By Delegate David Kelly
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Phone: (304)-340-3226
Weekly Wrap-up
We are closing in on “Crossover Day,” March 28th, which is the final day that bills can be reported out of committee to ensure a bill has three full days of reading on the floor.
As of March 26th, 21 bills have been signed by Governor Justice, 64 bills have completed legislation and are awaiting action by the Governor, and 148 bills have been passed out of the House.
House Committee chairmen have convened committee meetings multiple times this week in an effort to moves bills from committees to the House floor.
The full House unanimously approved House Bill 2368, Mylissa’s Law. This bill was named in honor Mylissa Smith a Kanawha County hospice nurse who contracted COVID. The bill establishes guidelines for visitations and the frequency of those visitations in order for patients to be able to see family, clergy, or hospice. It also requires visitors to comply with procedures that are already in place by the health care entity.
Delegate Dean Jefferies, lead sponsor of the bill said, “Mylissa had a true nurse’s heart and caring for people in their final years through hospice was her passion. This bill will never wipe clean the images of lipstick prints and tear stains left on the windows of our nursing homes, nor will it return the lost days that should have been spent comforting loved ones. There are too many stories like Mylissa’s, and too many of our frontline heroes have carried the burden of this pandemic day after day. I can only pray that going forward we have done all we can to ensure humanity is preserved for those in need in times such as these.”
Another bill that passed the house this week is House Bill 2630. It requires the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection to refund certain fines paid by towns
The bill is designed to direct the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to refund a portion of the fines to municipalities, counties, public service districts, and counties or other political subdivisions of the state when the entity takes the required actions to resolve the problems. The community would be required to pay 10% of the fine but the DEP would have the authority to create a discount. This discount would be based on the ability of the community to pay.
Lead sponsor of the bill Charlie Reynolds said, “I’ve heard from so many of our small towns that they don’t have the funds to correct some of the problems they’re getting fined for by the DEP, and those bills just compound the problem,” Reynolds said. “This is a way the DEP can still carry out its objectives while allowing our cash-strapped communities to actually fix some of their infrastructure issues.”
We also completed work on the “Second Chances at Life Act.” This bill requires a pregnant woman, who is seeking a chemical abortion, to be informed of the possibility of stopping the process if the second pill has not been taken but time is of the essence. The bill also requires that the father, if his identity can be determined, is to be notified that he will be liable to assist in the support of the child including 50% of the medical costs that began at conception.
HB2874 is one of several bills from the House of Delegates aimed at helping first responders, military members and veterans. “Boots to Business” is a program of the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office. The bill adds Active Military Members and their spouses. It offers a waiver of initial business registration fees to active-duty military members, their spouses and immediate family members desiring to start a business in West Virginia.
“Military Spouses, in particular, are a group in our community that are often unemployed or underemployed due to the nature of their spouse’s service,” said Delegate Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, and lead sponsor of the bill. “It’s a great way to say thank you to those who protect us, along with their families who make it possible.”
The Anti-Discrimination against Israel Act, HB2933, also passed out of the House this week. The bill prohibits a public entity from entering into a contract with any company without written proof that the company is not currently engaged in a boycott of goods and services from Israel or any territory under the control of Israel. The Anti-Discrimination against Israel Act only applies to contracts greater than $100,000 and contractors with more than 10 employees.
Lead sponsor Kayla Kessinger said, “I introduced this legislation for thefirst time in 2018 after coming back from Israel. I had the opportunity to meet with members of their community, and prior to going there I was completely ignorant of the Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) movement. But after hearing from so many of their business leaders it truly brought to light this problem, even here in West Virginia, where we’ve had millions of dollars in exports to Israel. I understand that on its face it may not seem relevant to us in West Virginia, but after my visit, I understood just how important the existence and security and strength of Israel is to the protection of the United States and West Virginia. We share military intelligence on counterterrorism and technology when it comes to advancing the way we protect ourselves at home and abroad.”
We continue to make West Virginia a better place to live, work and raise a family.