Legislative Update for Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023
House Floor Action:
- Com Sub for SB 10, which will permit firearms to be carried on higher education campuses, passed 84-13 in the House today.
The following bills remain on the calendar on third reading to be taken up during the 8 PM floor session tonight.
- HB 2607 – Clarify that vehicles with a capacity larger than 10 passengers may be used to transport students provided that no more than 10 passengers may be transported at one time
- HB 3376 – Relating to changing the term teacher in residence to clinical teacher of record
HB 3547 – Increasing the number of personal leave days that county board of education employees may use from 3 to 4.- HB 3548 – Relating to teacher duty-free lunch and daily planning periods, including:
A uniform method for notifying teachers of the duties at the school for which a teacher may voluntarily exchange his or her lunch recess to perform, and the process for volunteering to make the exchange; (2) A uniform prohibition on direct, in-person contact by administrators to request, coerce or order a teacher to exchange his or her lunch recess to perform the duties; (3) A uniform form for documenting the terms of the agreement between a teacher and the superintendent or his or her agent for the exchange of the teacher’s lunch recess to perform the duties; and (4) A uniform benefit for the exchange of the lunch recess by a teacher to perform the duties. Verbiage concerns in the bill originally passed from the education committee were amended to ensure the “shall” language was left intact. AFT-WV appreciates Delegate Dana Ferrell (also an AFT-WV member) who ensured that the proper amendments were made and the original intent of the bill was carried through.
- HB 3549 will prohibit regular classroom teachers and special education classroom teachers who are required to participate an individualized education program committee from also being required to prepare or reduce to writing the individualized education program plan unless no other professional educator with the knowledge is available.
Senate Finance Committee
- Com Sub for SB 268 was advanced from the Senate Finance Committee after no questions or discussion on the bill. This bill makes modifications to PEIA including coverage changes for employee spouses. AFT-WV and other AFL-CIO unions oppose this bill and are working together in hopes of stopping it.