill to address elementary student behavior and teacher safety. House Bill 2515 passed the House by a vote of 92-4 this week, and it would establish the steps a teacher may take in an elementary school setting when it is determined a student’s behavior is what has been carefully defined in the bill as violent, threatening, creates an unsafe learning environment or impedes other students’ abilities to learn.

A total of 1,255 bills have been introduced in the House, and the last day to introduce bills is March 18. The House has passed 33 bills to the Senate for debate. The 60-day, regular legislative session ends at midnight April 12.

Contact: Ann Ali at (304) 340-3323

For the week ending Feb. 28, 2025

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As members of the West Virginia House of Delegates continue to implement their new, two-day committee process for deliberating potential bills, many passed the full body with nearly universal, unanimous support.

A total of 11 bills passed the full House this week, with fewer than half a dozen “nay” votes against any of them.

Members of the House voted to move some food additives out of reach with their approval of House Bill 2354. The measure would eliminate certain food additives from school nutrition programs starting Aug. 1 and would prohibit the sale of food products containing seven specific color additives or food dyes within the state after Jan. 1, 2027.

“We live in a state where many of our elementary school kids are medicated dealing with ADHD or some type of autism symptoms and what the studies have begun to show is that these additives that add no value to the nutritional value, only appearance to it, are actually feeding into hyperactivity and ADHD,” said Adam Burkhammer, R-Lewis, and lead sponsor of HB2354. “So as we consider bills on down our list, and one of them has been a really hot topic when we talk about elementary school behavior and how we’re going to tackle this, we’re tackling it right now: Better foods, better ingredients, better behavior, better for everybody.”

Delegates this week also voted to increase the criminal penalties on parents or guardians convicted of child abuse or neglect resulting in injury with House Bill 2123, and House Bill 2047, to largely prohibit cameras or recording devices in the bedrooms and bathrooms of foster children.

“We have to do everything we can to protect our kids,” said Delegate Doug Smith, R-Mercer, and lead sponsor of HB2123, which has unanimously passed the full House five out of the past six years.

Members of the Energy and Public Works Committee dug deep this week for an intense discussion on utility services and the establishment of microgrids in West Virginia. Their work across two meetings lasted nearly five hours with no legislation on the table.

Various representatives from the energy industry spoke to the economics and other aspects of microgrids in the state during the meeting, allowing the committee to go in-depth on the key question of how West Virginia can continue to lead in energy generation and economic development.

“When we’re able to talk through a problem, a concept or an opportunity without anyone in the room trying to defend or fight any specifics of a bill, we have the latitude to learn,” said Delegate Clay Riley, R-Harrison. “We got a wholistic view of microgrids in just one meeting, hearing from fuel sources, coal, natural gas, renewables, from the regulated utilities, the merchant utilities and the end users.”

Riley said the format lends itself to gaining perspective rather than being pigeonholed.

“It helps us all to understand the ‘why’ behind what someone believes without feeling like we must line up behind one bill or another,” he said.

A total of 1,051 bills have been introduced in the House; the last day to introduce bills is March 18. The 60-day, regular legislative session ends at midnight April 12.

Contact: Ann Ali at (304) 340-3323

Monday, February 24, 2025 – 13th Day of Session

The Senate will convene at 11 a.m.

THIRD READING

• Eng. Com. Sub. for SB 8: Providing additional sites and devices for newborn safe surrender
• Eng. Com. Sub. for SB 151: Creating crime of assault on police dogs and other public safety animals
• Eng. Com. Sub. for SB 240: Updating crime of sexual extortion
• Eng. Com. Sub. for SB 270: Declaring sale and manufacture of firearms essential business during declared emergency
• Eng. Com. Sub. for SB 275: Removing requirement school cooks or custodians have high school diploma or equivalent
• Eng. Com. Sub. for SB 282: Modifying provisions for employment of retired teachers as substitutes in areas of critical need and shortage
• Eng. Com. Sub. for SB 283: Expanding grade levels of personal finance course requirements needed for graduation

SECOND READING

• Com. Sub. for SB 136: Increasing penalties and parole eligibility requirements for homicide (original similar to HB 2359)
• Com. Sub. for SB 336: Authorizing Department of Homeland Security to promulgate legislative rules (original similar to HB 2256)

FIRST READING

• SB 92: Glucagon for Schools Act
• SB 291: Extending time frame for pharmacies to register from annually to biennially
• Com. Sub. for SB 358: Authorizing Department of Transportation to promulgate legislative rules (original similar to HB 2278)
• Com. Sub. for SB 443: Authorizing Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board of Examiners to conduct criminal background checks for licensing
• Com. Sub. for SB 462: Permitting Board of Occupational Therapy to require criminal history record checks

Scheduled Committee Meetings

9:30 a.m.: Government Organization (208W)

• SB 234: Increasing value at which municipal property must be sold through public auction
• Com. Sub. for SB 459: Requiring county economic development committee members be state residents

1 p.m.: Workforce (208W)

• Presentation: WV Dental Association
• SB 427: Permitting certain teenagers to work without obtaining work permit
• SB 534: Relating to requirements to administer polygraphs

1 p.m.: Transportation and Infrastructure (451M)

• SB 5: Authorizing Adopt-A-Road volunteer programs under jurisdiction of DOT
• SB 67: Allowing motor vehicle racing on county or municipal roads under certain circumstances
• SB 117: Exempting certain physicians from specified traffic laws when responding to emergencies
• Presentation: Jacob Bumgarner, P.E., West Virginia Department of Transportation-Division of Highways
• Sources of funding for West Virginia road infrastructure construction and maintenance; methods used to prioritize infrastructure funding and maintenance; funding levels for districts, counties; funding formulas; and maintenance and repaving/resurfacing schedules

2 p.m.: Energy, Industry, and Mining (208W)

• SB 22: Applying penalties for nonpayment of royalties under terms of oil and natural gas leases
• Com. Sub. for SB 448: Creating credit against severance tax for certain infrastructure improvements

2 p.m.: Pensions (451M)

• Presentation: Craig Slaughter, Executive, Director, Investment Management Board
• SB 100: Allowing members of State Police retirement system to use accrued leave as credit toward retirement
• SB 105: Updating retirement eligibility for certain sheriffs

3 p.m.: Judiciary (208W)

• SB 50: Requiring municipal elections to be held on same day as statewide election
• SJR 2: Incorporating of Churches or Religious Denominations Amendment
• Com. Sub. for SB 369: Miscellaneous Bundle
• Includes: SB 363, Department of Agriculture rule relating to state aid for fairs and festivals; SB 364, Department of Agriculture rule relating to inspection of meat and poultry; SB 365, Department of Agriculture rule relating to licensing and other fees; SB 366, Department of Agriculture rule relating to WV manufacture-grade milk; SB 367, Department of Agriculture rule relating to employment references, employment inquiries, and background checks; SB 368, Department of Agriculture rule relating to WV fish processing; SB 369, Department of Agriculture rule relating to select plant-based derivatives and select plant-based derivative products; SB 370, Department of Agriculture rule relating to Rural Rehabilitation Program; SB 371, Department of Agriculture rule relating to raw milk; SB 372, Board of Architects rule relating to registration of architects; SB 373, Board of Architects rule relating to fees for registration of architects; SB 374, State Auditor rule relating to Local Government Purchasing Card Program; SB 375, State Auditor rule relating to private trust companies; SB 376, Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists rule relating to operation of certain salons and schools; SB 377, Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists rule relating to schedule of fees; SB 378, Board of Barbers and Cosmetologists rule relating to schedule of fines; SB 379, Board of Chiropractic Examiners rule relating to consideration of prior criminal convictions in initial licensure determinations; SB 380, Board of Dentistry rule relating to continuing education requirements; SB 381, Board of Dentistry rule relating to mobile dental facilities and portable dental units; SB 382, Election Commission rule relating to regulation of campaign finance; SB 383, Board of Funeral Service Examiners rule relating to funeral director, embalmer, apprentice, courtesy card holders, and funeral establishment requirements; SB 384, Massage Therapy Licensure Board rule relating to general provisions; SB 385, Board of Medicine rule relating to waiver of initial licensing fees for certain applicants; SB 386, Board of Occupational Therapy rule relating to fees for services rendered by board; SB 387, Board of Occupational Therapy rule relating to competency standards for advanced practice by occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants; SB 388, Board of Occupational Therapy rule relating to request for waiver of licensing fees for certain individuals; SB 389, Board of Occupational Therapy rule relating to consideration of prior criminal convictions in initial licensure determinations; SB 390, Board of Occupational Therapy rule relating to telehealth practice requirements and definitions; SB 391, Board of Osteopathic Medicine rule relating to waiver of initial licensing fees for certain applicants; SB 392, Board of Pharmacy rule relating to licensure and practice of pharmacy; SB 393, Board of Pharmacy rule relating to Uniform Controlled Substances Act; SB 394, Board of Pharmacy rule relating to regulations governing pharmacy permits; SB 395, Board of Pharmacy rule relating to application of waiver of initial licensing fees for certain individuals; SB 396, Board of Examiners of Psychologists rule relating to consideration of prior criminal convictions in initial licensures and fee waivers; SB 397, Real Estate Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board rule relating to requirements for licensure and certification; SB 398, Real Estate Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board rule relating to renewal of licensure or certification; SB 399, Real Estate Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board rule relating to requirements for registration and renewal of appraisal management companies; SB 400, Real Estate Commission rule relating to licensing real estate brokers, associate brokers, and salespersons and conduct of brokerage business; SB 401, Real Estate Commission rule relating to application of waiver of initial licensing fees for certain individuals; SB 402, Real Estate Commission rule relating to consideration of prior criminal convictions in initial license eligibility determination; SB 403, Board of Registered Nurses rule relating to requirements for registration, licensure, and professional misconduct; SB 404, Board of Respiratory Care rule relating to criteria for licensure; SB 405, Board of Respiratory Care rule relating to consideration of prior criminal convictions in initial licensure determinations; SB 406, Board of Respiratory Care rule relating to telehealth practice requirements and definitions; SB 407, Board of Sanitarians rule relating to practice of public health sanitation; SB 408, Board of Examiners for Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology rule relating to speech-language pathology and audiology assistants; SB 409, Hope Scholarship Board rule relating to Hope Scholarship Program; SB 410, State Conservation Committee rule relating to State Conservation Committee grant program.

3 p.m.: Finance (451M)

• Budget Presentation: West Virginia Department of Commerce
• Budget Presentation: West Virginia Department of Economic Development

** Committee times and agendas are subject to change **

Senate Bills to be Introduced Monday, February 24, 2025

• SB 571: Mandating use of electronic lien and title system for anyone who records more than five liens in calendar year (Phillips; Transportation and Infrastructure)
• SB 572: Prohibiting spending authority for money used by board or commission that retains labor position (Tarr; Government Organization)
• SB 573: Relating to restrictions on use or sale of motor vehicles based on power source (Queen, Rose, Taylor; Transportation and Infrastructure)
• SB 574: Prohibiting diversity, equity, and inclusion policies (Helton; Judiciary)
• SB 575: Defining community air monitoring (Tarr; Government Organization)
• SB 576: Authorizing fixed odds racing in horse and dog racing (FN) (Barrett; Finance)
• SB 577: Clarifying prohibited practices by manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch when providing new motor vehicle to dealer (Barrett; Government Organization then Finance)
• SB 578: Relating to pet food packages (FN) (Grady; Agriculture then Finance)
• SB 579: Relating to Home Rule Reform (Helton, Fuller; Judiciary)
• SB 580: Increasing penalty for felony distribution of controlled substance classified in Schedule I or II (Helton, Fuller; Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health then Judiciary)
• SB 581: Relating to school attendance and student participation in 4-H activities (Oliverio, Garcia, Grady, Martin, Woodrum; Education)
• SB 582: Permitting current campus police officers to participate in WV DNR Police Officer Retirement System (FN) (Oliverio, Deeds, Fuller, Garcia, Woodrum; Pensions then Finance)
• SB 583: Establishing economic incentives for data centers to locate within state (Helton, Smith, Fuller, Martin, Phillips, Rose, Rucker, Taylor, Willis; Economic Development then Finance)
• SB 584: Lauren’s Law increasing penalty for delivery of certain controlled substances (Helton; Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health then Judiciary)
• SB 585: Relating to Craddock Student Athlete Safety Act (FN) (Stuart, Grady, Helton, Jeffries, Morris, Oliverio, Phillips, Rose, Rucker, Taylor; Judiciary then Finance)
• SB 586: Relating to requirements for filling vacancies in certain elected federal, state, and county offices (Garcia; Government Organization then Judiciary)
• SB 587: Relating generally to government contracting (Jefferies; Workforce then Government Organization)
• SB 588: Relating to WV Food Freedom Act (Rucker, Grady, Hart, Martin, Maynard, Rose, Tarr, Willis; Health and Human Resources)

* (FN) indicates the bill has a Fiscal Note

* (IB) indicates the bill is an Interim Bill

Committee Action on Bills from Friday, February 21, 2025

9:30 a.m.: Military

• SB 103: Exempting certain records from public release
• Bill reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

• SB 144: Relating to Military Incentive Program
• Bill reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Finance

• Com. Sub. for SB 149: Exempting certain military veterans and their dependents from tuition
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Finance

• Com. Sub. for SB 429: Providing tax credit to certain disabled veterans for lifetime hunting, trapping, and fishing license
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Finance

Resolutions that Have Been Adopted by the Senate as of Friday, February 21, 2025 (3)

• SCR 1: Adopting Joint Rules of Senate and House of Delegates (Adopted, 01-08)
• SCR 2: Authorizing payment of joint expenses (Adopted, 01-08)
• SCR 4: Amending Joint Rules of Senate and House of Delegates (Adopted, 02-12)

Action on House Bills in the Senate as of Friday, February 21, 2025 (2)

• HB 2024: Updating the meaning certain terms used in West Virginia Personal Income Tax Act (Completed legislation; awaiting action by the Governor)
• HB 2025: Updating terms in the Corporation Net Income Tax Act (Completed legislation; awaiting action by the Governor)

Action on House Resolutions in the Senate as of Friday, February 21, 2025 (1)

• HCR 49: Resolution relating to use of industrial sites and the potential impacts on downstream facilities (Natural Resources)

Bills that Have Completed Legislation as of Friday, February 21, 2025 (2 – 2 House)

• HB 2024: Updating the meaning certain terms used in West Virginia Personal Income Tax Act (Completed legislation; awaiting action by the Governor)
• HB 2025: Updating terms in the Corporation Net Income Tax Act (Completed legislation; awaiting action by the Governor)

Resolutions that Have Completed Legislation as of Friday, February 21, 2025 (7 – 3 Senate; 4 House)

• SCR 1: Adopting Joint Rules of Senate and House of Delegates (Adopted, 01-08)
• SCR 2: Authorizing payment of joint expenses (Adopted, 01-08)
• SCR 4: Amending Joint Rules of Senate and House of Delegates (Adopted, 02-12)
• HCR 1: Raising a Joint Assembly to open and publish election returns (Adopted, 01-08)
• HCR 2: Extending an invitation to His Excellency, the Governor, to deliver an address to the Legislature and raising a Joint Assembly therefor (Adopted, 01-08)
• HCR 3: Providing for an adjournment of the Legislature until February 12, 2025 (Adopted, 01-08)
• HCR 4: Raising a Joint Assembly to hear remarks of the Governor (Adopted, 01-12)

Committee times and agendas are subject to change. Follow @WVSenClerk on X for updates.

All Senate Committee meetings and floor sessions are available for both live streaming and to watch again in our archives. The link to the Senate’s archived video page can be found here:http://sg001-armony.sliq.net/00289/Harmony/en/View/UpcomingEvents.

Contact: Jacque Bland at (304) 357-7999

For the week ending Feb. 21, 2025

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — In addition to carrying out their legislative work this week, members of the West Virginia House of Delegates joined members of the Senate to collect donations for West Virginians affected by recent flooding.

“We’ve had record-setting flood waters, three feet higher than historic records, with county-wide damage,” Delegate David Green, R-McDowell, said during the Feb. 21 floor session before requesting a moment of silence. “There was no community in McDowell County that did not feel the impact of the flood. Sadly, our greatest loss was that we have lost four community members: three in the flood itself, a couple and their 2-year-old grandchild, as well as a seasoned firefighter.”

Delegate Green said 75% of McDowell County residents were left without power or water and roadways were so heavily impacted more than half the county had been heavily restricted from accessing its only hospital.

“Many residents are currently stranded, even today with their personal access bridge or roads washed away completely,” he said. “We have residents in our county that have lost their homes and some who are living in emergency shelters throughout the county.”

Green explained that the county’s schools are on “temporary hold,” and the state superintendent is working with the county superintendent to craft a plan for students to able to finish the school year.

“We truly appreciate our service providers working very hard to help restore our services,” he said. “I’m very pleased to say, and thankful to say, that we only have 10 homes now without power. With water, we still have close to 4,000 residents without public water in addition to 2,000 residents who can’t use their wells until they’re sanitized. It’s also estimated 35% of our county is still without phone service.

“We truly say thank you. We are in need of help, but we are confident our statesmen and our nation will rally around and help, and we say thank you sincerely for the members of this body that have personally reached out and shown their care and support, we say thank you. It’s my understanding that there are supplies that are being sent and again, just a massive thank you from myself and for our constituents in McDowell County. McDowell County is resilient, we are a county that loves one another, and with each other’s help and help from our friends and neighbors across this great nation and this wonderful state, we will get through this and come back together stronger and better.”

Several bills moved through the House committee process and to the floor this week, including House Bill 2042, which would allow for a guardian ad litem to request a court-appointed special advocate for a child in neglect and abuse cases.

“The more favorable outcomes come out of these cases when CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocate) is involved,” said Delegate Adam Burkhammer, R-Lewis, the lead sponsor of the bill. “CASA is a volunteer program, so we’re not talking about adding a bunch of staff and adding a bunch of dollars to our budget; we’re looking at community involvement, the opportunity to volunteer in abuse and neglect cases, and what we’re trying to do is get an extra set of eyes on our kids and in these cases.”

A total of 794 bills have been introduced in the House, and the last day to introduce bills is March 18. The 60-day, regular legislative session ends at midnight April 12.

Contact: Ann Ali at (304) 340-3323

For the week ending Feb. 14, 2025

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Members of the West Virginia House of Delegates Committee on Government Organization learned on just the second of the 60-day regular legislative session how the body’s new process for examining proposed legislation can help solve problems without passing a bill at all.

“I knew this was a possible effect of the new committee format, but I didn’t expect to see it in action during our first meeting,” said House Government Organization Committee Chairman Chris Phillips, R-Barbour. “I’m pleased we had designated time for the bill sponsor to explain what he was hoping to accomplish, then committee members who asked thoughtful questions and offered their own ideas but I’m especially happy the State Fire Marshal Ken Tyree was able to speak openly with us and agree to a solution that will work without changing the law.”

The House began the first session of the 87th Legislature with six standing committees, with four subcommittees under the House Finance Committee and three subcommittees under all the other standing committees. When a bill is introduced, the Speaker will refer it to a standing committee or a subcommittee, and a standing committee can refer it to a subcommittee. If it’s placed on an agenda, it must go through a hearing where the bill sponsor explains the bill’s purpose. The hearing stage is also when members of the public may provide testimony along with written comments to be included with the bill’s materials. The process is the same for both the subcommittee and the standing committee, so each bill has the potential for multiple hearings.

The Committee heard House Bill 2074 Thursday, which sponsor Jim Butler, R-Mason, explained was spurred by a specific issue with food booths at his local county fair. Butler explained how a fire inspector visited and said the block buildings that had been in place for at least 50 years all needed automatic fire suppression systems or the nonprofit vendors operating for fundraisers would have to shut down. The short-term solution was for the vendors to each accept written violations with instructions to correct the problem within a window of time, which now is approaching.

“In this instance, the day one discussion resulted in an agreement between committee members, the bill sponsor and the Fire Marshal that the underlying and over-restrictive requirement in the fire code will be amended in the rules process,” Butler said. “This means the problem is solved without the need to advance the bill, and I’ll certainly follow up to be sure that change occurs as expected, but I’m very pleased with this outcome.

“Any time we can solve a problem for our constituents it’s a win, and doing so without endlessly amending state law is a bonus.”

As Marshal Tyree explained to the committee members, the state fire code was written in 1979 and updated about 15 times since then, but he said he’d have no problem addressing Butler’s narrow and limited exception under rule instead.

“If anyone has ever wondered how the West Virginia State Code could have become a patchwork of narrow nooks and crannies that may seem like they don’t fit together, one simply has to live through a few legislative sessions,” said House Speaker Roger Hanshaw, R-Clay. “This specific instance was not necessarily the grand challenges of the state that we know we must address, but this was a meaningful proposal nonetheless and I’m pleased that its abbreviated journey through the legislative process is a good thing.”

A total of 377 bills have been introduced in the House, and the 60-day, regular legislative session ends at midnight April 12.

Contact: Ann Ali at (304) 340-3323