Senate Completes Action on Nine Bills as House Advances 47 to Final Reading

Charleston, WV – The West Virginia Legislature moved a large volume of bills forward Wednesday as both chambers worked through packed agendas ahead of key deadlines.
In the Senate, lawmakers completed action on nine bills and sent two dozen others back to the House for concurrence. Senators also worked halfway through the second‑reading calendar during the morning floor session.
Among the completed bills was House Bill 4169, updating the process for individuals seeking to restore firearm rights after mental‑health‑related prohibitions. The measure expands who may perform the required mental‑health evaluations, aligning the process with standards used for involuntary hospitalizations.
Senators also advanced House Bill 4390, creating a temporary payment increase for kinship parents to match foster‑care subsidies while they complete background checks and home screenings. The increase may last up to six months as families work toward certification.
House Bill 5089 was also completed. It requires public schools to accept transcripts and credentials from charter schools, microschools, homeschools, and HOPE Scholarship programs, and mandates annual reporting on students returning to public schools.
According to the Legislature, 70 bills have now completed action this session. The Senate recessed until 6 p.m., with Banking and Insurance, Finance, and Judiciary committees meeting throughout the afternoon.
Over in the House of Delegates, members advanced 47 bills to third reading, moving a wide range of policy proposals closer to passage.
Among the major bills on third reading was Senate Bill 402, creating the Workforce Readiness and Opportunity Act. The bill expands the apprenticeship training tax credit, allows independent contractors to access portable benefits, and eases licensing barriers for military‑trained applicants.
Also advancing was Senate Bill 703, establishing the Social Work Licensure Compact to give social workers multistate practice privileges and improve access to services.
On second reading, delegates considered Senate Bill 200, which increases penalties for assaults on public service workers, law enforcement officers, and police animals. Members also debated Senate Bill 531, the First Amendment Preservation Act, which would bar state agencies from contracting with media‑bias rating organizations such as NewsGuard.
Senate Bill 645 was amended but continues forward. It prohibits out‑of‑network EMS agencies from balance‑billing patients for ambulance services and sets minimum insurer payments. A proposed amendment to lower reimbursement rates was rejected.
Members also debated Senate Bill 4, requiring bystanders to remain 30 feet back from first responders. An amendment to reduce the distance to 15 feet failed 8–83 after discussion about officer safety and public recording rights.