Week 3 (January 20-26)

House Education

• HB 4372 - To increase the 35-year limit on interval pay raises for teachers to 40 years. This bill was introduced and sent to House Education, amended, and passed with due pass referred to House Finance.
• HB 4776 - Adding elementary schools to the school disciplinary bill passed last year. This bill allows a teacher to remove a disruptive student, and the student cannot be put back in the classroom for the remainder of the period. Three (3) monthly removals require the student to be suspended. A committee amendment was offered to require a parent conference within 3 days of the removal. An amendment to the committee amendment was offered to address exceptionalities for students with IEPs. The bill passed as amended and sent to the floor for due pass. It is on the first reading of the special calendar.
• HB 4777 - Allow staff members in public schools to eat lunch for free if food is left over after every student has been fed. Several delegates expressed surprise that this “common sense” practice required legislation. The bill passed and was sent to the floor for due pass. It is on the first reading of the special calendar.
• HB 4851 - To allow for public and private schools in West Virginia to employ security personnel. This bill would allow school security officers to be employed and carry firearms under certain conditions. A committee amendment was offered to make technical corrections and allow the SSO the ability to detain individuals until law enforcement arrived. The bill was introduced and amended for due pass but first to the Judiciary Committee. To read more, click here.
• HB 4767 Relating to WV teaching salaries - A bill that was introduced to House Education and resides in House Finance is getting a lot of attention. According to House Education Committee Chairman Joe Ellington, previous pay raises help teachers keep up, but they’re not getting ahead. He has proposed a pay raise that he believes would make a difference. The bill passed out of committee, would raise the starting pay for teachers to $44,000. That is about $4,000 to $5,000 more than the current starting salary. To read more, click here.

Senate Education

• SB 280 Allowing teachers in public schools to teach intelligent design - The bill effectively paves the way for the discussion of intelligent design theory, which says that certain features of the universe and living things are best explained by an intelligent cause, rather than an undirected process such as natural selection. Proponents of intelligent design argue that it is a scientific theory based on evidence of design in the biological world, but detractors claim that it is pseudoscientific and not testable through the scientific method. This bill passed the Senate and is on its way to the House Education. To read more about this bill click here.
• SB 152 Displaying official US motto in public schools - This bill passed the Senate and was ordered to the House. After House Education, it moves to Judiciary.
• SB 302 - Authorizing child sexual abuse and sexual violence prevention program and in-service training in child sexual abuse prevention. This bill would provide age-appropriate instruction in personal safety and child abuse in grades 3-6 and instruction in dating violence, etc., in grades 7-12. The bill was amended to give the parents at least a one week's notice to opt out. The amendment passed. Committee Substitute for SB 302, as amended, was adopted and will be reported to the full Senate. It is on the first reading.
• SB 468 - Requiring course in public schools on human development. The bill makes the showing of a video on human development mandatory in health for 8th grade with a refresher course in the 10th grade. The bill would create the “Baby Olivia Act,” which includes the video “Meet Baby Olivia,” produced by Live Action. The Committee substitute passed and was sent to the Senate floor, where it is on the second reading. To read more, click here.
• SB 502 - Allowing Teachers Retirement System members to exchange unused leave for monetary compensation. This bill was introduced and resides with Senate Education.
• SB 503 - Protecting belief-based student organizations from certain types of discrimination. This bill was introduced and resides with Senate Education.