A bill intended to keep West Virginia soldiers from seeing overseas action when no act of war has been declared by Congress got discharged Monday, and had its first reading in the House of Delegates.

Delegate Pat McGeehan, R-Hancock, had first asked on Friday that House Bill 2732 be discharged and be considered for vote by the full House. House members on Friday instead voted to table the bill, 49-47.

McGeehan made motions again on Monday — this time successfully — to first remove the bill from the table, then discharge the bill. House members voted 53-44 to untable the bill, and 56-41 to discharge.

“It wasn’t exactly an easy fight. But I did my best to make strong arguments on the House floor, and I’m glad my peers listened,” he said.

The measure will likely have its second reading today, and its third reading and vote for passage on Wednesday, according to McGeehan.

Wednesday also is the deadline for lawmakers to pass bills out of their chamber of origin. Legislation not passed by one chamber before midnight Wednesday is effectively dead.

HB 2732 would require that the U.S. Congress declare war or call forth the state militia before the West Virginia National Guard could be released from state control and sent into combat. Currently, the authority to activate the Guard rests with West Virginia’s governor.

The measure successfully passed the Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Committee, which is chaired by McGeehan. Until the call for discharge, it had not been addressed by the full House.