Legislative Summaries - OMEGA - West Virginia Oil Marketers & Grocers Association

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The 1^st regular legislative session of the 86^th Legislature is now complete. The Republicans own super majorities in both houses, but other than the suspension of rules to pass a few bills quicker, there has not been substantial use of this power. A few of the big issues this session that legislators have tackled are a new income tax plan, the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA), Department of Health and Human Resources reorganization (DHHR), a new economic development plan to bring Form Energy to West Virginia, the beginning of a plan to bring electric-producing natural gas facilities to the state, new deliberate intent legislation, and a pay raise to state officials.

Saturday at midnight marked the completion of the West Virginia Legislature’s Regular Session. With over 2000 bills introduced, there are plenty of methods to summarize the work accomplished over the last two months in Charleston. Here are some of the numbers that best wrap-up this legislative session:

The first regular session of the 85th Legislature is now in the books, as both the House and Senate adjourned at midnight Saturday April 10, 2021. A total of 2,039 bills introduced, with 281 being sent to the Governor, 78 of which have already been signed into law.

Obviously, COVID related legislation was at the top of agenda. Capitol building access was limited due to capacity restrictions, social distancing and other CDC recommended protocols. Several legislative initiatives were advanced to encourage remote workers, and much needed broadband expansion through House Bill 2002, as well as Senate Bill 277- Creating COVID-19 Jobs Protection Act, the Governor’s bill for COVID-19 liability reform. This legislation provides a liability shield for employers in West Virginia for claims that may arise due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2020 Regular Legislative Session proved to be extraordinarily busy in that a record 355 bills were sent to Governor Justice’s desk for a signature.

Below is a summary of the high points.

March 7th, The House concurred with the Senate amendments to Senate Bill 150, the Budget Bill, and completed legislation on it.

The Budget Bill allocates $108 million to fully eliminate the wait list for the I/DD Waiver. This was a priority for this session by both bodies of the legislature and Governor Jim Justice. The budget allocates $16.8 million for the foster care system within the state under House Bill 4092. The budget also provides $3.3 million to fund a second location for the Mountaineer Challenge Academy, which is a program that trains and mentors at-risk youths from the ages of 16-18 in a 22-week program.

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