West Virginia Senate Bill SB301

West Virginia 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/13/25
• Refer: 2/13/25

Caption

Department of Administration rule relating to general administration of records management and preservation

Summary

SB301 is a rule authorization bill for the West Virginia Department of Administration. It amends and reenacts a provision of state code to approve a legislative rule filed in the State Register on March 27, 2024, concerning the general administration of records management and preservation (148 CSR 12). The bill does not itself create a new records-management program; rather, it gives statutory authorization for the agency to proceed with the rule under existing rulemaking authority. In practical terms, the bill confirms the Department of Administration’s authority to implement and administer rules governing how state records are managed, preserved, and handled. This can affect state agencies and public records operations by supporting standards for retention, preservation, and administrative oversight of records management practices. The bill is limited in scope and functions primarily as a legislative approval measure for an agency rule.

Impact

SB301 would amend West Virginia Code §64-2-1 to authorize a specific Department of Administration legislative rule, thereby giving the rule legal effect under state law. Its impact is administrative rather than substantive: it validates the rule on records management and preservation and allows the Department to enforce or implement it within the scope of its authority. The main affected parties are state agencies, records custodians, and any offices subject to the state’s records management requirements.

Sentiment

The available record shows no committee transcript, vote history, or recorded opposition, so there is no documented debate surrounding the bill. Based on the bill’s narrow, technical nature, the measure appears to be routine and administrative rather than controversial. The absence of votes or discussion suggests neutral or unremarkable sentiment in the available materials.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Because SB301 is a rule authorization bill, any disagreement would likely center on the underlying records-management rule itself—such as compliance burdens, retention requirements, preservation standards, or administrative discretion—but no such concerns are recorded here. The bill appears to have been introduced as a straightforward authorization measure.