MORGANTOWN – Here is a sampling of bills introduced on Friday, Jan. 13. Local sponsors and co-sponsors, if any, are noted.
- HB 2510, the Critical Mineral Investment Tax Credit Act, to exempt rare earth elements, critical minerals, and carbon-based products otherwise taxed elsewhere in code.
- HB 2530, by request of DOH, to extend the expiration of temporary registration plates from 60 days to 90 days.
- HB 2534, to protect solvency of the Public Employees Insurance Agency; Delegate Amy Summers, R-Taylor, lead sponsor.
- HB 2536, to permit physicians to provide exemption certificates relating to required immunizations; Summers, lead sponsor.
- HB 2537, to prohibit the use of covenants not to compete; Summers, lead sponsor.
- HB 2538, to develop an online portal to support foster placements and kinship placements with the specific needs for their foster children; Summers, lead sponsor.
- HB 2542 and SB 215, to create the No TikTok on Government Devices Act.
- HB 2549, to authorize teachers in elementary or secondary schools to carry concealed firearms and be designated as a school protection officer.
- HB 2551, the Homeschool Credential Recognition Act, to provide the same postsecondary and educational opportunities to homeschool high school graduates as those in public, private, or parochial schools.
- HB 2554, to permit the manufacture in a limited amount of alcoholic liquor for personal use only and not for sale.
- SB 163, to permit registered voters to vote an absentee ballot by mail in all circumstances; Sen. Mike Caputo, D-Marion.
- SB 167, to legalize the personal use and possession of cannabis by adults; providing for a county option election to allow for the production and sales in that county; Caputo.
- SB 168, to encourage and incentivize the sale of thermal or steam coal to in-state coal-fired electric generating facilities by exempting the sale of such coal from the severance tax.
- SB 169, to require exhibitors of motion pictures who operate two or more theaters in more than one location in this state to provide open captioning during at least two showings per week of each motion picture that is produced and offered with open captioning; Caputo.
- SB 171, to create a credit against the severance tax to encourage private companies to make infrastructure improvements to highways, roads and bridges in this state; and to encourage greater capital investment in coal production and processing facilities.
- SB 174, to increase the required medical coverage from various providers relating to autism spectrum disorders; Caputo.
- SB 175, to require medical insurance providers to include infertility services in their policies; Caputo.
- SB 180, to provide that state troopers shall be allocated to counties based on the 2020 Census.
- SB 181, the Closed Captioning Act, to require that public places that have televisions for use by the public to have at least one half of those televisions to have their closed captioning feature activated at all times; Caputo.
- SB 187, to create a new criminal offense regarding sexual contact with, sexual intrusion, or sexual abuse of students by a school employee; Sen. Charles Clements, R-Wetzel.
- SB 188, the Grid Stabilization and Security Act, to encourage development, transportation and use of electricity generated using West Virginia natural gas as the energy source for generating electricity.
- SB 195, the Ready-to-Use Glucagon Rescue Therapies for Schools Act, for students with diabetes.
- SB 197, to create a paid parental leave pilot program.
- SB 201, to increase the Homestead Exemption for homeowners from $20,000 to $40,000; Sen. Mike Oliverio, R-Monongalia.
- SB 214, to restrict certain advertising by adult venues on public billboards.
- SB 218, to establish that in presidential elections years, a presidential primary election shall be held in the state on the second Tuesday of February; Oliverio.
