From the desk of Delegate Dave Pethtel:
As the end of the 81st Legislature draws nearer, committee meetings and floor sessions grow longer. Legislators have been working tirelessly to make sure their bills are prepared for floor readings and voting in time for crossover day, which was the last day for the House of Delegates to consider and pass House bills before having to move on to strictly Senate bills. Many House bills move on to the Senate for their consideration, while others die each session. I am proud to announce that 14 bills and seven concurrent resolutions I sponsored are still alive in the Senate.
House Bill 4003 is among those bills still alive. This bill would grant dual jurisdiction to counties where a student lives in one county and attends school in another for truancy enforcement policy purposes. A proper education is the foundation to a bright future, and a proper education is more likely to be received when a student is attending school. This bill would help clear up any possible loopholes that would previously allow students to miss school.
I also sponsored another piece of legislation relating to the school system. House Bill 4336 would prohibit a school or school system from being under the control of the state board for more than five years. The state board would not be able to intervene again until three years have passed, unless there is a public hearing for citizens to voice their questions and concerns.
As a member of the Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Committee, I am also a proud sponsor of House Bill 4318. This bill would require the Cabinet Secretary of the Department of Veterans Assistance to work with medical, social work and counseling boards to propose continuing education requirements on the mental health issues of veterans and their families. After bravely defending our county’s freedom, we owe it to them to make sure they are both mentally and physically healthy.
House Bill 4375 was a bill I found especially important to sponsor as the chairman of the Pensions and Retirement Committee. This bill would create the West Virginia Voluntary Employee Retirement Accounts Program, which would be set up and administered by the State Treasurer. To qualify for the program, an employer must be nongovernmental, have no more than 100 employees and not offer an active retirement plan. West Virginia is the home to many hard workers and I believe they deserve to live comfortably upon retirement.
I am also a sponsor for House Concurrent Resolutions 58 and 59, both of which relate to in-home care for the elderly. House Concurrent Resolution 58 requests the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to authorize a study on elderly citizens’ growing needs for in-home care and personal services. House Concurrent Resolution 59 urges the West Virginia Governor’s Office to direct the Director of the Bureau of Senior Services to issue a report on these needs for in-home care and personal services. We need to fully understand senior citizens’ needs and how prevalent these needs are in order to properly assist them.
I am proud to serve the 5th Delegate District with every piece of legislation I sponsor. If my constituents have any questions or concerns, please contact me. I am located at Room 221-E in Building 1 of the State Capitol Complex at 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston, WV 25305. My telephone number is 304-340-3158 and my email is dave.pethtel@wvhouse.gov.