The House started at 9 a.m. on the final day of the session. Of the 2460 bills introduced this legislative session, 246 bills completed legislative action.

Senate Bill 299 changes the state’s regulation of pubertal modulation and hormonal therapy. Last year, a bill was passed that allowed hormonal medication therapy in cases where a child was at risk for suicide. The bill prohibits any gender-altering medication from being provided with the intention of gender transitioning. The bill allows for action to be brought in court against any provider who violates this section and for the licensing board to be notified. Amendments were offered to the bill; however, both were rejected. The bill completed legislative action.

House Bill 2755 requires the West Virginia Board of Education to submit rules and policies to the Legislature for review. This bill was a constitutional amendment offered on the ballot in 2022, and 50 of the 55 counties voted against it.

The motion to concur with the Senate in House Bill 2451 was rejected. The Senate amendment removed the non-impact home-based business and stated how municipalities may regulate the businesses. The amendment removed municipal licenses for independent contractors or sole proprietors who do not maintain a permanent location in city limits. The amendment would not have allowed B&O or privilege tax on a business making less than $10,000 a year. The amendment exempted individuals making less than $10,000 a year from the $30 annual business registration tax. The House requested the Senate recede. A conference committee on the bill took place and this amendment passed.

The House refused to concur and asked the Senate to recede on House Bill 3181 and House Bill 3294.

House Bill 2267, which was rejected yesterday, was amended and passed. The amendment removed the additional hour customers could remain at a bar after alcohol is no longer served. The House passed the amended bill to the Senate. The Senate refused to concede, and a conference committee was appointed.

House Bill 2014 passed with an additional amendment for concurrence from the Senate. The bill creates a Certified Microgrid Program in the Division of Economic Development to attract high-impact data centers to the state and localized power generation for microgrids. The amendment alters how the taxes collected would be distributed:

• 50 percent to the Personal Income Tax Reduction Fund
• 30 percent of the county where the Data Center is located
• 10 percent to all counties on a per capita basis
• 5 percent to the Economic Enhancement Grant Fund administered by the Water Development Authority
• 5 percent to the Electric Grid Stabilization and Security Fund

House Bill 3166 requires each county board of education to create standardized school safety mapping data. Boards must consult with local authorities to ensure the data meets the requirements. The bill exempts the data from FOIA and adds an internal effective date of September 1, 2026.

House Bill 3411 eliminates expired boards and removes legislative membership requirements for some committees. The Senate amendment removed changes to the committee membership for CSI and the Oversight Commission on the Fusion Center.  Additionally, it permitted the Speaker and the president to select an equal number of senators and delegates to commissions.

The Senate’s amended version of House Bill 3111 replaces the House’s $3,500 pay raise for some judicial offices (only for Circuit Court Judges, Family Court Judges, and Magistrates) by giving Family Court Judges $15,000, Supreme Court, Intermediate Court, and Circuit Court, $10,000, and no pay raise for Magistrates, all effective beginning July 1, 2025. The bill also returns all judges and justices to the Tier 1 pension plan, ignoring the bill suspending employer contribution until the system is lowered to 125 percent funded. Due to these changes, the House concurred with an additional amendment to make the bill effective July 1, 2026, to prevent the bill from affecting the 2026 budget, which just completed action yesterday.

Senate Bill 474 was taken up after days of being postponed. The bill eliminates divisions, officers, programs, training, and policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion from all departments, divisions, agencies, boards, public primary and secondary schools, and institutions of higher learning.

The debate on amendments was limited to one hour excluding questions and explanation. Twenty-two amendments were offered to the bill, but only three were adopted. The first amendment was adopted to clarify that any policy program, training, practice, activities, or procedures required for accreditation standards may take place. The second amendment adopted expresses that nothing in the bill excludes the State Board of Education from the Human Rights Act. The third amendment adopted expresses that nothing in the bill excludes the Universities from the Human Rights Act.

Several amendments were rejected including changing the effected date by one year; a First Amendment protection; a veterans’ exemption, collaboration with the private sector, community programs, and workforce programs that have DEI programs; protection for university libraries; and financial aid.

Opponents of the bill stated that DEI is not an actual problem in the state. The Minority Leader said that DEI has “never been about unqualified people skipping the line. It’s been about qualified people getting a change.” The proponents did not speak to the bill other than to explain and the previous question was called. The bill passed with 87 in favor and 12 opposed. The bill advanced to the Senate for concurrence. 

The House is adjourned sine die. 

The Senate completed action on 42 bills on Saturday before adjourning the 2025 Regular Legislative Session Sine Die.

The day consisted of the Senate and House passing bills back and forth and concurring or rejecting the other body’s amendments.

Bills of note that completed action on the Senate side Saturday are described below:

The Senate concurred on two supplemental appropriations bills, House Bills 3356 and 3357, which combined, add more than $62 million to the Hope Scholarship Fund.

The Senate concurred in the House amendments and gave final approval to House Bill 2014, the Governor’s microgrid bill. The House only made technical amendments to the legislation. The bill creates a Certified Microgrid Program in the Division of Economic Development to attract high-impact data centers to the state and localized power generation for microgrids.

Senator Rupie Phillips (R-Logan) was the only consistent opposition to the bill in the Senate, contending it would do little to lower electricity costs for most West Virginia residents and may actually make power bills more expensive.

The body concurred in the House amendments to Senate Bill 196, Lauren’s Law, which will increase criminal penalties for drug trafficking offenses. The legislation is named after Lauren Cole, a 26-year-old Morgantown resident who died after ingesting drugs laced with fentanyl.

Lauren’s Law targets six drugs: fentanyl, methamphetamine, PCP, LSD, cocaine and heroin.

For the six targeted drugs, the penalty would be increased for the manufacture, delivery, possession with intent to deliver, transportation of drugs into West Virginia, and conspiracy to do any of the above. Other drug penalties are also increased, as well as limitations to probation authorization for certain offenders.

Anyone guilty of transporting one of the six listed substances into the state would also face stricter penalties if this law is enacted, up to 30 years for more than five grams of fentanyl.

The Senate also concurred in House the amendments to Senate Bill 280, which which will require public schools across the state to display the national motto, “In God We Trust,”. The display will be “poster-sized” and will be inside school buildings.

A bill that would restrict public schools from teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation also completed action in the Senate tonight. Senate Bill 154 requires teachers and other school employees to report to parents when a student requests for an accommodation that is intended to affirm a student’s gender identity.

The legislation passed the House of Delegates on Friday, and the Senate concurred Saturday with changes made. Some of those changes include protecting teachers from talking about sexual orientation or gender identity in specific, strictly-defined circumstances.

A list of all bills to complete legislative action in the 2025 Legislative Session can be found here.

The Senate is adjourned Sine Die

The Senate passed an amended bill on Friday that encourages the development of data centers in West Virginia, some of which could be powered by microgrids.

House Bill 2014 would create a Certified Microgrid Program in the Division of Economic Development to attract high-impact data centers to the state and localized power generation for microgrids.

The body approved an amendment on how to allocate the property tax base generated under the terms of the bill as follows:

50 percent to the state’s Personal Income Tax Reduction Fund

40 percent to the county where a data center is located

5 percent to all counties on a per capita basis

3 percent to the Low Income Energy Assistance Program administered by Department of Human Services

2 percent to a power grid stabilization fund

The legislation offers a possibility for data center developers who might want their own microgrid. The bill would the permit the secretary of the Department of Commerce to identify and certify the microgrid districts following conclusions that there would be a significant, positive economic impact for the state.

Under the bill, an  industrial plant or facility choosing to locate and operate within a certified district must represent a new electric generating load to take advantage of the program’s provisions.

The bill now returns to the House of Delegates for final consideration.

Also, on Friday, the Senate concurred in House amendments to complete action on House Bill 2026, the Budget Bill.

The fiscal year 2026 budget comes in at $5,317,557,000 with a surplus of $210,250,000. The compromised budget is $5,000,000 less than the Governor’s introduced budget. The General Revenue breakdown is:

• Legislative Branch: $31,377,663
• Judicial Branch: $168,226,450
• Executive Branch
  • Governor’s Office: $16,940,401
  • Auditor’s Office: $2,784,484
  • Treasurer’s Office: $3,764,435
  • Department of Agriculture: $27,986,674
  • Attorney General: $5,986,622
  • Secretary of State: $1,024,648
  • Department of Administration: $102,657,122
  • Department of Commerce: $83,673,866
  • Department of Tourism: $36,515,705
  • Department of Education: $2,274,594854
  • Department of Environmental Protection: $7,915,309
  • Department of Health: $110,920,051
  • Department of Human Services: $791,025,664
  • Department of Health Facilities: $219,135,015
  • Department of Homeland Security: $576,549,322
  • Department of Revenue: $68,574,248
  • Department of Transportation: $9,108,595
  • Department of Veterans Affairs: $17,843,754
  • Bureau of Senior Services: $6,580,366
  • WV Council for Career and Technical Colleges: $88,141,984
  • Higher Education Policy Commission: $392,534,525
  • Adjutant General: $17,289,059

The State Road Fund is $2,129,082,658, while “Other Funds” (special revenue) total $2,315,143,753. The Lottery Revenue Fund is $157,392,000, with a surplus of $16,750,000. The Excess Lottery Revenue is $335,008,512 with a surplus of $21,345,488. The expected Federal Funds total is $8,224,744,008 with Federal Block Grants totaling $730,395,275.

A $12,000,000 special revenue appropriation was made and to be used as follows: $1,000,000 for Division of General Services’ Capitol Complex Parking Garage Fund, $1,000,000 for the Division of Labor’s Bedding and Upholstery Fund, $2,000,000 for the Division of Natural Resources Planning and Development Division, $4,000,000 for the Fire Commission’s Fire Marshal Fees, and $4,000,000 for the Public Service Commission’s Motor Carrier Division.

The total funding for the Hope Scholarship is $24,000,000 from General Revenue and $9,000,000 from the Lottery Revenue Fund.

The budget now heads to the Governor’s desk to await his signature.

The body also passed and completed action on a number of other bills Friday. A list of completed bills so far in session can be found here.

The Senate is adjourned until tomorrow, April, at 11 a.m.

The House returned to session and continued with bills on third reading.

Amendments were offered to Senate Bill 154 on third reading. The bill prohibits instruction on sexual orientation in public schools. The bill requires teachers to inform administrators if a child requests to be called by a different name or pronoun that differs from the child’s biological sex. The administrator is to notify the child’s parent of the request. The adopted committee amendment allows for sexual orientation and gender identity to be discussed as part of the curriculum established in dual enrollment or advanced placement courses. An additional amendment was offered to remove the requirement for teachers to report a child’s name preference. The amendment was rejected. With the Committee Amendment becoming the bill, it heads back to the Senate for concurrence.

Senate Bills 790, 299, and 474 were postponed one day. Senate Bill 748 was advanced to third with the right to amend.

During Senate messages, nine bills completed legislative action on House Bills 2120, 2167, 2411, 2528, 2742, 3373, and 2267 and Senate Bills 449 and 325. House Bill 2880 was sent to a conference committee.

The House rejected the motion to concur with the Senate on House Bill 2267. The bill is a rules bundle for the Department of Revenue for the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission, the Insurance Commission, the Lottery Commission, and the Tax Division. The Senate amendment only affected the ABC rules, which could have allowed private clubs to stay open an hour and a half after they stopped selling alcohol. Currently, the businesses can only stay open half an hour later. This was a point of contention for many in the House who felt this could be dangerous and bad actors could cause additional problems. Supporters of the Senate amendment felt the additional hour would allow customers time to sober up before going home or to wait on a cab. Concurrence in the amended bill was rejected.

The House is adjourned until 9 a.m. tomorrow, April 12, 2025.

Committee Meetings, Tomorrow, April 12

• The Rules Committee will meet at 8:45 a.m. in the Speaker’s Conference Room.

In the House’s morning floor session, one bill was rejected, and twelve bills were passed.

Senate Bill 488 failed with a vote of 33 in favor and 65 opposed. The bill would have clarified electioneering by prohibiting (1) display of a candidate or candidate’s committee name, likeness, or logo; (2) display of a ballot question’s number, title, subject, or logo; (3) campaign-related buttons, clothing, writing utensils that contain electioneering information; (4) distribution of campaign literature, cards, or handbills containing electioneering information; (5) soliciting of signatures to any petition; and (6) soliciting of votes for or against a candidate or ballot question.

The bill would have also prohibited the use of cell phones within 100 feet of the entrance of a polling location. The bill would have banned photos and videos from being taken while voting.

During Rules this morning, Senate Bill 483 was moved to the inactive calendar. At the start of the floor session, Senate Bills 154, 299, and 474 were transferred to the food of the calendar.

A few of the bills which passed this morning were:

Senate Bill 280 requires the display of the U.S. motto, “In God We Trust,” in the main building of all West Virginia public K-12 schools and state institutions of higher education. The display must be acquired through private donations.

Senate Bill 531 expands the criminal penalties for assault and battery on an athletic official to include athletic participants. It authorizes the school entity to ban anyone convicted of such offenses for at least 365 days, with enforcement as a form of trespass.

Senate Bill 576 allows fixed odds betting on horse and dog racing in the state and allows betting on the sports wagering apps offered by the state’s casinos. The state’s 10% tax on the receipts from these races will be distributed to the racetracks, the Greyhound Breeder’s Fund, and the thoroughbred purse funds.

The House is in recess until 1:30 p.m.

The House reconvened this afternoon to amend bills on second reading.

Several of the bills were amended and Senate Bills 154, 229, 474, 586, 790, and 825 were advanced with the right to amend. Senate Bill 856 was postponed one day. After completing second reading, the House recessed until 5 p.m., and the Rules Committee convened to move Senate Bill 526 back to the active calendar.

Upon reconvening, the House heard Senate messages. The House concurred with the Senate to complete seven bills. A motion was made to reject Senate Bill 748 on first reading. However, the motion was rejected. The bill will be on the amendment stage tomorrow and has several amendments pending.

The House recessed until 7 p.m.

When the House returned, House Bill 2026, the Budget Bill was received through Senate messages. The House amended the compromise budget into the bill. The changes include salary adjustments for constitutional officers to reflect salary in code; PEIA recalculation; reduction in personal services in departments with long-term vacancies; public defenders’ pay raises; increases to Higher Education Policy Commission, and increased funding for pregnancy centers, Health Right, birth to three, waiver programs, adoption, and foster care programs.

The General Revenue Fund budget is $5,317,557,000 with a surplus of $210,250,000. The compromised budget is $5,000,000 less than the Governor’s introduced budget. The General Revenue breakdown is:

• Legislative Branch: $31,377,663
• Judicial Branch: $168,226,450
• Executive Branch
  • Governor’s Office: $16,940,401
  • Auditor’s Office: $2,784,484
  • Treasurer’s Office: $3,764,435
  • Department of Agriculture: $27,986,674
  • Attorney General: $5,986,622
  • Secretary of State: $1,024,648
  • Department of Administration: $102,657,122
  • Department of Commerce: $83,673,866
  • Department of Tourism: $36,515,705
  • Department of Education: $2,274,594854
  • Department of Environmental Protection: $7,915,309
  • Department of Health: $110,920,051
  • Department of Human Services: $791,025,664
  • Department of Health Facilities: $219,135,015
  • Department of Homeland Security: $576,549,322
  • Department of Revenue: $68,574,248
  • Department of Transportation: $9,108,595
  • Department of Veterans Affairs: $17,843,754
  • Bureau of Senior Services: $6,580,366
  • WV Council for Career and Technical Colleges: $88,141,984
  • Higher Education Policy Commission: $392,534,525
  • Adjutant General: $17,289,059

The State Road Fund is $2,129,082,658, while “Other Funds” (special revenue) total $2,315,143,753. The Lottery Revenue Fund is $157,392,000, with a surplus of $16,750,000. The Excess Lottery Revenue is $335,008,512 with a surplus of $21,345,488. The expected Federal Funds total is $8,224,744,008 with Federal Block Grants totaling $730,395,275.

A $12,000,000 special revenue appropriation was made and to be used as follows: $1,000,000 for Division of General Services’ Capitol Complex Parking Garage Fund, $1,000,000 for the Division of Labor’s Bedding and Upholstery Fund, $2,000,000 for the Division of Natural Resources Planning and Development Division, $4,000,000 for the Fire Commission’s Fire Marshal Fees, and $4,000,000 for the Public Service Commission’s Motor Carrier Division.

The total funding for the Hope Scholarship is $24,000,000 from General Revenue and $9,000,000 from the Lottery Revenue Fund.

The compromise budget passed the House and heads to the Senate for concurrence.

The House is adjourned until 9 a.m. tomorrow, April 11, 2025.

Committee Meetings, Tomorrow, April 8

• The Rules Committee will meet at 8:45 a.m. in the Speaker’s Conference Room.

The Senate again passed a bill on Thursday that would establish the Legislature’s ultimate authority over the state’s educational rules, mandating that newly created rules be submitted for legislative review, approval, amendment or rejection.

House Bill 2755 would require the state board of education to submit newly promulgated rules to the Legislature through the Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee.

The Senate passed its own version of this bill in late March but is now using the House’s version in the final days of the 2025 legislative session.

The state board of education’s authority is laid out in the state Constitution, which states “The general supervision of the free schools of the State shall be vested in the West Virginia board of education which shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by law.” The state Supreme Court has upheld this language multiple times.

West Virginia voters rejected a constitutional amendment in 2022 that would given the Legislature the authority that this bill seeks to provide.

As was the case with this bill the first time, supporters said that the constitutional amendment was on the ballot with several others three years ago and that voters were confused. They also contend that the Supreme Court has been wrong in its rulings, misinterpreting the law multiple times. They believe that ultimately, educational rules should not be made by unelected bureaucrats.

Critics of the bill said they are reluctant to go against the will of the voters and that the people of West Virginia have stated clearly that they don’t want non educators messing with the educational process. They also believe that if this bill passes it will be ruled unconstitutional.

The Senate amended the bill and it now heads back to the House of Delegates for final approval.

UPDATE:

The Senate completed its calendar in a series of floor sessions throughout the remainder of the day. The body also received messages from the House and completed action on several bills.

As of this evening, 131 bills have completed legislative action.

The Senate is adjourned until tomorrow, April 11, at 11 a.m.

In the morning floor session of Day 58, the House concurred with the Senate to complete action on four bills and concurred but amended four other bills. Fourteen bills were on third reading and five of them completed legislative action.

Two House Bills advancing to the Senate provide additional funding to the Hope Scholarship. House Bill 3356 appropriates $28,400,666 from the unappropriated balance of the General Revenue. House Bill 3357 appropriates $33,804,764 of the unappropriated surplus balance of the Lottery Net Profits.

Debate ensues on appropriating additional funds to the Hope Scholarship Program, which is already funded in the 2026 budget with $24,610,523 from general revenue and $9,197,431 from lottery revenue in the House version of the Budget.

Proponents of the bills stated that additional funding is required because the program is an obligation of the state. They noted the program is about educational choice and parental choice. Opponents said that there are other obligations of the state being underfunded due to the ever-growing program. Many compared it to the Promise Scholarship implementation, where after a couple of years parameters were set requiring specific testing scores. Individuals on both sides of the issue recognize that if the line item is to continue to grow, parameters will be needed.

House Bill 3356 advanced with 75 in favor and 21 against. House Bill 3357 advanced with 76 in favor and 21 against.

After completing the bills on third reading, the House recessed. There are 44 bills on second reading to be taken up and one bill on first reading.

The House is in recess until 2 p.m.

All bills on third reading were read on Day 57 in the House of Delegates.

Senate Bill 485 requires the Secretary of State to provide documents related to any exempt purchase or procurement to be provided to the Director of the Division of Purchasing for posting on the division’s website. Additionally, the bill provides that the Secretary of State does not have to release to the director any documents that would be exempt from disclosure if requested via W. Va.’s FOIA.

Senate Bill 496 removes “acupuncture” and “healing touch” from the definition of massage therapy. Acupuncture was removed because it is regulated by the West Virginia Acupuncture Board. The Massage Therapy Board requested the removal of “healing touch.” The bill clarifies a person does not need any license, certification, or registration to practice reiki, qigong, or sound healing.

Senate Bill 565 updates the practice of optometry to include the use of therapeutic lasers. The bill allows a licensee to perform procedures taught and trained through schools or colleges of optometry accredited by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education. The licensee must obtain a certification for Ophthalmic Laser Utilization, by submitting an application and proof of attendance and satisfactory completion of the education and training requirements established by the Board.

Senate Bill 617 amends the criminal code to include gangs and gang activity as an organized criminal enterprise. The bill was amended to define gang as “any ongoing organization, association, or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, having as one of its activities the commission of one or more qualifying offenses, and whose members engage in or have engaged in qualifying offenses.” The bill clarifies that recruiting into gangs is a separate offense from the qualifying offenses and is subject to a separate punishment.

Senate Bill 736 eliminates the requirement that the Ethics Commission publish booklets containing lobbyist information and requires the commission to make the information available on its website in a printable format.

Senate Bill 765 establishes the Troops-to-Teachers program to attract veterans for the armed forces to become public school teachers. The conditions the person must meet are (1) Be an honorably discharged member of the armed forces, (2) Hold at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education that is related to the available position which the veteran has applied to, (3) Have passed the basic skills and subject matter test or tests required by the state board for teachers to become certified in the area for which the licensure is sought, and (5) Submit to a criminal history check.

Senate Bill 861 amends outdated references in the Purchasing Card Advisory Committee membership to reflect the consolidation of the Information Services and Communications Division into the Office of Technology.

Senate Bill 862 removes obsolete language in code relating to the West Virginia Gilding the Dome Check-Off Program, which expired in 1990.

Senate Bill 863 removes an outdated reference to the Information Services and Communication Division, which was dissolved on July 1, 2024.

Additionally, the House concurred with Senate amendments to complete action on the following bills:

House Bill 2013 states that as of July 1, 2025, all new hires within the Bureau of Senior Services and the Departments of Administration, Environmental Protection, Revenue, and Veterans’ Assistance, as well as any employee within those governmental entities that leaves his or her position, will be exempt from the classified civil service system and the state grievance procedures. The bill states the chief administrative officer of these governmental units shall have the authority to designate certain employees’ status under the classified civil service system and grievance procedures as necessary to comply with federal law, federal regulation, or the requirements for receipt of federal funding or assistance.

House Bill 2067 aims to prevent firearms sellers and manufacturers from being subject to liability in a manner that contravenes the purpose of the PLCAA. To bring a negligent marketing claim against a manufacturer or seller all the following conditions would have to be met:

• The marketing practice directly targeted individuals who are legally prohibited from owning firearms.
• The marketing practice encouraged or facilitated the unlawful use of firearms.
• There is a direct cause and substantial proximate cause between the marketing practice and the harm suffered by the plaintiff.
• The marketing practice violated a state or federal statute explicitly regulating the sale or marketing of firearms or ammunition in a manner that constitutes a willful and knowing violation of the law.

The House is in recess until 6 p.m.

The House returned to receive Senate messages and committee reports. Several bills were read a first time and will be on second reading tomorrow.

The House is adjourned until 9 a.m. tomorrow, April 10, 2025.

Committee Meetings, Today April 9

• The Committee on Government Organization will meet at 2:15 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Committee on Health and Human Resources will meet at 4 p.m. in Room 215E.
• The Finance Committee will meet at 7 p.m. in Room 460.

Committee Meetings, Tomorrow April 10

• The Rules Committee will meet at 8:45 a.m. in the Speaker’s Conference Room.