State Senate

Friday, February 28, 2025 – 17th Day of Session

The Senate will convene at 10 a.m.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

• SR 16: Designating first full week in May as Tardive Dyskinesia Awareness Week
• SR 17: Designating February 28, 2025, as Dental Hygienists’ Day
• HCR 49: Resolution relating to use of industrial sites and the potential impacts on downstream facilities

THIRD READING

• Eng. Com. Sub. for SB 5: Establishing Adopt-A-Road program
• Eng. SB 234: Increasing value at which municipal property must be sold through public auction
• Eng. Com. Sub. for SB 369: Authorizing miscellaneous boards and agencies to promulgate legislative rules (original similar to HB 2289)
• Eng. Com. Sub. for SB 427: Permitting certain teenagers to work without obtaining work permit
• Eng. Com. Sub. for SB 459: Requiring county planning commission members be state residents (original similar to HB 2818)

SECOND READING

• Com. Sub. for SB 29: Allowing physicians assistants to own practice
• Com. Sub. for SB 50: Requiring municipal elections to be held on same day as statewide elections (original similar to HB 2422)
• 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"
• Com. Sub. for SB 534: Clarifying qualifications to be licensed to administer polygraphs
• SB 537: Establishing WV Mothers and Babies Pregnancy Support Program

FIRST READING

• Com. Sub. for SB 484: Relating to disclosures and penalties associated with use of synthetic media and artificial intelligence
• Com. Sub. for SB 486: Clarifying eligibility requirements to vote in WV elections
• Com. Sub. for SB 488: Clarifying definition of electioneering
• Com. Sub. for SB 489: Relating to election law violation complaints and procedures
• SB 490: Prohibiting ranked-choice voting in elections in West Virginia. (original similar to HB 2408, HB 2683, SB133, SB 226)
• Com. Sub. for SB 552: Relating to Certified Business Expansion Development Program

Scheduled Committee Meetings

There are no committee meetings scheduled for Friday, February 28, 2025.

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

Senate Bills to be Introduced Friday, February 28, 2025

• SB 627: Removing prohibition against leasing state-owned pore spaces underlying lands designated as state parks (Jeffries, Clements, Helton, Rose, Tarr, Willis; Economic Development)
• SB 628: Relating to non-opioid medication (Helton; Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health then Finance)
• SB 629: Providing increase in salary to WV Birth to Three contracted therapists and employees (FN) (Helton, Clements, Fuller, Garcia, Jeffries, Maynard, Tarr, Thorne, Willis; Health and Human Resources then Finance)
• SB 630: Relating to reporting duties of county commission regarding ambulance services (Deeds; Government Organization then Finance)
• SB 631: Relating to eligibility for WV Invests Grant Program (Deeds; Education then Finance)
• SB 632: Prohibiting surprise billing of ground emergency medical services by nonparticipating providers (Deeds; Health and Human Resources then Finance)
• SB 633: Protecting Kids from Porn Act (Rucker, Azinger, Bartlett, Deeds, Fuller, Grady, Helton, Maynard, Roberts, Rose, Tarr, Taylor, Thorne, Willis; Judiciary)
• SB 634: Relating to distressed land net metering (FN) (Rucker; Energy, Industry, and Mining then Finance)
• SB 635: Limiting use of state funding under Hope Scholarship program for out-of-state private schools and providers (Garcia; Education then Finance)
• SB 636: Repealing Workplace Freedom Act (Garcia; Workforce then Judiciary)
• SB 637: Creating Paid Parental Leave Pilot Program (FN) (Garcia; Health and Human Resources then Finance)
• SB 638: Providing cost-of-living provision for certain retirees under PERS and TRS (FN) (Garcia; Pensions then Finance)
• SJR 12: Right of Reproductive Freedom with Protections for Health and Safety Amendment (Garcia; Judiciary then Finance)
• SCR 15: Opposing China's use of UN Resolution 2758 against Taiwan (Rucker)
• SR 18: Designating March 3, 2025, as Future Farmers Day (Smith, Hart)

* (FN) indicates the bill has a Fiscal Note

* (IB) indicates the bill is an Interim Bill

Committee Action on Bills from Thursday, February 27, 2025

9:30 a.m.: Government Organization

• SB 569: Relating to homeowners' bill of rights
• Bill laid over to a future meeting

• Com. Sub. for SB 487: Removing ineligible voters from active voter rolls
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

9:30 a.m.: Education

• Com. Sub. for SB 284: Relating to county board of education member orientation and compensation
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

• Com. Sub. for SB 558: Requiring computer science course prior to graduation
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Finance

• Com. Sub. for SB 581: Relating to school attendance and student participation in 4-H activities
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

1 p.m.: Health and Human Resources

• Com. Sub. for SB 253: Creating Chronic Weight Management Task Force
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Finance

• Com. Sub. for SB 545: Relating to school nutritional programs
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

3 p.m.: Judiciary

• Com. Sub. for Com. Sub. for SB 154: Prohibiting instruction related to sexual orientation or gender identity
• Committee substitute for the committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

• Com. Sub. for SB 299: Modifying WV regulations on pubertal modulation, hormonal therapy, and gender reassignment
• Committee substitute, as amended, reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

Bills that Have Passed the Senate as of Thursday, February 27, 2025 (21 – 19 Senate; 2 House)

• SB 8: Providing additional sites and devices for newborn safe surrender (House Judiciary)
• SB 92: Glucagon for Schools Act (House Education)
• SB 103: Exempting certain records from public release (Pending House introduction)
• 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 (House Judiciary)
• 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 (House Government Organization)
• SB 336: Authorizing Department of Homeland Security to promulgate legislative rules (House Judiciary)
• SB 358: Authorizing Department of Transportation to promulgate legislative rules (House Energy and Public Works)
• SB 443: Authorizing Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board of Examiners to conduct criminal background checks for licensing (House Government Organization)
• SB 460: Relating to vaccine requirements (House Health and Human Resources)
• SB 462: Permitting Board of Occupational Therapy to require criminal history record checks (House Government Organization)

• 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 Thursday, February 27, 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 Thursday, February 27, 2025 (8)

• 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 (Judiciary)
• HB 2047: Prohibiting cameras and recording devices in bedrooms and bathrooms of foster children (Pending Senate introduction)
• HB 2053: Relating to including the United States Space Force in the definition armed forces (Military then Finance)
• HB 2066: Creating a crime for the destruction of first responder equipment (Judiciary)
• HB 2123: Modifying the criminal penalties imposed on a parent, guardian or custodian for child abuse (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 (Judiciary)

Action on House Resolutions in the Senate as of Thursday, February 27, 2025 (1)

• HCR 49: Resolution relating to use of industrial sites and the potential impacts on downstream facilities (S Unfinished Business, 02-28)

Bills that Have Completed Legislation as of Thursday, February 27, 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 Thursday, February 27, 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 Thursday, February 27, 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.