March 27, 2025 Edition

Thursday, March 27, 2025

In Review

Under the Dome delivers a review of issues being considered by the West Virginia Legislature. It provides information on matters that impact WVU and higher education, as well as other hot topics being addressed that affect the Mountain State and its citizens. This edition includes information on the BOG bill, DEI, childhood immunizations, and other matters.

WVU Board of Governors

House Education met on March 25 and approved – in a 15 to 9 vote – a committee substitute for House Bill 3279 that makes changes to the requirements and composition of Boards of Governors at State institutions of higher education.

The committee substitute does the following:

For all institutions:

It removes the voting authority of student, faculty, and staff representatives on the BOG, making them advisory members only.
It changes the number of terms a faculty and staff representative may serve on the BOG.

For WVU and WVSU:

It requires one member appointed by the Governor to represent agriculture or forestry.

For WVU:

It expands the WVU BOG from 17 to 19 members.
It gives the Governor the authority to appoint 15 instead of 12 members.
It requires at least eight members to be residents of West Virginia.
It stipulates that one of the seats appointed by the Governor must be a graduate of WVU Tech and one of the seats must be a graduate of WVU Potomac State College.

Any individual may submit a public comment to the bill by visiting the bill’s webpage and clicking on “Add a Public Comment on This Bill” tab: House Bill 3279 .

DEI

Senate Bill 474, ending diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, advanced in the Senate this week. The bill was introduced by Governor Morrisey. It largely codifies Executive Order 3-25 from January 14. However, it contains several exceptions, which if retained, would protect certain policies and programs at State institutions of higher education.

Members of Senate Judiciary adopted an amendment that struck the words “anti-racism” throughout the bill, and Senate Finance adopted additional changes when they considered the bill earlier this week.

Championing Athletics

House Bill 2595, authorizing institutions of higher education to establish a nonprofit to manage revenue sharing and Name Image Likeness (NIL) opportunities for student-athletes, and House Bill 2576, prohibiting the NCAA or other oversight governing bodies from punishing institutions or student-athletes relating to revenue sharing and NIL opportunities, unanimously passed the House Education Committee. The bills were considered by House Judiciary on March 26 and sent to the House floor where they are expected to pass next week.

Supporting UPD

Senate Bill 35, which will permit campus police officers to participate in the Municipal Police and Fire Pension Plan, passed the Senate unanimously on March 26. It now moves to the House for consideration

Childhood Immunizations

Senate Bill 460, which would have significantly changed State requirements for school-aged children to receive immunizations and provided for a religious exemption to State policies, passed the Senate on February 21 and was rejected by the House of Delegates on March 24 in a 42-56 vote.

Food Dye Ban

This week, Governor Morrisey signed into law House Bill 2354, which prohibits certain food dyes in school lunches and items for sale in West Virginia. The legislation deems the food additives Red Dye No. 3, Red Dye No. 40, Yellow Dye No. 5, Yellow Dye No. 6, Blue Dye No. 1, Blue Dye No. 2, and Green Dye No. 3 unsafe and prohibits their use as an ingredient in any meal served in a school nutrition program beginning August 1 of this year. Additionally, starting on January 1, 2028, the same dyes, along with preservatives butylated hydroxyanisole and propylparaben, must not be contained in food items for sale in the state.

Bill Tracking

Senate
SB 35 – Permitting Campus Police Officers Participation in Deputy Sheriffs Retirement System
SB 299 – Modifying West Virginia Regulations on Pubertal Modulation, Hormonal Therapy, and Gender Reassignment
SB 300 – Budget Bill
SB 424 – Restoring Sanity Act
SB 435 – Updating West Virginia Law Institute
SB 447 – Creating Oral Health and Cancer Rights Act
SB 452 – Relating to Executive Branch Reorganization
SB 453 – Repealing Certificate of Need Process
SB 456 – Defining ‘Men’ and ‘Women’
SB 460 – Repealing Vaccine Requirements
SB 466 – Making Vaccines Voluntary and Not Mandatory
SB 474 – Ending Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs
SB 484 – Relating to Disclosures and Penalties Associated with Use of Synthetic Media and Artificial Intelligence
SB 499 – Nonprofit Athletics Act
SB 504 – Prohibiting Camping in Public Places
SB 519 – Adopting Statewide Public Camping Ban
SB 581 – School Attendance Policies and Participation in 4-H Activities
SB 582 – Campus Police Officers Participate in DNR Pension
SB 603 – Exempting Campus Police Officers Retirement from Taxes
SB 609 – Clarifying What Constitutes Trespassing on Higher Education Campuses
SB 664 – Establishing First Amendment Preservation Act
SB 674 – Creating Standardized Testing Choice Act
SB 692 – Requirements to Receive Promise Scholarship
SB 695 – Requiring Higher Education to Accept Classical Learning Test
SB 825 – Permitting Higher Education and Nonprofits to Enter into Economic Development and Jobs Agreements
SB 841 – Prohibiting State Entities from Promoting Sexual Orientation and Gender Transition
SB 881 – Changing Authority for Higher Education to Sell and Transfer Property

House
HB 2004 – Relating to Vaccine Requirements
HB 2005 – Ending DEI Programs
HB 2006 – Defining Men and Women
HB 2007 – Repealing Certificate of Need Process
HB 2008 – Executive Branch Reorganization
HB 2014 – Certified Micro Grid Program
HB 2152 – Prompt Payment Act of 2025
HB 2166 – Establishing the Behavioral Health Workforce Education Initiative at HEPC
HB 2370 – Relating Generally to Mental Health Treatment
HB 2378 – Prohibit Needle Exchanges from Providing Services in West Virginia
HB 2382 – To Ban Homeless Camps in Municipalities
HB 2384 – Allow Those Who Are 18-20 Years Old to Carry a Deadly Weapon Concealed without a Permit
HB 2396 – Removing Schools, Public Libraries, and Museums from the List of Exemptions from Criminal Liability Relating to Distribution and Display to Minor of Obscene Matter
HB 2403 – Remove Hormone Blockers from Transgender Code
HB 2406 – Eliminate Woke, Anti-Women Words from State Government
HB 2411 – To Provide and Change Graduation Requirements and Change Duties Relating to Academic Content Standards
HB 2427 – Relating to Capitol Carry
HB 2430 – To Create State Civil Liability for Pharmaceutical Companies for Vaccine Injuries from COVID-19 Vaccines
HB 2481 – Businesses in West Virginia Must Accept Cash
HB 2485 – Exempt an Existing Hospital Under Certificate of Need to Move Their Facility Up to 10 Miles to a New Location
HB 2564 – Business and Public Area Liability Protection Act
HB 2574 – Relating to Nondiscrimination at Institutions of Higher Education
HB 2576 – Name Image Likeness Protection Act
HB 2595 – Nonprofit Athletics Act
HB 2653 – Updating West Virginia Law Institute
HB 2697 – Prohibit Higher Education Institutions from Charging for Transcripts
HB 2727 – Requiring One Member of WVU and WVSU BOG Have Agricultural Background
HB 2739 – Removing the West Virginia Helmet Law
HB 2773 – Higher Education Rules Bundle
HB 2782 – In God We Trust Act
HB 2833 – Hunger Free Campus Act
HB 2855 – Statewide Common Definition of First-Gen for College Admission
HB 2875 – Creating the American Campuses Act
HB 2879 – Creation of the West Virginia Math and Science Teacher Scholarship Act
HB 2928 – Young Professionals Tax Credit
HB 2946 – Exempting Campus Police Officers Retirement from Taxes
HB 2954 – Requiring Medical Professionals Report Vaccine Injuries and Side Effects
HB 2958 – Clarifying What Constitutes Trespassing on Higher Education Campus
HB 2965 – Redirect PEIA Payments to Health Savings Account
HB 2968 – Cessation of PEIA and Allowing PEIA Operate as Private Insurance Company
HB 2981 – Relating to Constitutional Fleet Management Act
HB 3024 – Guaranteed Course Transfer Policies
HB 3148 – Fire Fighter Pilot Program
HB 3150 – Health Science and Medical Student Loan Program
HB 3171 – Requiring Governor’s Consent to Accept Certain Grants
HB 3187 – West Virginia Taskforce on Artificial Intelligence
HB 3192 – To Repeal Obsolete, Conflicting, or Inoperative Provisions of Higher Ed Code
HB 3279 – Relating to Requirements for WVU and WVSU Board of Governors
HB 3297 – Establishing the WVU Washington Center for Civics, Culture, and Statesmanship
HB 3298 – Prohibiting COVID-19 Vaccine or Booster Shot to Attend in Person Classes at Colleges and Universities
HB 3299 – Requiring Drones used by State or County Personnel to be Produced in the U.S.
HB 3319 – Restoring Sanity Act
HB 3384 – Prohibit Vaccines Requirements for Public College Admissions
HB 3446 – Requiring Public High School Students to Submit FAFSA Before Graduation

HB 3490 – Forming Open and Robust University Minds (FORUM) Act

Legislative Calendar

Sunday, March 30 Bills Due Out of Committee

Wednesday, April 2 Final Day to Consider Bills on Third Reading
(50th Day)

Saturday, April 12 Adjournment at Midnight (60th Day)

More Information

To learn more about the Legislature, including district maps, committee assignments, bill tracking and a summary of daily activities, please visit wvlegislature.gov .

To learn more about WVU’s government relations and legislative initiatives, please visit governmentrelations.wvu.edu or contact Travis Mollohan, associate vice president for government relations and collaboration, at tmolloh1@mail.wvu.edu or Dan Kimble, director of state relations, at dkimble3@mail.wvu.edu .