CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – The WV House of Delegates convened Thursday to take action on four bills, two of which were passed.
One of the two to see passage was House Bill 2531, which addresses communications between railway company and the Division of Highways pertaining to the conducting of construction of maintenance work by the company.
“House Bill 2531 comes to us at the request of the Department of Transportation,” the bill was explained Thursday to Speaker of the House Delegate Roger Hanshaw. “The bill amends one section of code to update obsolete language giving prescriptive authority for rules governing railway and highway interconnections from the Office of the State Road Commissioner to the Commissioner of the Division of Highways.”
All members present partook in the vote, which resulted in unanimous passage of the bill 95 to 0 with 5 members absent from the session.
House Bill 2113 additionally saw passage Thursday, and increases criminal penalties imposed upon parents and/or guardians in cases involving child abuse with injury. The bill was explained during Thursday’s session as such,
“The bill increases certain penalties that relate to child abuse and child neglect and establishes enhanced sentences when there are subsequent convictions of child abuse and child neglect by a parent, guardian or custodian.”
The individual offenses amended are as follows:
“The first is child abuse causing bodily injury, a 1 – 5 sentence, is now in this bill moved to 2 – 10; Child abuse causing serious bodily injury going from 2 – 10 to 5-15; Child abuse creating risk of death or serious bodily injury from 1 – 5 to 2 – 10; Child abuse creating substantial risk of bodily injury will be not more than six months (unchanged); Second offense, child abuse creating substantial risk of bodily injury is going from 30 days to not less than 1 year nor more than 5.”
“Moving into child neglect gross negligence: Gross child negligent, creating substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury goes from 1 – 5 to 1 – 10; Second offense, child neglect is a misdemeanor in the state of West Virginia, it now becomes a felony with a penalty of 1 – 5 years. The bill states that a person with any prior convictions for a second or subsequent felony offense may be imprisoned for a term up to twice the term otherwise authorized and fined up to twice the amount. Authorized with respect to child neglect, the bill states that a person with any prior convictions for a second or subsequent felony offense may be imprisoned for a term up to twice that the original term otherwise authorized and fined up to an amount twice the original amount authorized.”
Delegate Larry D. Kump (R-Berkeley, 94) spoke in support of the bill Thursday.
“For sure and for certain, it’s my pleasure and privilege to stand and speak in favor of this bill,” declared Delegate Kump, whose professional background includes times as an arbitrator and mediator, as well as professional criminal justice work.
“I worked for 17 years as a criminal case manager dealing with child abusers and other felons. I also worked as a group counselor regarding this particular category of individual. I do support this bill as written.”
With that, a vote was taken, and House Bill 2113 passed through the House unanimously 95 to 0.
Senate Bill 143 requiring volunteers for the Adopt-A-Stream Program 17 years or younger to be accompanied by an adult, changing the eligibility for participation in the program as well as the section process for participation, and allows the department to approve or deny applications at its discretion was adopted by the House in the form of The Government Organization amendment and advanced to third reading.
House Bill 2171 was recommitted to the Committee on Technology and Infrastructure on second reading.
