Committee clears code-cleanup bill to repeal expired commissions and move membership rules to joint rule

The Senate Government Organization Committee on Oct. 12 adopted a strike-and-insert and reported House Bill 3411 to the full Senate. The bill is a comprehensive code-cleanup that repeals expired commissions, removes obsolete committees, and moves membership provisions for many commissions to joint rule rather than statutory text.

Committee counsel said the substitute eliminates dozens of code sections, reestablishes legislative oversight commissions through joint rule, and retains reporting requirements for committees in statute. Among the specific items counsel identified: repeal of the Joint Standing Committee on Government Operations (which counsel said has had no members for more than five years and whose authority was placed with the Joint Standing Committee on Government Organization), repeal of the Legislative Building Commission (created 1972) because a new building has not been built, repeal of the West Virginia Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War Commission (terminated June 30, 2021), and repeal of several other study or oversight commissions that have ceased to exist.

Counsel said the strike-and-insert removes Chapter 15A language that had raised concerns because it addressed the West Virginia Fusion Center; the substitute therefore does not affect that center. Counsel also said the substitute removes references to the Committee on Special Investigations from the strike-and-insert so that the commission on special investigations is left unaffected.

Senators asked whether the substitute removes or "guts" legislative powers; counsel replied the bill was produced after a multi-month review by legislative staff counsel to consolidate and correct statutes and does not remove legislative functions. The committee adopted the substitute by voice vote and moved the bill to the full Senate with a do-pass recommendation.