Sign Up
SB 883 West Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Providing director of WV Office of Miners’ Health, Safety and Training discretion and authority in certain appointments

SB 883 grants the Director of West Virginia's Office of Miners’ Health, Safety, and Training full authority to appoint mine inspectors (including surface, underground, and electrical inspectors) from a qualified candidate register. The bill requires the register to maintain at least three candidates, allows the director to remove candidates with written justification and 30 days' notice, and mandates a review process if candidates request reinstatement. It also specifies that appointments must follow a scoring system among the top three candidates on the register. This change directly affects the appointment process for mine inspectors, streamlining the director’s role while adding transparency and appeal options.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
House of Delegates Passage
Apr 2025
Signed into Law
Aug 2025
Introduced Mar 24, 2025 Signed Aug 8, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Committee Substitute → Enrolled Committee Substitute · 5 edits · Apr 25, 2025
MODERATE
This bill transfers authority for mine inspector appointments and examinations from an independent examining board to the Director of the Office of Miners' Health, Safety, and Training. The Director now has full discretion to appoint inspectors directly from a register of candidates, removing the previous requirement that appointments be made strictly from the top three candidates on a ranked list. The independent Mine Inspectors' Examining Board is abolished, and its duties are consolidated into the Office of Miners' Health, Safety, and Training.
Scope change
The scope of authority shifted from a shared governance model involving an independent board to a centralized administrative model under the Director.
ENFORCEMENT

Abolished the independent Mine Inspectors' Examining Board and transferred all its powers and duties to the Director of the Office of Miners' Health, Safety, and Training.

Changed the reporting structure so the Director reports appointment information directly to the Board of Coal Mine Health and Safety, rather than the board certifying candidates to the Director.

REQUIREMENT

Replaced the mandatory requirement to appoint inspectors strictly from the top three candidates on a ranked register with the Director's full discretion to appoint any qualified candidate.

Removed the authority of the examining board to conduct examinations and rank candidates, placing full responsibility for testing and selection with the Director.

TIMELINE

Updated the bill's effective date to 90 days from passage (July 10, 2025) and changed the status to 'Enrolled'.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 2, 2025 · House of Delegates Apr 11, 2025

How they voted

33–0
Passed
Total votes 33
Apr 2, 2025
D Democratic2
2 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican31
31 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
34
Key actions
7
Committee
3
Apr 25, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 4/25/2025
upper
Apr 12, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 4/25/2025 - House Journal
lower
Apr 12, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 4/25/2025 - Senate Journal
upper
Apr 11, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed House (Roll No. 527)
lower
Apr 9, 2025
Lower · Passed
Do pass
lower
Apr 3, 2025
Committee
To House Energy and Public Works
lower
Apr 3, 2025
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
Apr 2, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (Roll No. 288)
upper
Mar 29, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee substitute reported
upper
Mar 24, 2025
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.