State Senate

Wednesday, March 12, 2025 – 29th Day of Session

The Senate will convene at 11 a.m.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

• SCR 18: Recognizing intent to create WV Coal Renaissance Act
• SR 21: Designating March 12, 2025, as WV Tourism Day
• SR 22: Recognizing 175th anniversary of Wheeling Hospital
• SR 23: Memorializing life of Janie Lou White

THIRD READING

• Eng. SB 280: Displaying official US motto in public schools
• Eng. Com. Sub. for SB 500: Transferring audits of volunteer fire departments to Legislative Auditor
• Eng. Com. Sub. for SB 521: Requiring party affiliations be listed for all candidates
• Eng. Com. Sub. for SB 532: Making ad valorem taxes on property payable only to county in which property is located
• Eng. Com. Sub. for SB 606: Relating to notification of breast density
• Eng. SB 649: Supplementing and amending appropriations to Department of Health, Office of Inspector General
• Eng. SB 650: Relating to full-time interventionists

SECOND READING

• Com. Sub. for SB 658: Prohibiting certain persons from receiving compensation for advising or assisting with veterans' benefits
• Eng. Com. Sub. for HB 2053: Relating to including the United States Space Force in the definition armed forces

FIRST READING

• Com. Sub. for SB 526: Creating Pharmacist Prescribing Authority Act
• Com. Sub. for SB 592: Relating generally to aboveground storage tanks
• SB 712: Relating to retirement provisions of systems managed by CPRB (original similar to HB 3180)
• Com. Sub. for SB 715: Relating to personally identifiable information of member, retirant, beneficiary, or alternate payee of retirement system (original similar to HB 3183)
• SB 716: Relating to failure to pay required contributions and interest payments for certain retirees who transfer between retirement systems (original similar to HB 3193)
• Eng. Com. Sub. for HB 2042: Relating to allowing a guardian ad litem to request the appointment of a court appointed special advocate - (Com. amend. and title amend. pending)

Scheduled Committee Meetings

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

• Com. Sub. for SB 21: Assessing wildlife impact fee on wind power projects
• Com. Sub. for SB 701: Classifying forestry equipment for levy purposes

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

• Presentation: Emily Birckhead, Executive Director, WV Alliance of Recovery Residences
• SB 723: Relating to clinical inpatient medical treatment centers for substance use disorder
• SB 726: Relating to office-based, medication-assisted treatment programs and opioid treatment programs

2 p.m.: Agriculture (208W)

• Com. Sub. for SB 295: Clarifying non-agricultural status of solar farms
• Com. Sub. for SB 618: Relating generally to certain farmland tax exemptions and appraisals
• Com. Sub. for SB 686: Relating to WV commercial feed law

2 p.m.: Banking and Insurance (451M)

• Com. Sub. for SB 663: Creating Transparency in Financial Services Act
• Com. Sub. for SB 665: Ensuring that survivor of merger, reorganization, purchase, or assumption of liabilities of bank chartered by WV is insured by FDIC

3 p.m.: Judiciary (208W)

• Com. Sub. for HB 2222: Relating to authorizing certain agencies of the Department of Administration to promulgate legislative rules

• Includes: SB 301, Department of Administration rule relating to general administration of records management and preservation; SB 302, Department of Administration rule relating to retention and disposal scheduling; SB 303, Department of Administration rule relating to management of records maintained by Records Center; SB 304, Department of Administration rule relating to exemptions from management services provided by Fleet Management Division; SB 305, Department of Administration rule relating to financial services reporting; SB 306, Information Services and Communications Division rule relating to plan of operation; SB 307, Information Services and Communications Division rule relating to telecommunications payments by spending units; SB 308, Office of Technology rule relating to plan of operation; SB 309, Office of Technology rule relating to telecommunications payments made by state spending units; SB 310, Public Defender Services rule relating to payment of fees and reimbursement of expenses for court-appointed attorneys

• SB 473: Limiting medical monitoring damages
• Com. Sub. for HB 2129: Creating the Parents Bill of Rights

3 p.m.: Finance (451M)

• Budget Presentation: West Virginia Department of Health
• Budget Presentation: West Virginia Department of Human Services

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

Senate Bills to be Introduced Wednesday, March 12, 2025

• SB 739: Relating to recovery residences (Helton; Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health then Judiciary)
• SB 740: Establishing Stop Squatters Act (Hamilton, Azinger, Bartlett, Charnock, Deeds, Fuller, Hart, Helton, Jeffries, Martin, Maynard, Morris, Oliverio, Phillips, Queen, Roberts, Rose, Takubo, Tarr, Taylor, Thorne, Willis, Woodrum; Judiciary)
• SB 741: Authorizing State Auditor to conduct fairness hearings (Azinger, Oliverio, Morris; Banking and Insurance)
• SB 742: Relating generally to jurisdiction in magistrate courts (Azinger, Oliverio, Morris, Charnock; Judiciary)
• SB 743: Adjusting percentage of tax retained by clerk of county commission for certain purposes (FN) (Jeffries, Grady, Helton, Tarr; Government Organization then Finance)
• SB 744: Relating to purchase of commodities and services from handicapped (Rucker; Government Organization)
• SB 745: Strengthening and reforming lobbying requirements (Stuart; Judiciary)
• SR 24: Designating March 13, 2025, as Tucker County Day (Smith)
• SR 25: Designating March 13, 2025, as Wear Red Day (Grady)
• SR 26: Recognizing March 13, 2025, as National K9 Veterans Day (Weld, Smith)
• SR 27: Congratulating Taylor County Middle school football team for winning 2024 Mid-8 Championship (Taylor)

* (FN) indicates the bill has a Fiscal Note

* (IB) indicates the bill is an Interim Bill

Committee Action on Bills from Tuesday, March 11, 2025

9:30 a.m.: Government Organization

• SB 538: Allowing certain entities to purchase qualifying tax-delinquent properties before they are offered at public auction
• Bill laid over to a future meeting

• SB 709: Repealing provisions of code that exempt Department of Transportation, Tax Division, and Bureau of Social Services from Division of Personnel
• Bill reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Finance

• SB 577: Clarifying prohibited practices by manufacturer, factory branch, distributor, or distributor branch when providing new motor vehicle to dealer
• Bill reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Finance

• Com. Sub. for SB 546: Authorizing county commissions to levy additional excise tax on transferring real property to fund local economic development
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Finance

9:30 a.m.: Education

• Com. Sub. for SB 220: Authorizing child sexual abuse and sexual violence prevention program and in-service training in child sexual abuse prevention
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Judiciary

• Com. Sub. for SB 449: Permitting compressed air and rimfire shooting teams in public schools
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

• Com. Sub. for SB 548: Creating Safety and Violence Education for Students Act
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Finance

1 p.m.: Health and Human Resources

• Com. Sub. forSB 614: Authorizing over-the-counter sale of ivermectin
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Judiciary

• Com. Sub. forSB 297: Requiring coverage for certain pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders in certain circumstances
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Finance

• Com. Sub. forSB 689: State Sovereignty Act of 2025
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Judiciary

• Com. Sub. forSB 707: Providing increase in salary to WV Birth-to-Three contracted therapists and employees
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass; second reference to Finance

3 p.m.: Judiciary

• Com. Sub. forSB 586: Relating to requirements for filling vacancies in certain elected federal, state, and county offices
• Committee substitute, as amended, reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

Bills that Have Passed the Senate as of Tuesday, March 11, 2025 (67 – 64 Senate; 3 House)

Senate Resolutions that Have Been Adopted by the Senate as of Tuesday, March 11, 2025 (3)

Senate Resolutions that Have Been Adopted by the Senate as of Tuesday, March 11, 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)
• Com. Sub. forSB 102: Modifying form of certain deeds
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it do pass

Bills that Have Completed Legislation as of Tuesday, March 11, 2025 (4 – 2 Senate; 2 House)

• SB 456: Defining "men" and "women" (Completed legislation; awaiting action by the Governor)
• SB 490: Prohibiting ranked-choice voting in elections in West Virginia (Completed legislation; awaiting action by the Governor)
• 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 Tuesday, March 11, 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 Tuesday, March 11, 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:https://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00289/Harmony/en/View/UpcomingEvents.

• Com. Sub. forSB 543: Clarifying oversight by Attorney General of political subdivision’s hiring of private attorney under contingency fee or contract to sue
• Motion to report committee substitute to the full Senate rejected; bill not reported
• Com. Sub. forSJR 6: Elimination of Business Inventory Tax Amendment
• Committee substitute reported to the full Senate with the recommendation it be adopted; second reference to Finance



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