This House Concurrent Resolution (HCR 62) requests that West Virginia's Division of Highways rename Bridge Number 39-066/00-002.25 (locally known as YORK RUN BOX CULVERT) to the "U.S. Army PFC Henry James Miller Memorial Bridge." It honors PFC Henry James Miller, a West Virginia native who served in Iraq with the 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, was honorably discharged, and later died in 2013 after struggling with PTSD. The resolution specifically asks the Division of Highways to install signage identifying the bridge with this new name.
This concurrent resolution requests that West Virginia's Division of Highways rename bridge number 53-032/003.45 in Wirt County (locally known as the Peewee Pony Truss) as the "U.S. Army PFC Roy Lee Hill Memorial Bridge" and install identifying signs. It commemorates Roy Lee Hill, a WWII veteran who served in the Pacific theater, lived in the local community, and died in 1978. The bill directly affects the bridge's official designation and signage. As a naming resolution, it has no policy mechanisms beyond this commemorative request.
HB 2720 establishes the Southern Coalfield Resiliency and Revitalization Program to support communities in Boone, Logan, McDowell, Mingo, and Wyoming counties, which have been significantly impacted by declines in the coal industry. The program creates a Revitalization Council coordinated by the West Virginia Department of Economic Development, including representatives from state agencies, county commissions, and educational institutions, to coordinate existing state resources and technical assistance. It directs the council to develop economic strategies, prioritize support for local industries and natural resources, and report annually - without creating new positions or hiring additional staff. The program is set to operate for five years from its effective date, focusing on revitalizing communities through existing state infrastructure and partnerships.
This Senate resolution designates April 3, 2025, as "Women and Girls’ Day" at the West Virginia Legislature. It symbolically recognizes the contributions of women and girls across West Virginia through the West Virginia Women’s Commission’s annual events and policy focus. The resolution expresses the Senate’s appreciation for women’s roles in the state’s economy, families, communities, and society. As a ceremonial measure, it does not create new laws, funding, or obligations.
HB 2027 updates West Virginia's foster care laws by clarifying when a child can be temporarily or permanently removed from a foster home. It requires the Department of Health and Human Resources to investigate abuse/neglect allegations before removing children, and mandates that foster placements lasting over 18 months (or 50% of a child’s life) cannot be terminated without specific justification - such as parental rights ending, sibling reunification, or a child aged 14+ requesting it. The bill also requires the department to notify foster/adoptive parents about available siblings within 90 days to promote placement together, while allowing court-approved separation if reunification would harm a child. This directly affects foster children, foster parents, and the department, focusing on stability and family connections.
SB 639 creates a tax credit for West Virginia small businesses to offset time spent handling state tax compliance, including collecting employee taxes and meeting regulations. Eligible businesses with annual gross receipts under $2.5 million receive a $2,000 credit (reduced to $500 for those under $600,000, and none for businesses under $50,000). The credit is non-refundable and adjusts annually for inflation based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. It applies against personal income or corporation net income tax and takes effect July 1, 2025.
HB 3013 requires movie theater chains operating six or more theaters across multiple locations in West Virginia to provide open captioning for at least two weekly showings of films that include open captioning in their production. It also mandates that theaters offer audio description upon request for films that feature audio description. The law excludes drive-in theaters and prohibits requiring new equipment purchases if it would create an undue financial burden on theaters. This bill directly affects larger theater chains and aims to improve accessibility for deaf, hard-of-hearing, blind, and low-vision patrons.
This bill reclassifies forestry equipment (such as skidders, feller-bunchers, and processors) as agricultural property for tax purposes, exempting its sales from West Virginia's consumer sales tax. It directly affects forestry businesses, equipment sellers, and the state's agricultural sector by reducing tax burdens on essential industry operations. Key provisions define forestry equipment broadly, explicitly include forestry within agriculture for tax classification, and align its treatment with existing agricultural equipment rules. The policy change takes effect July 1, 2025, supporting forestry as a key economic component of West Virginia.
HCR 97 establishes the West Virginia Justice Reinvestment Taskforce to address challenges in the state's criminal justice system, including prison backlogs, high jail mortality rates, aging inmate populations, and behavioral health needs. The 21-member taskforce - comprising state officials, legislators, judges, community stakeholders (including formerly incarcerated individuals), and representatives from law enforcement and treatment programs - will analyze justice system data and develop policy recommendations on bail, sentencing, supervision, corrections programming, and behavioral health services. The taskforce must provide initial findings by December 2025, with ongoing reports to the Governor, Senate President, and House Speaker, using technical assistance from the Council of State Governments Justice Center. This resolution directly affects state agencies, local governments, and justice system participants by aiming to improve public safety, reduce costs, and strengthen community health outcomes.
SB 848 (Enacting bank protections for eligible adults from financial exploitation) protects vulnerable adults by giving banks, broker-dealers, and investment advisors new tools to prevent financial exploitation. It applies to adults aged 65+ or those with significant mental impairments affecting financial decision-making, or adults with court-appointed guardians. The law allows financial institutions to delay, refuse, or stop transactions they believe risk harming an eligible adult, and requires them to report suspected exploitation to state agencies like the West Virginia Department of Human Services. It explicitly states that institutions acting in good faith cannot be sued for these interventions.
HB 3146 amends West Virginia law to reduce the minimum applicant requirement for military organizations seeking special license plates from 100 to 50. This change applies specifically to military organizations chartered by the U.S. Congress that want to offer special plates for their members. The bill requires these organizations to provide a guarantee of at least 50 applicants before the state division issues the plates. The policy change lowers the threshold for organizations to qualify, making it easier for them to obtain special plates while maintaining the $10 application fee and existing eligibility rules for individual military personnel and Gold Star spouses.
SCR 23 is a resolution requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC). The study will examine the commission's mission, effectiveness, efficiency, transparency, accountability, and whether a performance evaluation would be appropriate. The committee must gather input from coaches, parents, and athletes and report findings to the 2026 legislative session. The WVSSAC manages high school sports and activities, funded by ticket sales and corporate sponsors rather than taxpayer money. This resolution follows concerns about the commission's operations that prompted a similar reform bill with over 20 sponsors.
