West Virginia Senate receives committee reports on multiple education and health bills, refers many to finance and judiciary

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Senate met Feb. 18, 2025, and received committee reports on a slate of bills covering education, public health and criminal law, with many measures recommended to pass at the committee level and referred to the Senate Finance or Judiciary committees for further review.

The Senate’s Committee on Health and Human Resources, chaired by Senator Laura Wakeham Chapman, reported a committee substitute for Senate Bill 8 (providing additional sites and devices for newborn safe surrender) and recommended the substitute “do pass,” and under the chamber’s double-referral practice the bill was referred to the Committee on Finance. The committee also reported committee substitutes recommending passage for Senate Bill 173 (requiring human trafficking awareness training for employees of hotels and public lodging establishments) and Senate Bill 286 (granting parents access to the health records of a minor child); both were recommended to pass and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

The Committee on Education, chaired by Senator Amy N. Grady, reported that Senate Bill 122 (establishing minimum student enrollment for school aid formula) and a package of education bills — Senate Bill 275 (removing the requirement that school cooks or custodians have a high school diploma or equivalent), Senate Bill 282 (modifying provisions for employment of retired teachers as substitutes in areas of critical need and shortage) and Senate Bill 283 (expanding graduation-level personal finance course requirements) — were reported back with recommendations that committee substitutes do pass. Several of those bills were placed under a double committee reference and referred first to the Committee on Finance.

The Committee on the Judiciary, chaired by Senator Mike Stewart, reported committee substitutes recommending passage for a set of criminal-justice bills: Senate Bill 151 (creating the crime of assault on police dogs and other public-safety animals), Senate Bill 240 (updating extortion-related statutes) and Senate Bill 270 (declaring cell and manufacture of firearms an essential business during a declared emergency). The committee reported the substitutes do pass and submitted them to the Senate.

Senators also received a committee report on Senate Bill 299 from the Health and Human Resources Committee. The report recommended passage of a committee substitute regarding West Virginia regulations on pubertal modulation, hormonal therapy and gender reassignment, and under the chamber’s double-referral practice the measure was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

On introductions and procedural actions, the senator identified in the record as the “Senator from Lewis” requested and obtained unanimous consent to introduce Senate Bill 522 through Senate Bill 544, to read them by title and refer them to committees as shown in the chamber automation system. Senator Taylor requested unanimous consent to withdraw Senate Bill 51 from the Committee on Health and Human Resources and from the files of the Senate; the chair heard no objection and the withdrawal was ordered.

On floor procedure, the Senate advanced several bills on first reading (for example, a committee substitute for Senate Bill 138, enhancing penalties for fleeing an officer; Senate Bill 139, relating to filling vacancies in the legislature; and Senate Bill 269, modifying requirements for backflow preventers at public water systems or businesses). The engrossed committee substitute for Senate Bill 460 (relating to vaccine requirements) was ordered to lie over one day while remaining in its place on the calendar by unanimous consent.

The Senate received other routine communications, welcomed pages and guests, and concluded the session by adjourning until 11 a.m. the next day.

Committee reports & actions at a glance: • Committee on Health and Human Resources (Chair: Senator Laura Wakeham Chapman) — Reported committee substitutes do pass for: Senate Bill 8 (newborn safe surrender) — referred to Finance; Senate Bill 173 (hotel employee human trafficking training) — referred to Judiciary; Senate Bill 173 substitute and Senate Bill 286 (parents access to minor’s health records) — referred to Judiciary; Senate Bill 299 (regulations on pubertal modulation/hormonal therapy/gender reassignment) — referred to Judiciary. • Committee on Education (Chair: Senator Amy N. Grady) — Reported committee substitutes do pass for: Senate Bill 122 (minimum student enrollment for school aid formula) — referred to Finance; Senate Bill 275, Senate Bill 282, Senate Bill 283 — referred as noted under double committee reference. • Committee on the Judiciary (Chair: Senator Mike Stewart) — Reported committee substitutes do pass for: Senate Bill 151 (assault on public-safety animals), Senate Bill 240 (extortion), Senate Bill 270 (firearms manufacturing essential-business declaration). • Unanimous-consent floor actions: Introduction and referral of Senate Bills 522–544 (Senator from Lewis); withdrawal of Senate Bill 51 from committee and files (Senator Taylor); order to lie over Senate Bill 460 one day.

No final floor passage votes on the reported measures were recorded in the transcript; the actions recorded were committee reports, referrals and unanimous-consent procedural items.

The Senate adjourned following routine announcements and committee scheduling.