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Committee advances youth summer employment bill, adds employer-immunity language
Summary
The Workforce Committee advanced an engrossed committee substitute for House Bill 54 80 to create the West Virginia Youth Summer Employment and Career Readiness Program for ages 14–20, requiring at least minimum wage, employer matching (including in-kind), and an immunity provision shielding participating employers from liability except for malicious purpose; the bill was reported to the full Senate with a recommendation to pass as amended.
The Senate Workforce Committee advanced an engrossed committee substitute for House Bill 54 80 that would establish the West Virginia Youth Summer Employment and Career Readiness Program, a statewide summer employment and career-exposure initiative for youth ages 14 to 20.
Malia McCann Coles, introduced to the committee as a senate intern who explained the measure, summarized the bill: “Pending before you is House Bill 54 80. This bill creates the West Virginia Youth Summer Employment and Career Readiness Program, which establishes a summer employment program for youth aged 14 to 20 and provides paid work experience, career exposure, and skill development through public and private partnerships.” The bill places the program within the Department of Commerce’s Division of Workforce Development and authorizes grants to employers, including matching requirements and waivers for small employers and nonprofits. It also creates a dedicated State Treasury account for the program, allows private and public grants and donations, requires participants be paid no less than minimum wage, and requires an annual report to the governor and the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.
Committee members praised the bill’s goal of building an early workforce pipeline and offering alternatives to college for some young people. Sponsor Delegate Hornbuckle said the design intentionally allows cash or in-kind matches so counties with limited budgets can participate: he described collaboration with the Department of Education, local boards, industry and workforce partners to tailor placements to regional needs.
Liability question and amendment: A senior senator from the fourth raised concerns about employer liability when hiring minors through the program and offered an amendment to add an immunity provision shielding participating employers and their employees from civil, criminal or administrative liability arising from participation in the program, "unless there is malicious purpose involved," and asked counsel to refine the language. Counsel summarized the intended effect and the committee moved a strike-and-insert amendment; the amendment to the amendment clarifying the immunity language was adopted by voice vote.
Final action: The vice chair moved that the engrossed committee substitute for House Bill 54 80 be reported to the full Senate with the recommendation that it do pass as amended; the motion was approved by voice vote. The committee also adopted a title amendment as explained by counsel. The transcript records voice votes and chair announcements that "the ayes have it;" roll-call tallies were not recorded in the committee transcript.
Funding and open items: Counsel told the committee the program was not contemplated to start on tax dollars and stated, as recorded in the transcript, "for fiscal years ending in, June 2627, it will come from collections, but not appropriations" — committee members and counsel did not provide a clear fiscal-note breakdown in the recorded exchange and the transcript phrasing is unclear on the precise fiscal-year timing. Several senators requested further detail and staff consultation on fiscal implications and liability wording as the bill moves to the full Senate.
Next steps: The bill will be reported to the full Senate with the committee’s recommendation that it pass as amended; staff and counsel will finalize statutory language and fiscal details before further consideration.
