State Senate

Tuesday, March 4, 2025 – 21st Day of Session

The Senate will convene at 11 a.m.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

• SR 19: Designating March 4, 2025, as Marshall University Day

THIRD READING

• Eng. Com. Sub. for SB 486: Clarifying eligibility requirements to vote in WV elections
• Eng. Com. Sub. for SB 488: Clarifying definition of electioneering
• Eng. SB 490: Prohibiting ranked-choice voting in elections in West Virginia (original similar to HB 2408, HB 2683, SB 133, SB 226)

SECOND READING

• Com. Sub. for Com. Sub. for SB 154: Prohibiting sexual orientation instruction in public schools
• Com. Sub. for SB 284: Relating to county board of education member orientation and compensation
• SB 483: Increasing civil penalties for failure to file required campaign finance reports
• Com. Sub. for SB 487: Removing ineligible voters from active voter rolls
• Com. Sub. for SB 581: Relating to school attendance and student participation in 4-H activities
• Eng. Com. Sub. for HB 2354: Banning certain products from food in West Virginia

FIRST READING

• Com. Sub. for SB 299: Modifying WV regulations on pubertal modulation, hormonal therapy, and gender reassignment
• Com. Sub. for SB 484: Relating to disclosures and penalties associated with use of synthetic media and artificial intelligence
• Com. Sub. for SB 489: Relating to election law violation complaints and procedures

Scheduled Committee Meetings

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

• Com. Sub. for SB 458: Universal Professional and Occupational Licensing Act of 2025
• SB 492: Removing outdated provisions governing political committees
• SB 522: Clarifying procedure for administrative dissolution of limited liability companies by Secretary of State
• SB 525: Clarifying procedure for administrative dissolution of nonprofit corporations by the Secretary of State
• Com. Sub. for SB 485: Exempting the West Virginia Secretary of State from competitive bidding process
• SB 564: Prohibiting voters not affiliated with major political party from voting ballot of political party in primary election

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

• SB 199: Relating to elementary behavior intervention and safety
• SB 155: Establishing Summer Feeding for All Program
• SB 566: Providing certified law-enforcement officers tuition-free education up to highest tuition rate for public higher education in WV

1 p.m.: Economic Development (208W)

• SB 208: Mountain Homes Act
• SB 627: Removing prohibition against leasing state-owned pore spaces underlying lands designated as state parks

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

• SB 565: Relating generally to practice of optometry
• SB 86: Creating Unmatched Medical Graduate Advisory Council
• SB 101: Imposing deadlines for autopsies and autopsy reports

3 p.m.: Judiciary (208W)

• Com. Sub. for SB 325: Department of Health, Department of Human Services, and Office of Inspector General Rules Bundle

• Includes SB 319, Department of Health rule relating to public water systems; SB 320, Department of Health rule relating to statewide trauma and emergency care system; SB 321, Department of Health rule relating to fatality and mortality review team; SB 322, Department of Health rule relating to vital statistics; SB 323, Department of Health rule relating to emergency medical services; SB 324, Department of Health rule relating to Primary Care Support Program; SB 325, Department of Health rule relating to general provisions of Medical Cannabis Program; SB 326, Department of Health rule relating to growers and processors of Medical Cannabis Program; SB 327, Department of Health rule relating to laboratories of Medical Cannabis Program; SB 328, Department of Health rule relating to dispensaries of Medical Cannabis Program; SB 329, Department of Health rule relating to Safe Harbor Letter for Medical Cannabis Program; SB 330, Department of Health rule relating to critical access hospitals; SB 331, Department of Human Services rule relating to Recovery Residence Certification and Accreditation Program; SB 332, Department of Human Services rule relating to pilot program for drug screening of applicants for cash assistance; SB 333, Office of Inspector General rule relating to hospital licensure; SB 334, Office of Inspector General rule relating to behavioral health centers licensure

• SB 521: Requiring party affiliations be listed for all candidates
• SB 612: Making rules and regulations of PSC subject to legislative rule-making review procedures
• Com. Sub. for SB 121: Updating language and increasing penalties for indecent exposure
• Com. Sub. for SB 196: Increasing penalties for drug possession and updating list of offenses

3 p.m.: Finance (451M)

• Budget Presentation: West Virginia Department of Homeland Security
• Budget Presentation: West Virginia Department of Education

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

Senate Bills to be Introduced Tuesday, March 4, 2025

• SB 662: Clarifying racial discrimination includes discrimination based on certain hair textures and hairstyles (Garcia; Government Organization then Judiciary)
• SB 663: Creating Transparency in Financial Services Act (Azinger; Banking and Insurance then Judiciary)
• SB 664: Establishing First Amendment Preservation Act (Azinger, Martin, Phillips, Charnock, Helton; Judiciary)
• SB 665: Ensuring that survivor of merger, reorganization, purchase, or assumption of liabilities of bank chartered by WV is insured by FDIC (Azinger; Banking and Insurance)
• SB 666: Updating definition of disabled veteran taxpayer (Weld; Military then Finance)
• SB 667: Providing for display of Ten Commandments in each classroom (Azinger; Education then Finance)
• SB 668: Relating to volunteer firefighter tax credit (FN) (Roberts; Finance)
• SB 669: Requiring medical insurance providers to include infertility services in policies (FN) (Garcia; Health and Human Resources then Finance)
• SB 670: Relating to locality pay to certain Division of Highways employees (Garcia; Transportation and Infrastructure then Finance)
• SB 671: Creating By-Right Housing Development Act (Rucker; Economic Development then Government Organization)
• SB 672: Limiting student use of cell phones in K-12 classrooms (Rucker; Education)
• SB 673: Defining third-party challenges to development permits (Rucker; Government Organization)
• SB 674: Creating Standardized Testing Choice Act (Rucker, Grady; Education then Finance)
• SB 675: Requiring participant in federal 340B Drug Pricing Program to report certain data (Rucker, Azinger, Roberts, Rose, Thorne, Woelfel; Government Organization)
• SB 676: Providing veterinarian and veterinary technician reciprocity (Rucker, Thorne; Government Organization)
• SB 677: Increasing fees charged by Commissioner of Securities for each offering (Smith, Finance)
• SB 678: Establishing Coal Based Affordable Electricity and Economic Growth Act (Hart, Helton, Phillips, Rose, Rucker, Willis; Energy, Industry, and Mining then Finance)
• SB 679: Repealing vehicle inspection sticker requirements in WV (FN) (Hart, Rose; Transportation and Infrastructure then Finance)
• SB 680: Establishing Comprehensive Highway Paving Plan (Hart, Rose; Transportation and Infrastructure then Finance)
• SB 681: Providing internet service providers be considered telecommunications utility by PSC (Hart; Transportation and Infrastructure then Finance)
• SB 682: Requiring electric utility meter choice (Hart, Phillips, Rose; Energy, Industry, and Mining)
• SB 683: Relating to land sales by Auditor (Smith; Government Organization)
• SB 684: Creating Community School Funding Formula Revision Act (Hart, Rose; Education then Finance)
• SB 685: Creating Non-Profit Transparency and Accountability Act (Hart, Rose; Government Organization)
• SB 686: Relating to WV commercial feed law (Hart, Rose; Agriculture then Finance)
• SB 687: Relating to authority of PSC (Hart, Rose; Government Organization then Finance)
• SB 688: Providing for 4th Amendment Restoration Act (Rose, Thorne, Rucker, Willis; Government Organization then Judiciary)
• SB 689: State Sovereignty Act of 2025 (Rose; Health and Human Resources then Judiciary)
• SB 690: Authorizing county commissions to increase compensation of elected county officials (Woodrum, Oliverio; Government Organization)
• SB 691: Restricting access to crime records (Garcia; Judiciary)
• SB 692: Relating to requirements to receive PROMISE Scholarship (Rucker; Education then Finance)
• SB 693: Modifying notification of brewery or dock price of nonintoxicating beer, ale, or other malt beverage or malt cooler (Rucker; Government Organization then Finance)
• SB 694: Protecting state and local government systems and data from foreign entities (Rucker; Government Organization then Judiciary)
• SB 695: Requiring higher education institutions to accept Classic Learning Test (Rucker; Education)
• SR 20: Designating March 5, 2025, as West Virginia University Day (Oliverio, Garcia, Smith, Taylor, Clements, Rose)

* (FN) indicates the bill has a Fiscal Note

* (IB) indicates the bill is an Interim Bill

Committee Action on Bills from Monday, March 3, 2025

9:30 a.m.: Government Organization

• Com. Sub. For SB 458: Universal Professional and Occupational Licensing Act of 2025
• Bill laid over to future meeting

1 p.m.: Workforce

• SB 263: Relating to use of criminal records as disqualification from authorization to practice particular profession
• Bill not taken up; will be considered at a future meeting

• Com. Sub. for SB 587: Relating generally to government contracting
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Government Organization

• SB 611: Excluding workers of ski area operators from maximum hour requirements
• Bill reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

1 p.m.: Transportation and Infrastructure

• Com. Sub. for SB 67: Allowing motor vehicle racing on county and municipal roads under certain circumstances
• Bill laid over to a future meeting

• Com. Sub. for SB 117: Exempting certain physicians from specified traffic laws when responding to emergencies
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

• Com. Sub. for SB 267: Providing for inactive status for CDL holders when not driving commercially
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

• Com. Sub. for SB 573: Relating to restrictions on use or sale of motor vehicles based on power source
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

2 p.m.: Energy, Industry and Mining

• Com. Sub. for SB 22: Applying penalties for nonpayment of royalties under terms of oil and natural gas leases
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

2 p.m.: Pensions

• Com. Sub. for SB 35: Permitting campus police officers to participate in Deputy Sheriffs Retirement System
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Finance

• Com. Sub. for SB 76: Increasing WV Natural Resources Police Officer Retirement System accrued benefit for certain members
• 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 589: Providing pay increases to members of judiciary
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Finance

• Com. Sub. for SB 622: Authorizing compensation for certain lower court staff
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Finance

• Com. Sub. for SB 503: Allowing sheriffs to appoint more than one chief deputy with consent of county commission
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

Bills that Have Passed the Senate as of Monday, March 3, 2025 (35 – 33 Senate; 2 House)

• SB 5: Establishing Adopt-A-Road program (House Energy and Public Works)
• SB 8: Providing additional sites and devices for newborn safe surrender (House Judiciary)
• SB 29: Allowing physicians assistants to own practice (Pending House introduction)
• SB 50: Requiring municipal elections to be held on same day as statewide elections (Pending House introduction)
• SB 92: Glucagon for Schools Act (House Education)
• SB 103: Exempting certain records from public release (House Judiciary)
• SB 124: Reducing statute of limitations on actions to recover on oral and written contracts (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 198: Prohibiting creation, production, distribution, or possession of artificially generated child pornography (Pending House introduction)
• SB 234: Increasing value at which municipal property must be sold through public auction (House Government Organization)
• 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 369: Authorizing miscellaneous boards and agencies to promulgate legislative rules (House Government Organization)
• SB 427: Permitting certain teenagers to work without obtaining work permit (House Government Organization)
• SB 443: Authorizing Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board of Examiners to conduct criminal background checks for licensing (House Government Organization)
• SB 456: Defining "men" and "women" (Pending House introduction)
• SB 459: Requiring county planning commission members be state residents (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)
• SB 482: Certified Professional Midwife Licensing and Regulation (Pending House introduction)
• SB 496: Removing reflexology and other energy-based work from definition of "massage therapy" (Pending House introduction)
• SB 534: Clarifying qualifications to be licensed to administer polygraphs (Pending House introduction)
• SB 537: Establishing WV Mothers and Babies Pregnancy Support Program (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)

Senate Resolutions that Have Been Adopted by the Senate as of Monday, March 3, 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)

Bills that Have Completed Legislation as of Monday, March 3, 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 Monday, March 3, 2025 (8 – 3 Senate; 5 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)
• HCR 49: Resolution relating to use of industrial sites and the potential impacts on downstream facilities (Adopted, 03-03)

Bills Signed by the Governor as of Monday, March 3, 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.