CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Senate on March 27, 2025 passed several bills affecting law enforcement jurisdiction, state employee pay and agricultural/game-farm rules, and approved a measure changing rules for product distribution licensing.

The most prominent measures included an expansion of law-enforcement authority for National Park Service rangers (engrossed committee substitute for Senate Bill 225), a $4,000 salary increase for state mine inspectors (engrossed committee substitute for Senate Bill 708), authorization for county commissions to increase compensation for elected county officials with a delinquency restriction (engrossed committee substitute for Senate Bill 690), and an exemption for certain nonnative quail and partridge from the Department of Natural Resources’ game-farm licensing requirement (engrossed committee substitute for Senate Bill 844).

Why it matters: the bills change who can enforce state criminal laws on federal parkland, increase pay for technically trained mine inspectors amid high turnover, clarify permitting for agricultural operations that produce quail and partridge, and give county governments more discretion over local elected officials’ pay. The measures affect state employees, county officials and rural agricultural producers across West Virginia.

Senate Bill 225: expanding park-ranger enforcement authority

The junior senator from the seventh presented Senate Bill 225 as a grant of authority that "allows National Park Service Rangers the authority to enforce any criminal law for an offense that takes place on property that's within a national within the National Park System," noting the change would apply only to commissioned National Park Service law-enforcement officers and only for offenses occurring inside National Park System boundaries. The chamber voted 32 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent-not-voting and later voted (32-0-2) to make the bill effective on passage.

Senate Bill 708: raise for mine inspectors

Senator from Marion summarized Senate Bill 708 as a targeted pay increase for mine inspectors employed by the Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training. The senator said state mine inspectors have faced a "high turnover rate," reporting that the state had lost 42 mine inspectors in the last 26 months and that the prior base salary was $55,000. The bill provides a $4,000 salary increase; the senate passed the bill 32-0-2 and later voted to make it effective on passage.

Senate Bill 690: county commissioners and elected-official pay

Senator from Jefferson described Senate Bill 690 as authorizing county commissions to set salaries for elected county officials "based on satisfaction of specific criteria," and noted a recent amendment prohibits increases for officials who are more than 90 days delinquent in paying their annual regional jail per diem cost. The chamber passed the bill 32-0-2.

Senate Bill 844: game-farm licensing for certain fowl

Senator Flamingo explained Senate Bill 844 changes the definition used for game-farm licensing to exclude domesticated nonnative quail and partridge raised for meat and egg production so those producers would not need a Department of Natural Resources game-farm license. Senator from Summers asked whether the language included Japanese quail; the chair responded that it did. The bill passed 32-0-2.

Other notable action

An engrossed committee substitute addressing distributor product carriage and packaging (engrossed committee substitute for Senate Bill 934) was discussed and passed on a 21-11-2 vote. Senate floor comments summarized that the measure allows certain distributors to carry limited products on their trucks, moved a licensing-deadline timeframe, and tightened language on aluminum-can handling; the chamber also adopted a title amendment and later set the bill’s effective date as July 1, 2025.

Votes at a glance

- Engrossed committee substitute for Senate Bill 225 — expand National Park Service law-enforcement authority. Vote: 32 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent-not-voting. Made effective from passage (motion by Senator from Lewis).

- Engrossed committee substitute for Senate Bill 708 — $4,000 pay increase for state mine inspectors (Office of Miners' Health, Safety and Training). Vote: 32 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent-not-voting. Made effective from passage (motion by Senator from Lewis).

- Engrossed committee substitute for Senate Bill 690 — authorize county commissions to increase compensation for elected county officials with condition for delinquency on regional jail per diem. Vote: 32 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent-not-voting.

- Engrossed committee substitute for Senate Bill 844 — exempt domesticated nonnative quail and partridge raised for meat/egg production from DNR game-farm licensing. Vote: 32 yeas, 0 nays, 2 absent-not-voting.

- Engrossed committee substitute for Senate Bill 934 — distributor product carriage/packaging and licensing adjustments (title amendment adopted). Vote: 21 yeas, 11 nays, 2 absent-not-voting. Made effective July 1, 2025.

What was not decided or was deferred

Several bills were laid over for further consideration or retained on the calendar by unanimous consent; other measures were advanced to second or third reading without floor debate during the session.

Process notes

Floor debate on each measure was brief and limited to committee sponsors or senators introducing the bills. Where the transcript records clarifying questions (for example, on species covered by SB 844), the chair or committee sponsor answered on the floor. Recorded roll-call tallies were read aloud by the clerk and are reported above.