Removing responsibility to hear appeals of certification decisions from deputy cabinet secretary

SB 859 transfers the responsibility for hearing appeals of law enforcement certification decisions from the Deputy Cabinet Secretary to the Office of Administrative Hearings. It directly affects law enforcement officers, trainees, and applicants who have been denied entry into certification programs, reactivation of certification, or had certification suspended or decertified. The bill amends two sections of West Virginia law to clarify that the Office of Administrative Hearings must handle all appeals from the Governor’s Committee on Crime, Delinquency, and Correction subcommittees. This change streamlines the appeals process by shifting it from a department official to a dedicated administrative office.