MORGANTOWN — The state Senate cruised through a series of bills on Wednesday — among them one dealing with gun classes and one to help protect foster children.
SB 402 would allow the U.S. Concealed Carry Association to provide concealed carry classes in West Virginia, joining the NRA, which already provides them.
Members of the Government Organization Committee learned last week that Virginia passed a similar bill last year. USCCA already offers classes here, with several hundred instructors in the state and about 6,000 active members. In other states, USCCA provides more classes than the NRA and majority of USCCA instructors are also NRA-certified.
The bill would simply codify the USCCA’s privilege to provide the classes.
It passed 33-0 without debate and goes to the House.
SB 474 creates a critical incident review team for the new Department of Human Services to review cases that result in the death or near death of a child in state custody, or a child who is a member of a family known by DHS or with a DHS history.
The review team would include representatives from DHS, the foster care ombudsman and a representative of the Supreme Court Division of Children Services.
Lead sponsor Sen. Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, said it’s an important bill. “Over the last 10 years we’ve all seen and been almost bought to tears by children that have died in foster care.” And where the state was aware of risks.
The bill isn’t intended to be punitive, he said. And with the Department of Health and Human Resources reorganized into three departments, “I believe we’re going to see a new day in terms of accountability within that agency.”
It also passed 33-0 and goes to the House.
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