CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Today, the House convened and passed four bills.
Before today’s floor session, House Rules met and moved House Bill 2060 and House Bill 2054 to the inactive House Calendar. House Bill 2008 and House Bill 2009 were moved to the active Special Calendar, and then both were advanced to third with the right to amend.
The four bills that head to the Senate are:
Senate Bill 240 creates the crimes of sexual extortion and aggravated sexual extortion. A person commits sexual extortion (or sextortion) if they knowingly and intentionally disclose or threaten to disclose private photos of another person to compel the victim, the victim’s spouse, child, or other family member, to do or not do something against their will. If found guilty of felony sexual extortion, one could be imprisoned for 1 to 5 years for the first offense, 3 to 10 years for the second offense, and 10 to 20 years for a third and subsequent offense. Aggravated sexual extortion is sexual extortion that involves a minor or vulnerable adult; or if the victim suffers serious bodily injury or death. If found guilty of felony aggravated sexual extortion, one could be imprisoned for 10 to 20 years.
House Bill 2267 is a rule bundle for the Department of Revenue. The agencies included in the rules are the Alcohol Beverage Control Administration, Insurance Commission, Lottery Commission, and Tax Division.
House Bill 2710, the Truth in Giving Act, requires thrift operators to provide signage indicating whether they are a 504C charity organization or a for-profit organization at donation drop-off and on the store door. This allows donors to know who/what they are donating to. The bill came about because individuals thought they were donating to charity, but they were donating to for-profit businesses.
House Bill 2871 changes negligent homicide to vehicular homicide. Vehicular homicide remains a misdemeanor with a fine of $1,000 to $10,000 and/or up to a year in jail. The bill adds to this section of the code aggravated vehicular homicide and vehicular homicide in a school zone or construction zone. Aggravated vehicular homicide is when one acts with deliberate disregard for the safety of others. The felony offense can be fined up to $20,000 and/or imprisoned for 1 to 5 years. For vehicular homicide in a school or construction zone, the individual would be guilty of a felony and may be fined $2,500 to $5,000 and/or imprisoned for 2 to 10 years. The bill was amended to include embryo/fetus as a protected person in vehicular homicides.
Bills introduced today can be found here.
The House is adjourned until 11 a.m. tomorrow, March 11, 2025.
