On Monday, West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey issued the following statement applauding Senate passage of Senate Bill 436, a bipartisan bill allowing investigators for the Attorney General’s Office to carry firearms in the course of their official duties.

The legislation passed the Senate with a 33-0 vote. The bill now moves to the House of Delegates.

“I greatly appreciate the Senate’s focus on advancing this commonsense, bipartisan legislation. I urge the House of Delegates to follow suit without delay.

“This legislation will protect the lives of our investigators and give them an additional sense of personal safety. Those investigators diligently work to root out fraud and wrongdoing, which can at times be dangerous,” Morrissey wrote in a press release.

The legislation, sponsored by both Democrats and Republicans, would require investigators to complete an extensive training program, maintain annual firearms qualifications and remain bonded through the Attorney General’s Office.