Bills, Bills, Bills

It’s Day 24, 40% of the way through the regular session and we are tracking bills of all kinds! Here is a breakdown of SOME of our bills, broken down by topic, and any updates we have.

Air

HB2710 & HB2711 are both bills concerning air miles and air permits. These bills are carryover bills from Delegate Doyle, related to Rockwool.

AST

HB4079 – The bill relating to altering the definition of an Aboveground Storage Tank, relates to tanks within zones of critical concern, and is currently parked in House Energy. 

Clean Elections

See the Clean Elections Update! Check our bill tracking to see many CE bills this session.

Coal

HB4446 – This is a bill that would require DEP inspections to be scheduled concurrently with the federal EPA and Department of the Interior. This bill was on the Energy agenda on Thursday and magically disappeared before the committee began.

HB4575 – This is Delegate Hansen’s Just Transition bill! This bill creates a state office to provide support for coal-related jobs, and we support it!

Manufacturing

HB4001 – Creating West Virginia Impact Fund –  This bill is Speaker Hanshaw’s bill and on Wednesday night was discussed for several hours. The bill relates to foreign investment into West Virginia and a fund to assist. It’s a confusing bill, and we believe it is related to the $84B Energy investment Governor Justice promised WV from China, so we are watching it closely. On Monday, the bill is on 2nd reading in the House.

Oil & Gas & Wells

HB4421 – The Natural Gas Liquids Economic Development act is a VERY large tax break for the gas industry. The bill went through House Energy, and originally included a tax break for: gas users, gas producers, gas storers, and gas transporters….alleviating them of MOST of their corporate taxes. The bill was amended to only apply to gas storers and gas transporters, i.e. storage hub, and pipelines. The bill was reported to House Finance but has not been taken up there yet.

SB316 – This bill deals with the oil and gas conservation commission membership, a three person commission. It changes the makeup of the commission and requires the public member on the commission to have never worked in the oil and gas industries, but does own land in the state. The bill was amended to include this language, and we support it! On Monday it’s on 1st reading in the senate. Relating to Water and Wastewater Investment and Infrastructure Improvement Act  Relating to Water and Wastewater Investment and Infrastructure Improvement Act 

HB4090 – The oil and gas abandoned well plugging fund bill is on 1st reading in the House on Monday! We like this bill!

HB4091 – Allowing for expedited gas and well permitting upon payment of expedited fees. This bill passed through the house unamended, and senate EIM unamended. It allows the drillers to get expedited permitting with extra fees. Half of the new fee goes to plugging orphaned wells.

Solar

SB611- Our PPA bill! This bill allows for third party ownership of renewable and alternative energy generation. We have strong support in the Senate. Consider calling and emailing Senator Swope to ask for SB611 to be put on the Economic Development agenda!

Waste & Landfills

HB4443 – This bill shifts funds from the landfill closing program to local solid waste authorities. A compromise was made to get to the funding shift over five years, and we expect this bill to move through.  

Water

HB4542 – The Clean Drinking Water Act of 2020! Another Delegate Hansen bill that we LOVE! This water would set maximum levels of PFAS in our drinking water. Please call House Health and Human Resources to get it on the agenda!

We have MANY other bills, these are just a few of them! Log into our bill tracking on the wv legislature website to track alongside us, and remember to email us anytime you have questions about specific bills!