Photo Courtesy of banc-serv.com
On Sunday, March 15, SB 316, better known as the “Boots to Business” bill unanimously passed in the West Virginia State Legislature.
This bill, which had bipartisan support from the very beginning, was originally proposed by the West Virginia Secretary of State, Natalie Tennant. In order to start a small business in the state of West Virginia, the business owner must first register the business with the state, which carries a fee, in addition to an annual filing report fee. If Governor Earl Ray Tomblin chooses to sign this bill into law, a veteran trying to start up a new small business will be able to waive the registry fee as well as the annual filing report fee for the first four years that the business is in operation. This will save West Virginia veterans seeking to start a new business approximately $200.
The cost of these fees that normally would be paid by these fresh start-ups will now be absorbed by the Secretary of State’s office, with no additional taxes on the West Virginia population necessary. This bill was endorsed by the West Virginia Veterans Coalition, which utilized social media to urge men and women to call their local state representatives to tell them to vote yes for the bill.
The Senate version of the bill was introduced to the floor on January 27, by Senators Daniel Hall (Republican, Wyoming County), Charles Trump (Republican, Morgan County), Ron Stollings (Democrat, Boone County), Robert Plymale (Democrat, Wayne County), Art Kirkendoll (Democrat, Logan County), and David Nohe (Republican, Wood County). It passed through the Senate with little difficulty and was soon on its way to the House.
Following its success in the Senate, the House version of the bill, known as HB 2676, was introduced to the floor on February 10. It was sponsored by Delegates Josh Nelson (Republican, Boone County), Linda Longstreth (Democrat, Marion County), Carol Miller (Republican, Cabell County), Michael Ferro (Democrat, Marshall County), Bill Hamilton (Republican, Upshur County), Nancy Guthrie (Democrat, Kanawha County), Linda Phillips (Democrat, Wyoming County), Andrew Byrd (Democrat, Kanawha County), Walter Duke (Republican, Berkeley County), Erikka Storch (Republican, Ohio County), and Shawn Fluharty (Democrat, Ohio County).
Secretary of State Natalie Tenant was overjoyed to see that her bill was passed unanimously. In a recent press release, she said, “This bill says if you’ve served our country, West Virginia is here to serve you. It gives them some help in the start-up costs for a new business and I know how important that is. I’m a small business owner and a military wife myself. I understand the challenges small business owners face and know first-hand the sacrifices our military families make. By supporting our veterans, our veterans can now support our economy by creating jobs. With unanimous passage from both House and Senate, it is obvious this is an idea all of us can support. I would like to thank Speaker Armstead, President Cole and all of our lawmakers who voted to support our veterans today.”
In the last election, Republicans gained a majority in the House and Senate for the first time in over eighty years, and Secretary Tenant is eager to work with this new Congress to get West Virginia on a path of new growth.
The bill is currently on its way to Governor Earl Ray Tomblin for either a signature or a veto. Anyone that has any questions about this bill is urged to contact Natalie Tenant Toll-Free at (866) 767-8683.