State Senate

Thursday, February 27, 2025 – 16th Day of Session

The Senate will convene at 11 a.m.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

• SCR 12: US Army Staff Sergeant Barney Warren Frazier Memorial Bridge
• SCR 13: Purple Heart Trail
• SCR 14: Requesting Joint Committee on Government and Finance study substance use disorder in WV
• SR 15: Designating February 27, 2025, Sexual Violence Awareness Day

THIRD READING

• Eng. SB 103: Exempting certain records from public release

SECOND READING

• Com. Sub. for SB 5: Establishing Adopt-A-Road program
• Com. Sub. for SB 50: Requiring municipal elections to be held on same day as statewide elections (original similar to HB 2422)
• SB 234: Increasing value at which municipal property must be sold through public auction
• Com. Sub. for SB 369: Authorizing miscellaneous boards and agencies to promulgate legislative rules (original similar to HB 2289)
• Com. Sub. for SB 427: Permitting certain teenagers to work without obtaining work permit
• Com. Sub. for SB 459: Requiring county economic development committee members be state residents (original similar to HB 2818)
• Com. Sub. for SB 534: Clarifying qualifications to be licensed to administer polygraphs

FIRST READING

• Com. Sub. for SB 29: Allowing physicians assistants to own practice
• Com. Sub. for SB 124: Reducing statute of limitations on actions to recover on oral and written contracts
• Com. Sub. for SB 198: Prohibiting creation, production, distribution, or possession of artificially generated child pornography
• Com. Sub. for SB 456: Defining "men" and "women" (original similar to HB 2006)
• Com. Sub. for SB 482: Certified Professional Midwife Licensing and Regulation
• SB 483: Increasing civil penalties for failure to file required campaign finance reports
• SB 496: Removing reflexology and other energy-based work from definition of "massage therapy"
• SB 537: Establishing WV Mothers and Babies Pregnancy Support Program
• Com. Sub. for SB 552: Relating to Certified Business Expansion Development Program

Scheduled Committee Meetings

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

• SB 569: Relating to homeowners' bill of rights
• SB 487: Removing ineligible voters from active voter rolls

9:30 a.m.: Education (451M)

• SB 284: Relating to county board of education member orientation and compensation
• SB 558: Requiring computer science course prior to graduation
• SB 581: Relating to school attendance and student participation in 4-H activities

1 p.m.: Health and Human Resources (451M)

• SB 253: Creating Chronic Weight Management Task Force
• SB 545: Relating to school nutritional programs

3 p.m.: Judiciary (208W)

• Com. Sub. for SB 154: Prohibiting instruction related to sexual orientation or gender identity
• SB 131: Modifying prohibitions on illegal immigrants entering or residing in WV
• SB 299: Modifying WV regulations on pubertal modulation, hormonal therapy, and gender reassignment

3 p.m.: Finance (451M)

• Budget Presentation: West Virginia Parkways Authority
• Budget Presentation: West Virginia Department of Transportation

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

Senate Bills to be Introduced Thursday, February 27, 2025

• SB 614: Authorizing over-the-counter sale of ivermectin (Rucker, Azinger, Barrett, Fuller, Grady, Hart, Helton, Maynard, Roberts, Rose, Thorne, Willis; Health and Human Resources then Judiciary)
• SB 615: Eliminating accelerated tax payment requirements [By Request of the Executive] (Smith, Woelfel; Finance)
• SB 616: Supplementary appropriation of public moneys to DHS, Medical State Share Fund [By Request of the Executive] (Smith, Woelfel; Finance)
• SB 617: Discouraging gang activity (Roberts, Azinger, Barrett, Deeds, Fuller, Hart, Helton, Jeffries, Maynard, Morris, Rose, Stuart, Tarr, Thorne; Judiciary)
• SB 618: Relating generally to certain farmland tax exemptions and appraisals (Thorne, Willis; Agriculture then Finance)
• SB 619: Authorizing judge or chief judge to fill prospective vacancy in office of magistrate (Willis; Judiciary)
• SB 620: Relating to time for appeal in Intermediate Court of Appeals (Willis; Judiciary)
• SB 621: Authorizing digital court records (Willis; Judiciary)
• SB 622: Authorizing compensation for certain lower court staff (FN) (Willis; Judiciary then Finance)
• SB 623: Specifying circumstances in which senior judges and justices may be recalled to service (Willis; Judiciary)
• SB 624: Relating to vacancies in offices of state officials (Willis; Judiciary)
• SB 625: Relating to judges disqualifying themselves in certain instances (Tarr; Judiciary)
• SB 626: Allowing members of regional airport boards to be residents of area in which airport is located (Garcia; Economic Development then Government Organization)
• SR 16: Designating first full week in May as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week (Rucker)
• SR 17: Designating February 28, 2025, as Dental Hygienists’ Day (Taylor)

* (FN) indicates the bill has a Fiscal Note

* (IB) indicates the bill is an Interim Bill

Committee Action on Bills from Wednesday, February 26, 2025

9:30 a.m.: Natural Resources

• HCR 49: Resolution relating to use of industrial sites and the potential impacts on downstream facilities
• Resolution reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it be adopted

1 p.m.: Select Committee on Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health

• SB 163: Including certain mental health disorders in existing public health programs
• Bill reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

• Com. Sub. for SB 515: Allowing parent to have adult dependent child involuntarily admitted for treatment and/or related procedures
• Committee substitute discussed; no action taken

2:30 p.m.: Judiciary Subcommittee on Senate Bill 246

• Com. Sub. for SB 246: Violent Crime Prevention Act
• Subcommittee laid bill over to future meeting

3 p.m.: Judiciary

• SB 484: Relating to disclosures and penalties associated with use of synthetic media and artificial intelligence
• Bill, as amended, reported to full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

• Com. Sub. for SB 486: Clarifying eligibility requirements to vote in WV elections
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

• Com. Sub. for SB 488: Clarifying definition of electioneering
• Committee substitute, as amended, reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

• Com. Sub. for SB 489: Relating to election law violation complaints and procedures
• Committee substitute, as amended, reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

• SB 490: Prohibiting ranked-choice voting in elections in West Virginia
• Bill reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

Bills that Have Passed the Senate as of Wednesday, February 26, 2025 (20 – 18 Senate; 2 House)

• SB 8: Providing additional sites and devices for newborn safe surrender (House Judiciary)
• SB 136: Increasing penalties and parole eligibility requirements for homicide (House Judiciary)
• SB 138: Enhancing penalties for fleeing officer (House Judiciary)
• SB 139: Relating to filling of vacancies in Legislature (House Judiciary)
• SB 151: Creating crime of assault on police dogs and other public safety animals (House Judiciary)
• SB 240: Updating crime of sexual extortion (House Judiciary)
• SB 269: Modifying requirements for public water systems or businesses having backflow preventers (House Energy and Public Works)
• SB 270: Declaring sale and manufacture of firearms essential business during declared emergency (Pending House introduction)
• SB 275: Removing requirement school cooks or custodians have high school diploma or equivalent (House Education)
• SB 282: Modifying provisions for employment of retired teachers as substitutes in areas of critical need and shortage (House Education)
• SB 283: Expanding grade levels of personal finance course requirements needed for graduation (House Education)
• SB 291: Extending time frame for pharmacies to register from annually to biennially (Pending House introduction)
• SB 336: Authorizing Department of Homeland Security to promulgate legislative rules (House Judiciary)
• SB 358: Authorizing Department of Transportation to promulgate legislative rules (Pending House introduction)
• SB 443: Authorizing Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board of Examiners to conduct criminal background checks for licensing (Pending House introduction)
• SB 460: Relating to vaccine requirements (House Health and Human Resources)
• SB 462: Permitting Board of Occupational Therapy to require criminal history record checks (Pending House introduction)

• HB 2024: Updating the meaning certain terms used in West Virginia Personal Income Tax Act (Signed, 02-24)
• HB 2025: Updating terms in the Corporation Net Income Tax Act (Signed, 02-24)

Resolutions that Have Been Adopted by the Senate as of Wednesday, February 26, 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 Wednesday, February 26, 2025 (6)

• HB 2024: Updating the meaning certain terms used in West Virginia Personal Income Tax Act (Signed, 02-24)
• HB 2025: Updating terms in the Corporation Net Income Tax Act (Signed, 02-24)
• HB 2042: Relating to allowing a guardian ad litem to request the appointment of a court appointed special advocate (Pending Senate introduction)
• HB 2053: Relating to including the United States Space Force in the definition armed forces (Pending Senate introduction)
• HB 2066: Creating a crime for the destruction of first responder equipment (Pending Senate introduction)
• HB 2363: Clarifying the groups of persons to whom the criminal prohibitions related to child pornography are inapplicable when such persons are performing their official or employment duties (Pending Senate introduction)

Action on House Resolutions in the Senate as of Wednesday, February 26, 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 Wednesday, February 26, 2025 (2 – 2 House)

• HB 2024: Updating the meaning certain terms used in West Virginia Personal Income Tax Act (Signed, 02-24)
• HB 2025: Updating terms in the Corporation Net Income Tax Act (Signed, 02-24)

Resolutions that Have Completed Legislation as of Wednesday, February 26, 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)

Bills Signed by the Governor as of Wednesday, February 26, 2025 (2 – 2 House)

• HB 2024: Updating the meaning certain terms used in West Virginia Personal Income Tax Act (Signed, 02-24)
• HB 2025: Updating terms in the Corporation Net Income Tax Act (Signed, 02-24)

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.