Call to Action #1

RE: SB460 several amendments were discussed and voted upon on Friday, only one was adopted  The version of SB460 that passed out of the House of Delegates Health & Human Resources Committee was further amended to now include religious exemptions for childcare and school immunization requirements.  The bill has been advanced to 3rd reading (vote), which will likely happen on Monday March 24.  If you are available to attend the House Floor session on Monday, March 24 at 11am and you are a healthcare professional with a white coat, please wear it.  This can send a powerful message to delegates as they make this vote.

At this time, the Committee Substitute for SB460 now does the following:

• amends the medical exemption review process that is currently in code;
• adds easy to obtain nonmedical (religious) exemption and does not include any reporting of the number of nonmedical exemptions taken at childcare facilities or schools;
• removes provisional enrollment; and
• Note: provisional enrollment is currently in this section of state code and allows students who have started immunization series but haven’t yet finished it to attend school as they complete the series. Removing provisional enrollment would mean that these children will have to either miss school – potentially several months as they complete the vaccine series – or force them to take a religious exemption
• allows private and parochial schools to set their own immunization policy. 

CALL TO ACTION: It is extremely important that we make a lot of noise between now and the vote on Monday morning at 11am.  Please call and email all members of the House of Delegates REPEATEDLY to request that they Vote NO on SB460.  Please call, call again, and send/re-send your emails. (Please use the updated messaging below) If you have your delegate’s cell phone number, please call or text them NOW!

Contact information for House of Delegates members can be located here: https://www.wvlegislature.gov/House/roster.cfm

The following is a sample message that can be used for phone calls:

“My name is __________(If applicable… I am a constituent of yours or As a resident of _____ county or As a parent of children in the WV school system/in a local childcare facility …)  and I am calling to request that you VOTE NO on Senate Bill 460. Allowing easy-to-obtain nonmedical exemptions for childcare and school immunization requirements will reduce immunization rates across our state and put children, families, and communities at risk of unnecessary diseases. 

The following is sample text that can be used in an email: 

Subject: Vote NO on SB460  (Be sure to state this in your subject line in case they do not open the email.)

             
“Dear Honorable Delegate (insert legislator’s last name),

(If applicable… As a constituent of yours or As a parent of ____children in public/private school/childcare facility …) I am emailing to request that you Vote NO on SB460. 

If passed, Committee Substitute for SB460 will move West Virginia from having one of the most effective childcare and school immunization requirements in the nation to having one of the weakest. 

By allowing an easy-to-obtain nonmedical (religious) exemptions to immunization requirements for schools and childcare facilities, it will become easier and more convenient for parents/guardians to opt their children out of immunizations than to vaccinate them.   This will reduce immunization rates across our state and put children, families, and communities at risk for unnecessary diseases.

For more than a decade, West Virginia’s childcare and school immunization policies have protected our children, schools, and communities from the following 10 diseases: tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (whooping cough), polio, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chickenpox), hepatitis B, and meningococcal (meningitis). 

We now ask all West Virginia Delegates to oppose SB460 and preserve West Virginia’s nation-leading immunization policy.  

Please vote NO on SB460.  

Sincerely,

Your Name

Watch the vote live - Click HERE!

Call to Action #2 

A Message from WVANA:

Today, WVANA had a meeting with WVSSA and legislators to discuss possible compromises and amendments to the current CRNA legislation SB 810. Unfortunately, it was not a productive meeting. 

It’s important that we make our voices heard in response to this. We are urging you to take action today by emailing your legislators, ensuring they hear the nursing perspective on SB 810 before it’s voted on in the Senate Government Organization Committee.

Here’s what we need you to do:

1. Please share this message with your colleagues and encourage them to email their senators.

2. Ask them to vote YES on SB 810 and reject any Anesthesia Assistant amendments.

3. When reaching out to the Senators, be polite and respectful – but make it clear that this is a critical moment for CRNAs in West Virginia.

When you contact your senators, introduce yourself, explain what you do, and and if you are a CRNA. Let them know why it’s vital to support CRNA-friendly legislation.

You can send a single email addressed to all the provided email addresses, including WVANA President Justin James. 

Thank you for your advocacy – it truly is now or never!

WV State Senators:

mike.woelfel@wvsenate.gov,

tom.willis@wvsenate.gov,

darren.thorne@wvsenate.gov,

chris.rose@wvsenate.gov,

rupie.phillips@wvsenate.gov,

mark.maynard@wvsenate.gov,

glenn.jeffries@wvsenate.gov,

brian.helton@wvsenate.gov,

anne.charnock@wvsenate.gov,

laura.chapman@wvsenate.gov,

jason.barrett@wvsenate.gov,

jack.woodrum@wvsenate.gov,

patricia.rucker@wvsenate.gov,

JjamesDMPNA@gmail.com

Call to Action #3:

WVNA supports HB2455 - It will be introduced in the House Health and Human Resources Committee hearing at 3:30 PM on Monday, March 24 at 3:30 PM.  Listen live click here!

House Committee on Health and Human Resources - Agenda

03/24/2025, 3:30 PM

Location: 215.E

I. Call to Order

II. Roll Call

III. Approval of Minutes

IV. Committee Hearing HB 2544 - To remove restrictions for supervising physicians for Nurse practioners or physician assistants in West Virginia (White)

V. Markup and Passage

HB 2493 - Creating the Sound Science in Regulations Act

HB 2410 - Safeguard the Right-To-Try Cutting-Edge Medicine Act (2nd REF JUD)

HB 2730 - Relating to establishing a pilot program to develop a childcare program where the state, employer, and employee, contribute one-third of the total cost each (2nd REF FIN)

HB 2731 - Creating the Employee Child Care Assistance Partnership (2nd REF FIN)

VI. Miscellaneous Business

VII. Adjournment

Delegate Worrell	evan.worrell@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3269
Delegate Hite	michael.hite@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3269
Delegate Pushkin	mike.pushkin@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3106
Delegate Hamilton	anitra.hamilton@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3900
Delegate Amos	michael.amos@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3355
Delegate Anders	chris.anders@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3350
Delegate Burkhammer	adam.burkhammer@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3123
Delegate Chiarelli	geno.chiarelli@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3158
Delegate Clark, W.	wayne.clark@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3366
Delegate Dean	mark.dean@wvhouse.gov	(304) 601-3425
Delegate Drennan	sarah.drennan@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3121
Delegate Hall	walter.hall@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3181
Delegate Heckert	scot.heckert@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3394
Delegate Jeffries	dean.jeffries@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3149
Delegate Lewis	hollis.lewis@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3183
Delegate Masters	ian.masters@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3147
Delegate Mazzocchi	margitta.mazzocchi@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3174
Delegate Miller	george.miller@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3177
Delegate Petitto	mickey.petitto@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3171
Delegate Pinson	jonathan.pinson@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3146
Delegate Rohrbach	matthew.rohrbach@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3221
Delegate Smith, D.	doug.smith@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3187
Delegate Stephens	jeffrey.stephens@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3151
Delegate Vance	adam.vance@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3163
Delegate Willis	jimmy.willis@wvhouse.gov	(304) 340-3367