State Senate

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 – 8th Day of Session

The Senate will convene at 11 a.m.

THIRD READING

• Eng. Com. Sub. for SB 460: Relating to vaccine requirements

SECOND READING

There are no bills on Second Reading for Wednesday, February 19, 2025.

FIRST READING

• Com. Sub. for SB 138: Enhancing penalties for fleeing officer
• Com. Sub. for SB 139: Relating to filling of vacancies in Legislature
• Com. Sub. for SB 269: Modifying requirements for public water systems or businesses having backflow preventers

Scheduled Committee Meetings

9:30 a.m.: Natural Resources (208W)

• Organizational Motions
• New Member and Staff Introductions
• Presentation: Brett McMillion, Director WVDNR – Update on the Division of Natural Resources (law, parks, and wildlife resources)

1 p.m.: Select Committee on Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health (451M)

• SB 515: Allowing parent to have adult dependent child involuntarily admitted for treatment and/or related procedures

3 p.m.: Judiciary (208W)

• Com. Sub. for SB 246: Violent Crime Prevention Act
• Com. Sub. for SB 136: Modifying parole eligibility for person serving sentence for first degree murder
• Com. Sub. for SB 336: Department of Homeland Security Bundle

• Includes: SB 335, Governor's Committee on Crime, Delinquency, and Correction rule relating to protocol for law-enforcement response to child abuse and neglect; SB 336, Governor's Committee on Crime, Delinquency, and Correction rule relating to sexual assault forensic examinations; SB 337, Division of Protective Services rule relating to ranks and duties of officers within membership of division; SB 338, State Emergency Response Commission rule relating to Emergency Planning Grant Program; SB 339, State Police rule relating to cadet selection; SB 340, State Police rule relating to WV State Police Career Progression System

3 p.m.: Finance (451M)

• Budget Presentation: Public Service Commission of West Virginia
• Budget Presentation: West Virginia Consumer Advocate Division
• Budget Presentation: West Virginia Lottery Commission

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

Senate Bills to be Introduced Wednesday, February 19, 2025

• SB 522: Clarifying procedure for administrative dissolution of limited liability companies by Secretary of State (Woodrum; Government Organization)
• SB 523: Requiring candidates for municipal offices to file campaign financial statements and financial reports (FN) (Woodrum; Government Organization then Finance)
• SB 524: Clarifying persons permitted to be present in polling place during election period for non-voting activities (Woodrum; Judiciary)
• SB 525: Clarifying procedure for administrative dissolution of nonprofit corporations by the Secretary of State (Woodrum; Government Organization)
• SB 526: Creating the Pharmacist Prescribing Authority Act (Chapman; Health and Human Resources then Government Organization)
• SB 527: Relating to assault and battery on emergency service personnel, law-enforcement officers, and correctional employees (Weld; Judiciary)
• SB 528: Relating to crime of sexual abuse by parent, guardian, custodian, or person in position of trust to child (Weld; Judiciary)
• SB 529: Relating generally to liability insurance coverage for Board of Education (Weld; Education then Finance)
• SB 530: Creating the West Virginia Land Sovereignty Act (Rose, Thorne, Martin; Judiciary)
• SB 531: Defining assault and battery on sports officials (Woelfel; Education then Judiciary)
• SB 532: Making ad valorum taxes on property payable only to county in which property is located (FN) (Clements, Garcia, Oliverio, Rose; Finance)
• SB 533: Clarifying where the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activity Commission (WVSSAC) may be involved in legal action (Clements, Grady; Education)
• SB 534: Relating to requirements to administer polygraphs (Fuller, Deeds, Hart, Helton, Willis; Workforce)
• SB 535: Raleigh County Economic Opportunity Development District (Helton, Deeds, Fuller, Jeffries, Tarr; Economic Development then Finance)
• SB 536: Relating to county economic opportunity development districts (Tarr, Grady; Economic Development then Finance)
• SB 537: Establishing WV Mothers and Babies Pregnancy Support Program (Helton, Fuller; Health and Human Resources)
• SB 538: Allowing certain entities to purchase qualifying tax-delinquent properties before they are offered at public auction (Helton, Fuller; Government Organization)
• SB 539: Removing certain entities from list of exemptions from criminal liability relating to distribution and display of obscene matter to minor (Helton, Fuller; Judiciary)
• SB 540: Relating to annexation by minor boundary adjustment (Helton, Fuller; Judiciary)
• SB 541: Sentencing guidelines for fentanyl (Helton, Fuller; Judiciary)
• SB 542: Relating to violations and penalty for standalone methadone treatment programs or clinics (Tarr; Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health then Judiciary)
• SB 543: Clarifying oversight by Attorney General of political subdivision’s hiring of private attorney under contingency fee or contract to sue (Tarr; Judiciary)
• SB 544: Clarifying process of ventilation and fire suppression for limited use food preparation facilities (Grady; Government Organization)
• SR 9: Recognizing Court Appointed Special Advocates (Rucker)
• SR 10: Designating February 20, 2025, as Human Resources Day at Legislature (Oliverio)
• SR 11: Recognizing Cottage Hill Farm as WV outstanding family-owned Hereford cattle farm for 2024 (Willis, Thorne, Taylor)

* (FN) indicates the bill has a Fiscal Note

* (IB) indicates the bill is an Interim Bill

Committee Action on Bills from Tuesday, February 18, 2025

9:30 a.m.: Government Organization

• Com. Sub. for SB 211: Relating to procedure for citations issued by county litter control officer
• Bill laid over to a future meeting

• Com. Sub. for SB 459: Requiring county economic development committee members be state residents
• Bill not taken up by committee

9:30 a.m.: Education

• Com Sub forSB 275: Removing requirement school cooks or custodians have high school diploma or equivalent
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

• Com Sub forSB 282: Modifying provisions for employment of retired teachers as substitutes in areas of critical need and shortage
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

• SB 283: Expanding grade levels of personal finance course requirements needed for graduation
• Committee substitute, as amended, reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

• Com Sub forSB 284: Relating to county board of education member orientation and compensation
• Bill not taken up by committee

• SB 122: Establishing minimum student enrollment for school aid formula
• Bill reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Finance

1 p.m.: Health and Human Resources

• SB 299: Modifying WV regulations on pubertal modulation, hormonal therapy, and gender reassignment
• Bill reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Judiciary

• Com Sub forSB 286: Granting parents access to health records of minor child
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Judiciary

• Com Sub forSB 173: Requiring hotels and public lodging establishments to provide human trafficking awareness training for employees
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Judiciary

• Com Sub forSB 8: Providing additional sites and devices for newborn safe surrender
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

• Com Sub forSB 28: Requiring insurance coverage of certain genetic testing without cost sharing
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Finance

3 p.m.: Judiciary

• Com. Sub. for SB 151: Creating crime of assault on police dogs and other public safety animals
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

• Com. Sub. for SB 270: Declaring sale and manufacture of firearms essential business during declared emergency
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

• Com. Sub. for SB 240: Updating crime of sexual extortion
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

Resolutions that Have Been Adopted by the Senate as of Tuesday, February 18, 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 Tuesday, February 18, 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 Tuesday, February 18, 2025 (1)

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

Bills that Have Completed Legislation as of Tuesday, February 18, 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 Tuesday, February 18, 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.