A new bill introduced into the West Virginia House of Representatives could repeal all state lobbying statutes and criminalizes the act of paying someone to influence any member of the Legislature.

House Bill 5402 could also criminalize the act of receiving money to influence any member of the Legislature.

Both acts would be considered a felony and will constitute a fine or, after no more than five infractions, imprisonment.

Gov. Jim Justice called a special legislative session convening on Sunday, August 6.

The proclamation issued for this special session lists 44 items for consideration including the creation of a new state park and several bills regarding the state correctional officer shortage.

This special session is expected to last through at least Tuesday, August 8.

The 2023 session for the West Virginia Legislature adjourned sine die on March 12. Before adjourning, lawmakers passed bills modifying grassroots lobbying and independent expenditure reporting.

Senate Bill 508, which addresses grassroots lobbying groups, would raise limits triggering certain reporting requirements.

Currently, a person who contributes more than $500 in the aggregate within any three-month period or $200 in the aggregate within any one-month period to a grassroots lobbying campaign would have to register with the State Ethics Commission and comply with certain reporting obligations.

Under the new bill these thresholds would increase to $5,000 and $1,000.

Senate Bill 516 increases the limit to report contributions that are given toward advocating for or against a candidate when not in coordination with a candidate, their political committee, or a political party committee, from $250 to $1,000.

Both bills now head to the governor for signature.

West Virginia’s special session adjourned on April 26.

Lawmakers planned on dealing with 17 bills, but many did not pass.

The most debated bill was Senate Bill 2001, which eventually passed after being vetoed by the governor due to technical errors.

The bill appropriates $250 million to be used to upgrade infrastructure in municipalities of the state.

Gov. Jim Justice vetoed Senate Bill 729, citing technical errors in the bill.

Gov. Justice plans to call a special session of the West Virginia Legislature to address the errors in the economic development bill, which creates a self-sustaining loan fund managed by the West Virginia Economic Development Authority.

The special session will coincide with the Legislature’s interim meetings scheduled between April 24 and April 26.

The 2022 session of the West Virginia Legislature adjourned sine die on March 12.

Key measures passed include the $4.65 billion state budget and Senate Bill 4, which repeals the state’s ban on nuclear power plants first established in 1994.

Additionally, a proposed amendment to the state constitution shifting the power of public education policy and rule decisions from the Board of Education to state lawmakers was passed.

This proposed amendment will be submitted for voter ratification on November 8.

West Virginia Gov. Justice has called for a special session on January 10 to consider and act upon several items relating to economic development.

These items include a bill establishing a “West Virginia Industrial Advancement Act” and supplemental appropriation bills.

West Virginia lawmakers completed their third special session after approving redistricting plans.

In addition to approving new House and Senate districts, the Legislature passed a bill to require employers to allow religious and health exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine requirements.

The Legislature also approved the creation of the Broadband Development Fund.

Gov. Jim Justice has called the West Virginia Legislature back for the third special session of the year to convene on October 11.

In the proclamation, Gov. Justice requested the Legislature take up decennial redistricting, the appropriation of federal funding, and a handful of other issues.

The West Virginia Legislature held its second special session on June 24.

During the one-day session, lawmakers approved adjustments of roughly $1.95 billion to the state budget, including the allocation of surplus federal relief funding.

The Legislature also considered and passed bills relating to regional jails and alcohol sales.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has announced another special session for lawmakers on June 24.

The special session is aimed at appropriations of over $250 million of budget surplus prior to the end of the fiscal year on June 30.

The West Virginia held a one-day special session on June 7.

Though the session was brief, the Legislature managed to pass seven bills.

Six of these bills concerned reallocation of unused federal relief funds to road maintenance work and the departments of Health and Human Resources and Education, while the final bill concerned property exemptions for bankruptcy proceedings.

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has announced he is calling a special session of the West Virginia Legislature for June 7.

The special session will look to allocate a portion of the state’s nearly $400 million surplus in federal relief funds from the departments of Health and Human Resources and Education to the state’s road maintenance programs.

The West Virginia Legislature adjourned sine die on April 10 after passing the $4.5 billion state budget.

Other major bills passed include establishing an intermediate court of appeals, COVID-19 liability protections, and the very controversial prohibition of transgender student-athletes from playing in single-sex sports.

Governor Jim Justice will have up to 15 days to sign or veto the session’s passed legislation.