Senate approves several bills on education, voter rolls and school absences; other measures advanced
March 05, 2025 | 2025 Legislature WV, West Virginia
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
The West Virginia Senate on March 5, 2025, approved several bills affecting education, elections and student attendance and advanced a series of other measures to later committee or reading. Major votes included changes to county board member training and compensation, an expedited process to identify inactive voters on registration rolls, and a change to excused absences that includes 4‑H/FFA participation and up to five college visits.
Why it matters: The votes set statutory expectations for local board training and compensation, alter the window used to mark voters inactive for potential removal, and update school attendance policy to recognize extracurricular and college‑visit activities. Several measures will now move to the House or next reading, and one passed measure will take effect on passage when two‑thirds of elected senators voted in favor.
The key outcomes
- County board member training and compensation: The chamber passed an engrossed committee substitute that (among other provisions) requires makeup orientation within 30 days for board members who miss initial orientation, raises the annual required training from seven to 12 hours, allows the state board to require additional training, and sets county board member compensation at $260 per meeting unless the board votes to approve a lower rate. The Senate recorded an initial passage vote of 32 yeas and 2 nays; a subsequent motion to set the bill effective on July 1, 2025, passed by a roll call of 34 yeas, 0 nays. (Outcome: approved.)
- Voter‑roll maintenance: Engrossed committee substitute for Senate Bill 487 (removing ineligible voters from active voter rolls) passed the Senate by a vote of 33 ayes and 1 nay. The bill removes an obsolete reference to the combined voter registration and licensing fund and shortens one benchmark used to flag voters as potentially purgeable from four years of no voting activity to two years. During floor questions, a senator clarified that placement on the inactive list and ultimate purging still require a longer process that can take multiple election cycles; the senator explained that a voter would generally have to be inactive and take no reactivation steps over roughly six years before final removal. (Outcome: approved.)
- School attendance and 4‑H/FFA participation: Engrossed committee substitute for Senate Bill 581 (relating to school attendance and student participation in 4‑H activities) passed unanimously, 34‑0. The Senate adopted an amendment to include up to five college visits as an allowable excused absence in the bill language. Sponsors said the change aims to reduce barriers for students attending 4‑H/FFA events or visiting colleges. (Outcome: approved.)
Other final actions and motions
- House Bill 23‑54 (ban on specified food dyes and two preservatives in foods sold in the state): The Senate passed the bill 31 yeas, 2 nays, 1 absent and later declared the bill effective from passage after the required supermajority vote. The measure bans a list of synthetic dyes and two preservatives in most foods sold in West Virginia, with staggered effective dates noted on the floor (consumer ban effective 01/01/2028; specified school nutrition program restrictions effective 08/01/2025). Senators debated health and industry implications on the floor prior to the vote. (Outcome: approved; effective dates as stated on the floor.)
- Multiple committee reports and first readings: The Senate recorded numerous committee reports and referred bills to their second committees, and it advanced several measures on first reading (including bills on certified business expansion, correctional officers' law‑enforcement recognition, and other items) without floor debate.
Floor discussion highlights
Senators used floor time to ask detailed procedural questions before votes. During consideration of the voter‑roll bill, a senator who identified themself in floor remarks as the floor questioner asked whether the secretary of state still sends notice postcards to voters placed on the inactive list; the sponsoring senator confirmed that notice procedures remain in place and explained the multi‑step process that precedes final removal from the rolls.
What comes next
Passed measures will be communicated to the House of Delegates where required, or move forward according to each bill s statutory path. Several bills retained their places for additional readings or were referred to the finance committee under double reference rules. The Senate recessed until its next scheduled session.
Why it matters: The votes set statutory expectations for local board training and compensation, alter the window used to mark voters inactive for potential removal, and update school attendance policy to recognize extracurricular and college‑visit activities. Several measures will now move to the House or next reading, and one passed measure will take effect on passage when two‑thirds of elected senators voted in favor.
The key outcomes
- County board member training and compensation: The chamber passed an engrossed committee substitute that (among other provisions) requires makeup orientation within 30 days for board members who miss initial orientation, raises the annual required training from seven to 12 hours, allows the state board to require additional training, and sets county board member compensation at $260 per meeting unless the board votes to approve a lower rate. The Senate recorded an initial passage vote of 32 yeas and 2 nays; a subsequent motion to set the bill effective on July 1, 2025, passed by a roll call of 34 yeas, 0 nays. (Outcome: approved.)
- Voter‑roll maintenance: Engrossed committee substitute for Senate Bill 487 (removing ineligible voters from active voter rolls) passed the Senate by a vote of 33 ayes and 1 nay. The bill removes an obsolete reference to the combined voter registration and licensing fund and shortens one benchmark used to flag voters as potentially purgeable from four years of no voting activity to two years. During floor questions, a senator clarified that placement on the inactive list and ultimate purging still require a longer process that can take multiple election cycles; the senator explained that a voter would generally have to be inactive and take no reactivation steps over roughly six years before final removal. (Outcome: approved.)
- School attendance and 4‑H/FFA participation: Engrossed committee substitute for Senate Bill 581 (relating to school attendance and student participation in 4‑H activities) passed unanimously, 34‑0. The Senate adopted an amendment to include up to five college visits as an allowable excused absence in the bill language. Sponsors said the change aims to reduce barriers for students attending 4‑H/FFA events or visiting colleges. (Outcome: approved.)
Other final actions and motions
- House Bill 23‑54 (ban on specified food dyes and two preservatives in foods sold in the state): The Senate passed the bill 31 yeas, 2 nays, 1 absent and later declared the bill effective from passage after the required supermajority vote. The measure bans a list of synthetic dyes and two preservatives in most foods sold in West Virginia, with staggered effective dates noted on the floor (consumer ban effective 01/01/2028; specified school nutrition program restrictions effective 08/01/2025). Senators debated health and industry implications on the floor prior to the vote. (Outcome: approved; effective dates as stated on the floor.)
- Multiple committee reports and first readings: The Senate recorded numerous committee reports and referred bills to their second committees, and it advanced several measures on first reading (including bills on certified business expansion, correctional officers' law‑enforcement recognition, and other items) without floor debate.
Floor discussion highlights
Senators used floor time to ask detailed procedural questions before votes. During consideration of the voter‑roll bill, a senator who identified themself in floor remarks as the floor questioner asked whether the secretary of state still sends notice postcards to voters placed on the inactive list; the sponsoring senator confirmed that notice procedures remain in place and explained the multi‑step process that precedes final removal from the rolls.
What comes next
Passed measures will be communicated to the House of Delegates where required, or move forward according to each bill s statutory path. Several bills retained their places for additional readings or were referred to the finance committee under double reference rules. The Senate recessed until its next scheduled session.
View full meeting
This article is based on a recent meeting—watch the full video and explore the complete transcript for deeper insights into the discussion.
View full meeting