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Votes at a glance: Senate Finance Committee reports multiple House bills to full Senate
Summary
The Senate Finance Committee reported a package of House bills and committee substitutes to the full Senate, covering school safety and mapping, lottery distribution corrections, the annual claims bill (as amended), Medicaid supplemental authority, a Birth to 3 supplemental, and environmental program extensions.
The Senate Finance Committee reported a slate of committee substitutes and House bills to the full Senate with recommendations that they do pass. The committee used voice votes and the chair declared the ayes have it on each motion.
Key committee actions (all motions reported to the full Senate with recommendation that they do pass):
- Committee substitute for committee substitute for House Bill 2164 (school safety options): Adopted strike‑and‑insert amendment adding private security firm option; reported to the full Senate. (Motion moved by Senator from Harrison; voice votes.)
- Committee substitute for House Bill 3012 (lottery distribution correction for Hancock County): CounseI said the bill corrects distribution of 1% of net terminal income so Chester, New Cumberland and Weirton share the funds; the committee reported the substitute to the full Senate. A senator spoke in support on behalf of Wheeling-area interests. (Motion moved by Senator from Harrison; voice vote.)
- Committee substitute for House Bill 3152 (annual claims bill): The committee adopted an amendment to restore a Progressive Electric claim of roughly $523,238.50 and then reported the bill as amended. (Amendment moved by Senior Senator from the eighth; voice votes.)
- Committee substitute for House Bill 3166 (school safety mapping data): The committee adopted a strike‑and‑insert amendment making mapping requirements mandatory, capping local funding, adding an effective date of Sept. 1, 2026, and adding a FOIA exemption; the substitute was reported to the full Senate. (Motion moved by Senator from Harrison; voice vote.)
- Committee substitute for House Bill 2011 (supplemental Medicaid spending authority): The House version had proposed $223 million; the committee considered a lower figure and then adopted a committee amendment to increase the committee substitute to $150 million in additional special revenue spending authority to the Medicaid state share fund for the remainder of the fiscal year; the committee reported the measure to the full Senate. Starla Wilcox, chief budget officer for the Office of Shared Administration, testified that the funding covers state share of Medicaid provider payments through June 30 and noted federal match dynamics. (Motion moved by Senator from Harrison; voice votes.)
- House Bill 3361 (supplemental for Birth to 3 program): The committee reported a supplemental appropriation of $6,589,343 from general revenue to the Birth to 3 appropriation; counsel said $1,275,000 of the supplemental will be used to cover a reimbursement‑rate increase for the remainder of the fiscal year. (Motion moved by Senator from Harrison; voice vote.)
- House Bill 2942 (DEP design‑build program): The committee adopted an amendment from the Committee on Energy, Industry and Mining to extend the program’s sunset and raise the maximum aggregate project value from $50 million to $75 million; the substitute was reported to the full Senate. Funds come from the federal abandoned mine land reclamation program. (Motion moved by Senator from Harrison; voice vote.)
- House Bill 2943 (hazardous waste management act): The committee reported an extension of the sunset date for the hazardous waste management fee certification program to June 30, 2030. (Motion moved by Senator from Harrison; voice vote.)
Each of the motions above was adopted in committee by voice vote; the chair declared the ayes have it. The committee’s recommendations now go to the full Senate for further floor action and possible amendment or concurrence with House language.
Why it matters: the package covers a range of state policy areas — education safety and mapping, local revenue distribution, claims and provider payments, early‑childhood services, and environmental and mine‑land programs. Several items include funding implications (Medicaid supplemental and Birth to 3 appropriation) and administrative or operational changes that will require agency implementation or inter‑chamber negotiation.
