Video & Transcript : 'West Virginia' :

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WV

West Virginia 2026 Regular Session

Senate in Session Mar 12th, 2026 at 04:57 pm

West Virginia Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Senate Resolution 65, recognizing West Virginia.
  • Senate Resolution 65, encouraging commercial opportunities between West Virginia and certain institutions
  • West Virginia has long been known for its experience in mining and resource development.
  • Honorable members of the West Virginia Senate, Mr.
  • Honorable members of the West Virginia Senate, Mr.
Keywords: 994, senate, all
Summary: The Senate first suspended Rule 54 to allow guests on the floor, then took up and adopted Senate Resolution 65. The resolution recognized West Virginia as a global hub for critical mineral processing and encouraged lawful private-sector dialogue and commercial engagement between West Virginia businesses and rare earth/critical mineral institutions abroad, beginning with institutions in Somalia. The sponsor emphasized that the measure was nonbinding and intended to open conversation about minerals, processing, and advanced materials, and the resolution was adopted by voice vote. The chamber then recessed briefly to receive and introduce a visiting delegation from Somalia, including the deputy prime minister, ministers of petroleum/mineral resources and commerce/industry, parliamentary leadership, and diplomatic representatives, along with other guests involved in the visit. After the recess, the Senate received several Finance Committee reports and advanced multiple House bills on first reading: HB 4004 creating the Recharge West Virginia program; HB 4006 creating the West Virginia Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing Growth Act; HB 2009 creating the Portable Benefit Account Act; HB 5412, the Future Ready Education Act; HB 5453 modifying the school aid funding formula; and HB 5510 removing the acreage/location requirement for private wedding venues. Each bill was reported as amended by Finance and taken up immediately without objection. During remarks, a senator from Randolph spoke about the death of Riley Wingfield in a side-by-side accident and praised students and administrators at Buckhannon-Upshur High School and Tucker County High School for wearing orange and black in solidarity with grieving Elkins High School students. The remarks were ordered placed in the Journal appendix. The Senate then announced adjournment until the next day at 10 a.m., with the Rules Committee scheduled to meet at 9:45 a.m.
WV

West Virginia 2026 Regular Session

Senate in Session Mar 14th, 2026 at 09:19 pm

West Virginia Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • and create more regulation for our job creators here in West Virginia.
  • We have absolutely no place inviting job creators into West Virginia.
  • West Virginia, as this sets before us now.
  • law, so we get our labor department in West Virginia in there.
  • ...Department in West Virginia in there.
Keywords: 994, senate, all
WV

West Virginia 2026 Regular Session

Senate in Session Mar 10th, 2026 at 05:02 pm

West Virginia Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Engrossed Committee Substitute for House Bill 4002, establishing the West Virginia Collaboratory.
  • Engrossed Committee Substitute for House Bill 4481, West Virginia Load Forecast Accountability Act.
  • Engrossed Committee Substitute for House Bill 537, West Virginia ALS Care Services Act.
  • Engrossed Committee Substitute for House Bill 537, West Virginia ALS Care Services Act.
  • Engrossed House Bill 5685, relating to authorizing bonds for improvements to the West Virginia Science
Keywords: 994, senate, all
WV

West Virginia 2026 Regular Session

Senate in Session Mar 14th, 2026 at 09:19 pm

West Virginia Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • gray fox population in West Virginia.
  • have absolutely no place inviting job creators into West Virginia.
  • That is existing code in the state of West Virginia, but there's no enforcement.
  • , so we get our labor department in West Virginia in there.
  • This bill creates the Recharge West Virginia Act.
Keywords: 994, senate, all
Summary: The Senate considered and passed House Bill 4245, the Department of Revenue rules bundle covering 27 rules from six agencies. Members withdrew the committee amendment, adopted a floor amendment making changes to two lottery rules and one tax rule related to pre-need cemetery companies, then passed the bill 30-1. The Senate also adopted a title amendment and made the bill effective from passage by a 31-0 vote. Later, when the House rejected the Senate’s amendments, the Senate receded from its amendments and again passed the bill, making it effective from passage. The chamber also adopted several concurrent resolutions from the Rules Committee, including studies on school finance transparency, divorce grounds, the Southern West Virginia water crisis, athletic trainer access in public secondary schools, the eastern gray fox population, upland game bird stamp purchases, and the Public Service Commission. Senate Concurrent Resolution 50, calling for a study of the PSC, was also adopted. In addition, the Senate passed House Bill 5381, which expands the Office of Energy’s role to develop a comprehensive energy policy and grid stabilization plan, and House Bill 5412, the Future Ready Education Act, after amending it to require annual vocational and agriculture offerings unless not viable and to set science-of-reading training requirements for K-5 literacy teachers by 2028-29. The Senate passed House Bill 845, a supplemental appropriation to the Governor’s Office Civil Contingent Fund, after concurring in a House amendment that reappropriated federal match grant funds and increased the civil contingency surplus fund from $15 million to $25 million; it was made effective from passage. The chamber also concurred in House amendments to House Bill 4106 on constitutional carry for 18- to 20-year-olds, House Bill 4004 creating the Recharge West Virginia training reimbursement program, House Bill 5453 revising the school aid funding formula for special education weighting, and other measures including House Bill 4009 on portable benefits, Senate Bill 164 on substitute teacher definitions, and House Bill 4606 on pretrial release for certain felonies. A lengthy debate centered on House Bill 4198, the E-Verify Safe Harbor Act. The Judiciary Committee amendment would have required public and certain private employers to use E-Verify, while a further amendment from the Senator from Randolph would have limited the mandate to public employers and made E-Verify optional for private employers with liability protections for good-faith use. After extensive discussion about small business impacts, federal-state conflicts, and enforcement, the Senate adopted the Randolph amendment and then passed the bill 31-3, with a title amendment also adopted. The Senate later refused to concur in House amendments to House Bill 4010, concurred in House amendments to House Bill 5438, receded from amendments to House Bill 4765, and adjourned sine die.
KY
Transcript Highlights:
  • <c> and</c><00:20:33.120><c> says</c> and West Virginia or Florida and says and West Virginia or Florida
  • Doing this as a result of Ohio and West Virginia ending their reciprocal agreements with Kentucky.
  • </c> license or they may have an Ohio or West license or they may have an Ohio or West Virginia<00:25
  • </c> person is just uh coming here from West person is just uh coming here from West Virginia<00:26:33.559
  • </c><00:26:51.640><c> Virginia</c> all of your education in West Virginia all of your education in West
Keywords: 958, all
Summary: The Senate Standing Committee on Licensing and Occupations met with a quorum and first heard Senate Bill 20, sponsored by Senator Matt Nunn, which would bar state agencies from adopting administrative regulations with implementation and compliance costs above $500,000 over a two-year period unless an exception applies. Nunn said the bill is intended to increase legislative oversight, reduce burdensome regulation, and preserve agency authority for routine rules, with exceptions for emergency actions, loss of federal funds, express legislative authorization, and health facility/service matters. Senators asked about the definition of “major economic impact,” whether broader societal costs were considered, and how the legislature could respond quickly to year-round agency rulemaking; Nunn said the bill is meant to force those larger policy choices into the legislative process. Several members voiced concern that the threshold was too low and could tie agencies’ hands, while others supported the bill as a check on regulation. The committee voted to report SB 20 favorably, with some members voting no or passing. The committee then took up Senate Bill 127, sponsored by Senator Shelley Frommeyer, concerning real estate license reciprocity. Frommeyer and representatives from Perry Real Estate College explained that the bill would codify Kentucky’s current education and licensing standards for out-of-state real estate licensees, rather than relying on bilateral agreements that can be terminated by other states. They said the measure was prompted by the end of reciprocal agreements with states such as Ohio and West Virginia, which left students and licensees uncertain, and argued that codifying the standards would provide stability, help military spouses, and support Kentucky’s real estate industry. Senators questioned whether a compact would be better, whether the bill would disadvantage Kentucky licensees seeking to practice elsewhere, and whether it would weaken Kentucky’s leverage in future negotiations. Supporters said the bill only fixes Kentucky’s side of the process and could encourage other states to adopt similar standards; opponents worried it was unilateral and might not produce reciprocity from other states. The committee ultimately reported SB 127 favorably, with several members explaining yes, no, or pass votes, and then adjourned.
WV

West Virginia 2026 Regular Session

Senate in Session Mar 14th, 2026 at 05:55 pm

West Virginia Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • West Virginia Senate, and he has been a member of this body since 2017.
  • Virginia. ...the impact that has not only on his community but the state of West Virginia.
  • The state of West Virginia owes you a great deal.
  • We talked about the government of West Virginia.
  • he wants nothing but the best for the state of West Virginia.
Keywords: 994, senate, all
Summary: The Senate first handled several House amendments to Senate bills and passed them, including SB 194 updating the definition of disabled veteran taxpayer, SB 499 requiring toxicology tests in auto accidents, SB 672 on Real Estate Commission licensing discipline, SB 724 on home confinement officers and the EMS retirement system, SB 897 on alcohol and drug counselor licensure, and SB 982 creating the Neighborhood Access Road Program. In each case, the chamber agreed to the House changes and then passed the bill, with some measures also given effective dates, including SB 724 effective July 1, 2026 and SB 648 effective from passage. The Senate also concurred in amendments to SB 197, doubling penalties for sex crimes against minors, and SB 648, which removed restrictions on foreign entities in the Strategic and Critical Resources Act. The chamber then took up a series of additional bills and conference actions. It appointed a conference committee on HB 4588 after refusing to recede from its amendment. The Senate passed HB 4009, the Portable Benefit Account Act, after adopting a Banking and Insurance committee strike-and-insert amendment that moved the program to the Division of Labor, expanded portable benefit definitions, and made technical changes. Later, the Senate also passed SB 182 on annexation by minor boundary adjustment after amending the House changes to allow one annexation per year instead of one every two years, and it passed HB 5101 increasing strangulation penalties, HB 4364 on juvenile offender bail and counsel language, HB 4412 on age verification for certain websites, HB 5564 on deputy sheriff vacation carryover, HB 4138 on sex offender registration fees, HB 4951 after receding from its earlier amendment on continuing education, SB 4 after receding from its amendment, SB 389 after refusing to concur in a House amendment that would have stripped the bill, SB 927 on beekeeping and municipal regulation, and HB 5214 on drug testing for parents before reunification. A major portion of the meeting was devoted to Senate Resolution 67 honoring Senator Michael Andrew Woelfel and Senate Resolution 68 honoring Senator Charles Houston Clements. Numerous senators gave extended remarks praising Woelfel’s legal skill, candor, mentorship, and service, and Clements’s long service, institutional knowledge, steadiness, and friendship. Both resolutions were adopted by roll call votes, with SR 67 passing 34-0 and SR 68 passing 33-1. After the resolutions, the Senate recessed briefly to present the outgoing senators with resolutions and flags flown over the Capitol.
WV

West Virginia 2026 Regular Session

Senate in Session Mar 14th, 2026 at 11:34 am

West Virginia Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Engrossed House Bill 528, supplemental appropriation to the Department of Agriculture, West Virginia
  • Engrossed House Bill 528, supplemental appropriation to the Department of Agriculture, West Virginia
  • Engrossed House Bill 528, supplemental appropriation to the Department of Agriculture, West Virginia
  • Ingrossed House bill, 528, supplemental appropriation to the Department of Agriculture, West Virginia
  • Supplemental appropriation to the Department of Agriculture, West Virginia Spayneuter Assistance Fund
Keywords: 994, senate, all
Summary: The West Virginia Senate convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, journal approval, and numerous introductions of honorary pages, guests, chaperones, and visitors, including a large McDowell County Day delegation. The Senate also received a governor’s executive message containing 76 nominations, which were referred to the Committee on Confirmation, and then set those nominations as a special order of business for 4 p.m. later that day. On legislation, the Senate rejected House amendments to Senate Bill 493 on open captioning for motion pictures and requested the House recede, saying the amendments changed the bill’s intent by making captioning mandatory and expanding its scope. The chamber then took up Senate Bill 587 on county officials’ salaries, adopted an amendment restoring county control over future pay increases while keeping a 5% raise, concurred in the House amendments as amended, and passed the bill 34-0 with immediate effectiveness. The Senate also fast-tracked and passed several supplemental appropriations bills, all by 34-0 votes and all made effective from passage: House Bill 527 for health facilities, House Bill 528 for the Department of Agriculture’s spay-neuter assistance fund, House Bill 5307 for the Division of Culture and History, House Bill 5317 for the Division of Natural Resources, and House Bill 5694 for the Department of Education. The Senate received House Bill 5286 on corrections and referred it to Finance. Finally, the Senate adopted Senate Resolution 66 designating March 14, 2026, as McDowell County Day at the legislature, with remarks highlighting the county’s history and current economic efforts, and then recessed for 30 minutes.
WV

West Virginia 2026 Regular Session

WV Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in Session Mar 9th, 2026 at 06:35 pm

Transportation and Infrastructure

Transcript Highlights:
  • You know, it sounds... ...to ensure proper billing, you know, it sounds like whether West Virginia or
  • And for us to limit them, I think we're doing a real disservice to working in West Virginia.
  • And for us to, like, limit them, I think we're doing a real disservice to working in West Virginia.
  • And so I do understand your concern for the West Virginia taxpayers.
  • April is Construction Works and Safety Month throughout this country and throughout West Virginia.
Keywords: 994, senate, all
WV
Transcript Highlights:
  • This bill establishes the West Virginia Collaboratory to facilitate the dissemination of the policy and
  • High school sports in West Virginia are awesome.
  • I'm lucky enough to be a member of our West Virginia Athletic Directors Association, be on the board
  • That's what we want to hold on to, and high school sports in West Virginia are incredible.
  • The people of West Virginia expect us to work on. Thank you. Thank you, Senator.
Committee: Senate Education
Keywords: 994, senate, all
WV

West Virginia 2026 Regular Session

Senate in Session Mar 14th, 2026 at 11:34 am

West Virginia Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Engrossed House Bill 528, supplemental appropriation to the Department of Agriculture, West Virginia
  • Engrossed House Bill 528, supplemental appropriation to the Department of Agriculture, West Virginia
  • Engrossed House Bill 528, supplemental appropriation to the Department of Agriculture, West Virginia
  • Ingrossed House bill, 528, supplemental appropriation to the Department of Agriculture, West Virginia
  • Supplemental appropriation to the Department of Agriculture, West Virginia Spayneuter Assistance Fund
Keywords: 994, senate, all
WV
Transcript Highlights:
  • Today, over a hundred companies offer workers’ compensation insurance to West Virginia businesses.
  • Virginia and encourage our West Virginia businesses to grow.
  • Well, West Virginia, we've done away with third-party bad faith.
  • property and casualty insurance doing business in the state of West Virginia.
  • In West Virginia is through homeowners insurance companies.
Keywords: 994, senate, all
WV

West Virginia 2026 Regular Session

Senate in Session Mar 11th, 2026 at 08:02 pm

West Virginia Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • This bill would require the West Virginia State Bar to provide training materials on its website for
  • Engrossed committee substitute for House Bill 537, West Virginia ALS Care Services Act, second reading
  • Engrossed House Bill 5685, relating to authorizing bonds for improvements to the West Virginia Science
  • Engrossed House Bill 5685, relating to authorizing bonds for improvements to the West Virginia Science
  • Engrossed Committee Substitute for House Bill 487, to create a West Virginia-Ireland Education Alliance
Keywords: 994, senate, all
WV
Transcript Highlights:
  • Today, over 100 companies offer workers' compensation insurance to our West Virginia businesses.
  • Virginia and encourage our West Virginia businesses to grow.
  • Well, West Virginia, we've done away with third-party bad faith.
  • property and casualty insurance doing business in the state of West Virginia.
  • In West Virginia, it is through homeowners insurance companies.
Keywords: 994, senate, all
Summary: The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee met with a quorum present and approved the March 4, 2026 minutes by voice vote. The committee first considered House Bill 55, which updates and modernizes workers’ compensation statutes to reflect the privatized system, remove obsolete provisions, and adjust the Workers’ Compensation Board of Review from five members to three. The Insurance Commissioner testified that the bill is part of the cleanup from privatization and would give the governor more flexibility in appointments. After adopting a strike-and-insert amendment and a title amendment, the committee reported HB 55 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass. The committee then took up House Bill 5463, which would reduce BRIM’s required liability coverage for county boards of education from $1.25 million to $1 million per occurrence and eliminate the separate $5 million excess coverage requirement. BRIM’s director testified that the excess market was difficult to access and costly, but several senators raised concerns that lowering coverage could reduce protection for victims and school-related claims. After a divided vote, the motion to report the bill failed, and HB 5463 was not passed by the committee. Next, the committee considered House Bill 4869, creating guaranteed issue rights for Medicare supplement policies, including annual birthday replacement rights and a special right for certain Medicaid recipients losing eligibility. Counsel said the bill would prohibit underwriting barriers during the guaranteed issue periods and require an annual report on premium trends. With no amendments offered, the committee reported HB 4869 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass. Finally, the committee considered House Bill 5462 on mine subsidence insurance. The bill would allow the mine subsidence fund to offset payments by amounts received from other sources and limit lawsuits over claims reported to BRIM. Members debated a proposed strike-and-insert amendment that would have softened the litigation limits and added notice and remedy provisions, but the amendment was rejected. The committee then reported HB 5462 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it do pass, and the meeting adjourned.
WV
Transcript Highlights:
  • Well, it just concerns me because, again, a magistrate is, I mean, in West Virginia, you can go to a
  • We can't keep changing what West Virginia has made law because someone else is not doing their job.
  • You go downtown by the courthouse and about any county in West Virginia, and there's a sign for bail
  • Thank you, members of the committee, for your service to the great state of West Virginia.
  • Well, there is some deference to the West Virginia State Bar.
Committee: Senate Judiciary
Keywords: 994, senate, all
WV
Transcript Highlights:
  • I'm Eric Cummings, school financial operations officer for the West Virginia Department of Education.
  • This bill amends provisions of the West Virginia Code by adding three new articles to foster economic
  • The first new article creates the West Virginia...”
  • “The first new article creates the West Virginia Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing Growth Act.
  • New article designated the Recharge West Virginia Act.
Keywords: 994, senate, all
Summary: The Senate Finance Committee met with a quorum present, approved the prior meeting minutes, and then took up several House bills with strike-and-insert amendments. House Bill 5510 was amended to incorporate provisions from Senate Bills 1065 and 928, modernizing Alcohol Beverage Control licensing and adding rules for low-proof spirit alcohol products, including a $1.25 per gallon tax; the committee adopted the amendment and reported the bill to the full Senate with a do-pass recommendation. The committee then considered House Bill 5453 on school funding. After discussion of a proposed block-grant system and supplemental aid for special education, the committee adopted an amendment replacing much of the bill with weighted funding for level two and level three special education students, exempting those funds from block grant rules and limiting their use to direct instruction. The committee also adopted a clarification to extend the special education funding to charter school students and reported the amended bill to the Senate. House Bill 5412, dealing with multi-year technology licensing contracts for local fiscal bodies and science-of-reading training for K-5 teachers, was amended to clarify contract language, delay implementation dates, change “endorsement” to “training,” and require charter school teachers to participate; it was then reported. The committee next amended and reported House Bill 4006, which creates aerospace development and workforce grant programs, changing the funding mechanism to use Department of Commerce reporting and personal income tax proceeds rather than direct employee withholdings. It also took up House Bill 4009, combining voluntary portable benefits for independent contractors with microcredentialing and an expanded apprenticeship tax credit, adopted the Finance Committee amendment, and reported it. Finally, House Bill 4004 creating the Recharge West Virginia training reimbursement program was amended to raise the annual employer reimbursement cap from $50,000 to $100,000 while keeping the $10,000 per-employee limit, and the committee reported the bill. The meeting ended with adjournment.