West Virginia Senate passes education, licensing and business bills; adopts memorial and honors corrections workers

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Senate on Feb. 26 approved several bills affecting school health protocols, professional licensing and business classifications while adopting resolutions honoring corrections workers and memorializing a longtime Senate staff member.

The chamber passed the Glucagon for Schools Act (Senate Bill 92), measures extending and clarifying licensing and registration timelines for pharmacies and select health professions, and a proposal declaring firearm sales and related businesses as essential during declared emergencies. Senators also adopted Senate Resolution 12 designating Feb. 26, 2025, as Corrections Day and Senate Resolution 13 memorializing Wanda Porterfield Casto, a 34‑year Senate employee.

Why it matters: the bills change how schools may stock emergency diabetes medication, alter administrative timelines for health‑care businesses, and adjust licensing and background‑check requirements for certain professional boards. The firearms bill changes how the sale and manufacture of guns and ammunition are treated during declared emergencies — a policy with statewide public‑policy and safety implications.

On the floor, the junior senator from the Seventh (identified in the transcript only by seat) explained the purpose of the firearms measure, saying the bill would “declare the sale, repair, maintenance, and manufacture of firearms, ammunition, and related accessories and components to be essential businesses and services for purposes of safety and security in times of declared emergency.” That senator also described automatic extensions of valid concealed‑carry licenses during declared emergencies and a private right of action that would allow damages, injunctive and declaratory relief and a $5,000 civil penalty per violation.

Senate Bill 92: Glucagon for Schools Act — The bill authorizes undesignated glucagon to be kept on school premises for use when needed, provides for diabetes medical management plans, specifies where glucagon may be used, and includes liability protections and training requirements. The Senate recorded 33 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent; the clerk declared the bill passed.

Senate Bill 270 (engrossed committee substitute): Essential‑business designation for firearms manufacturers and sellers — Floor discussion outlined that the measure would classify firearms sales, repair, maintenance and manufacture as essential during declared emergencies and include exceptions for law enforcement. The senator speaking described similar measures in other states and federal guidance. The bill was put to a vote and the presiding officer declared the bill passed (tally not specified in the transcript).

Senate Bill 291: Pharmacy registration renewal — The measure extends the renewal period for pharmacy registration with the Board of Pharmacy from annual to biennial. The Senate recorded 33 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent; the bill passed.

Senate Bill 358 (committee substitute): Department of Transportation rules bundle — The bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to promulgate a package of administrative rules. The measure advanced and, on third reading, was passed; the transcript records the vote as 33 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent and the presiding officer declared the bill effective on passage.

Senate Bill 443 (engrossed committee substitute): Criminal background checks for speech‑language pathology and audiology licensing — The committee substitute clarified that criminal background checks are required only for those seeking national compact privileges. The Senate recorded 33 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent; the bill passed and the sponsor moved to make it effective on passage; that motion carried by the required supermajority.

Senate Bill 462 (engrossed committee substitute): Criminal history checks for occupational therapy licensing — Similar to SB 443, the bill permits the occupational therapy board to require criminal history record checks. The Senate recorded 33 ayes, 0 nays, 1 absent; the bill passed and was made effective on passage by the recorded supermajority.

Resolutions and memorials — The Senate adopted Senate Resolution 12 designating Feb. 26, 2025, as Corrections Day. Senator Wetzel introduced staff from the Department of Corrections and cited agency statistics on correctional populations and staffing: roughly "4,000 to almost 5,000" people incarcerated in state prisons, more than 4,500 in county jails, about 562 female prisoners (mostly at Lakin), a DOC workforce reported as 3,822 employees and approximately 390 vacancies. Those figures were presented on the floor in support of recognizing corrections workers. Senate Resolution 13, a memorial honoring Wanda Porterfield Casto, was adopted by a recorded vote of 33 yeas, 0 nays, 1 absent; several senators offered personal remarks about Casto’s decades of service.

Procedure and next steps — Several committee reports were received and multiple bills were advanced from first and second reading to third reading during the session. The Senate adjourned and scheduled to reconvene the following day at 11 a.m.

Votes at a glance: - Senate Bill 92 (Glucagon for Schools Act): passed; recorded vote 33‑0‑1 (aye‑nay‑absent). - Senate Bill 270 (engrossed committee substitute, firearms essential‑business declaration): passed; tally not specified in transcript. - Senate Bill 291 (pharmacy registration renewal to biannual): passed; recorded vote 33‑0‑1. - Senate Bill 358 (DOT rules bundle): passed; recorded vote 33‑0‑1; made effective on passage. - Senate Bill 443 (SLP/audiology criminal background checks for compact privileges): passed; recorded vote 33‑0‑1; made effective on passage. - Senate Bill 462 (occupational therapy criminal history checks): passed; recorded vote 33‑0‑1; made effective on passage. - Senate Resolution 12 (Corrections Day, 02/26/2025): adopted by voice vote. - Senate Resolution 13 (memorializing Wanda Porterfield Casto): passed; recorded vote 33‑0‑1. - Senate Resolution 14 (recognizing Leadership Berkeley): adopted by voice vote.

All vote tallies above are taken from the session transcript when recorded; where the transcript did not report numeric results, the article notes that the tally was not specified in the record.