Bill Text: WV SCR53 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requesting Office of Miners' Health, Safety, and Training study need for health, safety, and training division in energy producing facilities
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2022-03-01 - To House Energy and Manufacturing [SCR53 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2022-SCR53-Introduced.html
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 53
(By Senators Smith, Phillips, Brown, Caputo, Clements, Hamilton, Jeffries, Nelson, Romano, Swope, and Sypolt)
[Originating in the Committee on Energy, Industry, and Mining; Reported on February 25, 2022]
Requesting the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety, and Training study the feasibility of creating within it a division dedicated to the protection of health, safety, and training of all energy producing facilities of this state.
Whereas, The Director of the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety, and Training shall present to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance during the 2022, legislative interim sessions the feasibility of dedicating a division of his or her office to the purpose of protecting of health, safety, and training of persons employed at or within all energy producing facilities of this state, and also to protect and preserve energy producing property and property used in connection therewith; and
Whereas, The goal of the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety, and Training is currently to protect the safety and health of persons employed within or at coal mining facilities, only; and
Whereas, The goal of the Legislature should be to protect the safety and health of all persons employed at any facility which produces energy from any source, be it coal, oil, natural gas, solar, wind, nuclear, hydroelectric, or any other source; and
Whereas, In the information provided, the Director of the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety, and Training shall include the following: (1) Feasibility of a new division within his or her office dedicated to the protection of the safety, health, and training of persons employed within or at all facilities in all energy sectors; (2) funding necessary; (3) education necessary and inspector certification specifications as any would differ from those already in place for coal mines; (4) a vision and mission statement for a new division which would accomplish this purpose; (5) a list of what the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety, and Training is doing now regarding the coal industry that could be easily transitioned to other energy producing sectors; (6) a list of new powers and duties the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety, and Training would need to accomplish its goal of protecting the health, safety, and training of persons employed at or within energy producing facilities which are not coal mining facilities; (7) a plan for the Legislature’s consideration of a new division to empower the current Office of Miners’ Health, Safety, and Training in the resolution’s purpose that comprehensively considers the items identified herein; (8) any other considerations; and (9) a date certain that any new division could be transitioned into the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety, and Training, should legislation be passed to make it possible in the 2023 Legislative Session; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Legislature hereby requests the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety, and Training to study the feasibility of creating within it a division dedicated to the protection of health, safety, and training of all energy producing facilities of this state; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Director of the Office of Miners’ Health, Safety, and Training, requesting his or her cooperation.
Further Resolved, That the Joint Committee on Government and Finance report to the regular session of the Legislature, 2023, on its findings, conclusions and recommendations, together with drafts of any legislation necessary to effectuate its recommendations; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the expenses necessary to conduct this study, to prepare a report and to draft necessary legislation be paid from legislative appropriations to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.
