The West Virginia Senate on the floor concurred in House amendments and passed a series of bills on a range of topics including teen work permits, school attendance and participation, teledentistry, higher-education economic-development agreements, authority for economic development loans and grants, workers’ compensation definitions for post-traumatic stress disorder, procedures for filling certain vacancies in elected offices, requirements for concussion prevention and athletics safety, and the employment of security personnel in schools.

Why it matters: Many of the measures were routine floor actions that finalize changes negotiated with the House and send the bills back to the lower chamber; several bills received unanimous or near-unanimous support, while a small number drew recorded dissent. The legislation affects labor rules for minors, school policy, higher-education contracting, economic development financing and administrative procedures at state agencies.

What the Senate did (selected bills and outcomes)

- Senate Bill 4 27 (permitting certain teenagers to work without obtaining a work permit): The Senate concurred in the House amendment and passed the bill. Vote: 32 yays, 0 nays, 2 absent/not voting. Motion to concur made by Senator Lewis; clerk recorded the tally and the bill was declared passed.

- Senate Bill 5 81 (relating to school attendance and student participation and 4‑H activities): The Senate amended the House amendment to remove a requirement that proof of a student’s participation be provided at least five days prior to the activity, then concurred in the House amendment as amended and passed the bill. Vote on passage: 33 yays, 0 nays, 1 absent/not voting. Motion and floor explanation by Senator Lewis.

- Senate Bill 7 10 (practice of teledentistry): The House amendment made technical changes; the Senate concurred and passed the bill. Vote: 33 yays, 0 nays, 1 absent/not voting.

- Senate Bill 8 25 (allowing higher‑education institutions to enter agreements with nonprofit organizations for economic development and job creation): The House amendment made technical clarifying changes; the Senate concurred and passed the bill. Vote on passage: 31 yays, 2 nays, 1 absent/not voting. The sponsor moved the bill be made effective from passage; that motion subsequently carried (33 yays, 0 nays, 1 absent/not voting) and the bill was declared effective on passage.

- Senate Bill 9 07 (relating to high‑impact development projects): The bill clarifies and expands authority for an economic development authority to make loans or grants to high‑impact projects and small projects; the House amendments clarified scope. The Senate concurred and passed the bill. Vote: 31 yays, 2 nays, 1 absent/not voting.

- House Bill 27 97 (who may diagnose post‑traumatic stress disorder as a compensable injury under workers’ compensation): The Senate concurred in the House amendment to the Senate amendment; the House amendment struck two paragraphs to resolve a conflict with Senate Bill 8 56 regarding reporting requirements. The Senate passed the bill. Vote: 33 yays, 0 nays, 1 absent/not voting.

- Senate Bill 5 86 (requirements for filling vacancies in certain elected federal, state and county offices): The Senate amended the House amendment to clarify that when a senatorial or delegate district is contained in a single county, the county executive committee (not a non‑existent district executive committee) shall provide the list of nominees. The Senate concurred as amended and passed the bill; the Senate also voted to make the bill effective from passage. Passage vote: 33 yays, 0 nays, 1 absent/not voting; effective‑from‑passage vote: 33 yays, 0 nays, 1 absent/not voting.

- Senate Bill 8 66 (requiring the West Virginia Board of Education to promulgate a legislative rule in consultation with the West Virginia Board of Physical Therapy and related athletics safety provisions): The Senate amended the House amendment to incorporate elements of Senate Bill 5 85 (the Cohen Craddock Student Athletic Safety Act), including concussion prevention and impact‑reducing protective gear requirements; the Senate concurred in the House amendment as amended and passed the bill. Vote: 33 yays, 0 nays, 1 absent/not voting.

- House Bill 21 64 (allowing public and private schools in West Virginia to employ security personnel): The Senate concurred in the House amendment to the Senate amendment and passed the bill. Vote: 33 yays, 0 nays, 1 absent/not voting.

- House Bill 32 97 (relating to "statesmanship at West Virginia University" as amended): The Senate concurred in the House amendment to the Senate amendment and passed the bill. Vote: 27 yays, 6 nays, 1 absent/not voting.

Procedural and other actions

- House Bill 22 67 (authorizing the Department of Revenue to promulgate legislative rules): The Senate refused to concur in the House amendment to the Senate amendment and requested the House to recede; the motion was adopted. The Senate later appointed conferees and the House also named conferees; a conference committee meeting was announced.

- Conference committee appointments: The Senate appointed conferees on House Bill 28 80 (relating to parent resource navigators) and on House Bill 22 67 (Department of Revenue rulemaking); the clerk subsequently communicated those actions to the House.

Where this came from: Floor messages from the Clerk of the House announcing House amendments and routine motions and recorded roll‑call tallies on each passage vote. Senator Lewis was the frequent floor sponsor and explained multiple House amendments. The Senate used recorded roll‑call machines for final passage votes on each bill.