The West Virginia Legislature

As of Thursday, 504 bills have been introduced in the Senate. The committees have been busy discussing, amending and sending bills to the House and to other committees for more consideration. Of the bills introduced this week, I have cosponsored 17 . One of the most recent bills I have sponsored is Senate Bill 435, which would establish the Learn and Earn Cooperative Education Program. The program would forge a partnership between some community and technical colleges and participating companies for students enrolled in technical programs. It is a great opportunity for those attending community colleges to gain experience and earn money for it. Once the students graduate, the companies gain valuable and experienced employees that they already have a relationship with. This bill fosters a situation where everyone involved wins. Another bill that I have recently sponsored is Senate Bill 448. We believe it is of extreme importance, as it would create a hunting and fishing license for the severely disabled and terminally ill youth. Under this bill, they could get a hunting and fishing permit for free to hunt any legal game in the state. This is a great bill because it allows these youth an opportunity that otherwise would not be available to them. It is a gift we would like to give to them out of admiration of all of the hurdles they have overcome at such a young age. Here are two other bills that I have sponsored so far this week: -Senate Bill 458 would lift the cap on the number of days that certain retired teachers can work and continue to draw their retirement benefits from the State Teachers Retirement System. Reemployment of a former or retired teacher as a teacher would not impair the teacher's eligibility for a prior service pension or any other benefit provided by this article. -Senate Bill 478 would relate to the production of oil and gas; enacts the Surface Owners Protection Act; creates certain duties owed by oil and gas operators to surface owners; requires notice to the surface owner when oil and gas operations are initiated; provides for an agreement between the surface owners and operators regarding use of the land; and requires a bond or other surety in certain circumstances. Senate Bill 307 passed this week and is now in the House for consideration. This bill would create a maternal risk advisory council to advise in the development of a uniform maternal risk screening tool to screen pregnant women for potential at-risk pregnancies, which gives women in the state more stability in their pregnancy if it is at risk. We are devoted to making sure both mothers and their children are healthy during and after pregnancy, and I believe that this bill is another step toward that goal. You can find more information about the bills I have sponsored and others by going to the Legislature’s Web site, which is www.legis.state.wv.us. You can also contact me anytime with your questions or comments at (304) 357-7906 or randy.white@wvsenate.gov.