The House Committee on Education advanced a bill on Wednesday afternoon that would allow students in the eighth and ninth grades to attend summer school to improve their grades and be granted eligibility to participate in fall sports.
House Bill 4422 addresses academic eligibility requirements for student participation in fall athletic sports.
The bill was reported to the House with the recommendation that it do pass.
The House met Wednesday morning, introducing House Bills 4622-4716 and announcing upcoming meetings.
Committee Meetings, Today, January 21
• Education at 1:30 p.m. in Room 432M
• Energy and Public Works at 3 p.m. in Room 410M
• Health and Human Resources at 3:30pm in Room 215E
Committee Meetings, Tomorrow, January 22
The Chamber adjourned and will reconvene tomorrow at 11 a.m.
The Senate met on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, to advance four bills to second reading.
The Senate advanced Senate Bill 15, Senate Bill 66, Senate Bill 137, and Senate Bill 207 to second reading.
The body introduced bills 549-572.
The Senate is adjourned until tomorrow, Jan. 22, at 11 a.m.
Afternoon Meetings:
Banking and Insurance at 2 p.m. in 451M
Agriculture at 2 p.m. in 208W
Finance at 3 p.m. in 451M
Judiciary at 3 p.m. in 208W
Committee Meetings, Tomorrow January 22.
Education at 10 a.m. in 451M
Government Organization at 10 a.m. in 208W
The House Judiciary Committee met briefly Wednesday morning to advance two bills addressing mental health and juvenile jurisdiction and held a hearing on one bill.
House Bill 4169 addresses mental health examination requirements by updating state law to ensure consistency across related legal processes.
The purpose of the bill is to align the standards for mental health examinations used in certain court proceedings with those already required for involuntary hospitalization.
The bill was reported to the House with the recommendation that it do pass.
House Bill 4364 addresses juvenile jurisdiction on military installations by updating the sharing of authority between the federal government and the state.
The purpose of the bill is to allow the transfer of exclusive federal legislative jurisdiction back to the state in cases involving juveniles.
After considering the previous bills, the Committee then held a hearing on HB4484.
House Bill 4484 would grant county commissions the same flexibility currently afforded to municipalities when selling or leasing public property.
The purpose of the bill is to expand local authority by allowing counties to manage their real property under similar standards and procedures as cities and towns.
The House Finance Committee met this morning. A committee hearing was held on House Bill 4028, which would provide contractors of school facilities with a tax exemption on construction materials. Currently, sales taxes are imposed on School Board Authority projects. The removal of the 6 percent sales tax will increase the SBA’s purchasing power. There will be a reduction in costs because sales tax revenue can be redirected to other projects. This removal will stretch bond dollars for projects, as construction workers will no longer need to include a tax buffer in their calculations.
The committee also heard a budget presentation from the Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) and the Community and Technical College System (CTCS).
Higher education in West Virginia is affordable and attainable. Chancellor Sarah Tucker stated WV’s higher education system is meeting current and future needs of WV, its citizens, and its economy.
The nine community and technical colleges have an annual enrollment of 19,839 students. Of these students, 52 percent are part-time, 94 percent are WV residents, 48 percent receive financial aid, and the average age is 26. The 12 baccalaureate and Medical Institutions have an annual enrollment of 63,690 students. Of these students, 49,864 are undergraduate students, 57 percent receive financial aid, 66 percent are WV students, and the average age is 21.
HEPC is requesting $519,968,668 for FY27, and CTCS is requesting $ 91,396,984 for FY27. For FY26, the HEPC is requesting $290,531 for the Dual Enrollment Program. FY27 improvement request funding totals $12,575,269 for the Dual Enrollment Program, Capital Projects/Deferred Maintenance, and WV Invests Programs.
The Dual Enrollment Program allows students to get a head start in higher education. The additional funding allows students who normally wouldn’t be able to take these courses to take them. The program will be limited to juniors and seniors with a limited number of courses. The WV Invest Grant Program has seen growth over the past two years in degree production and credentials awarded in fields like allied health, education, information technology, hospitality, and tourism. Many Invest students are graduating without student loan debt.
The HEPC will continue to work on increasing college-going rate, attainment rate, and awareness of affordability. There are opportunities to increase accessibility by flattening financial aid and providing medical student loans.
The Committee on Health and Human Resources met Tuesday afternoon, advancing two bills and holding hearings on additional legislation relating to kinship and child welfare.
House Bill 4022 sets rules for assigning child protective services workers by county and requires reporting any changes to their placement.
The bill ensures counties have the correct number of CPS workers where they’re needed most. The legislation also gives the commissioner authority to adjust assignments based on each county’s immediate needs.
The bill was sent to the House with a recommendation to pass.
House Bill 4354 sets requirements for clothing and essential items for foster children.
The bill establishes what constitutes an adequate wardrobe for children in the state’s legal custody and outlines how payments for these necessities will be made.
The bill was sent to the House with the recommendation that it do pass, first being referred to the Committee on Finance.
The Committee then held hearings on HB4390, relating to the Kinship Parent Subsidy, and HB4393, relating to a Statewide Prevention Plan.
House Bill 4390 ensures that kinship parents receive a subsidy equal to that of a foster parent in certain situations and establishes the timeline for when these payments must be made.
The bill was marked up for further consideration.
House Bill 4393 requires the creation and implementation of a statewide prevention plan with trauma-informed, evidence-based services for children at risk.
The bill aims to provide support and resources to children and families who may need help, whether they currently have an open child welfare or youth services case.
The bill was marked up for further discussion.
The Senate Judiciary Committee met this afternoon to discuss Senate Bill 84 and Senate Bill 55.
Senate Bill 84 would prohibit law enforcement from placing a camera on private land without obtaining consent from whoever owns the land or a search warrant. This bill does not prohibit law enforcement from placing a camera in an area where they have a lawful right to be.
For this section, “private land” means posted land, cultivated land, or fenced land. Specific definitions for each can be found in §61-3B-1.
In the discussion of the bill, Senators engaged in debate over concerns with the language of the bill, the open fields doctrine, and specifications on what qualifies as a surveillance camera. Other concerns included what is considered a “placed” camera, drone footage, body cams, and other possible conflicts with the bill and the lawful right of officers.
The committee came to an agreement to lay the bill over to Thursday for ample time for agencies and other interested parties to avoid potential unintended consequences of the legislation.
Senate Bill 55 would amend code §61-5-17a to include home incarceration supervisors and social service workers. Under this bill, anyone who knowingly, willfully, and forcibly obstructs or hinders either home incarceration supervisors or social service workers will be guilty of a felony and will be imprisoned for 15 years to life, upon conviction. This is in addition to those already listed in the existing code.
Upon following the debate over the bill, Senator Ryan Weld (R – Brooke, 01) successfully amended the bill to raise the minimum penalty from 15 years to 20 and to include language regarding parole eligibility.
The amended bill passed and will be advanced to the full Senate.
The House Education Committee met Tuesday afternoon and advanced legislation establishing the West Virginia Collaboratory while also holding hearings on additional education-related bills.
House Bill 4002 would establish the West Virginia Collaboratory, which is a state initiative designed to coordinate research, workforce development, and education programs across agencies and institutions.
The bill was reported to the House with a recommendation that it do pass.
The Committee then held hearings on two bills, HB4014 and HB4422.
House Bill 4014 would establish the Workforce Readiness and Opportunity Act.
The bill would create a micro-credentialing system, allowing individuals to earn credentials that reflect specific skills and areas of knowledge they have acquired.
House Bill 4422 would permit students in grades eight and nine to use summer school to improve academic performance and meet eligibility requirements for fall athletic participation.
The bill was advanced for markup and further discussion.
The Subcommittee on Government Administration met this afternoon.
Committee Hearing
House Bill 4088 updates code governing the education, examination, and experience requirements for certified public accountants. It enhances the ability for certification. Delegate Criss (R-Wood), the lead sponsor, said the bill is needed to address the declining number of CPAs in the state. The bill allows the path to CPA to begin sooner with a bachelor’s degree. The bill provides three paths to CPA: a bachelor’s degree in accounting, a bachelor’s degree with 30 credit hours completed in accounting, or a master’s degree in accounting. All paths require passing the CPA exam. If the applicant has a master’s or bachelor’s degree in accounting, they only need 1 year of experience when applying for licensure, but within 30 completed hours, they must have 2 years of experience.
Virginia Slack, the president of the WV Board of Accountancy, said this is a nationwide initiative, and 20 states have already passed it. She said this bill opens a pathway for students to enter the career sooner, while still maintaining examination standards.
House Bill 4148 requires real estate salesperson applicants to submit proof of United States Citizenship to apply for licensure. Delegate Patrick Lucas (R-Cabell), the bill’s sponsor, said this came at the request of the Real Estate Commission. The delegate said he isn’t opposed to rewording the language to include anyone legally authorized to work in the United States. The intent of the bill is to ensure that the individual applying is legally in the United States and authorized to work, not just citizens.
The Subcommittee on Agriculture, Commerce, and Tourism met this afternoon.
Committee Hearing
House Bill 4141 exempts an honorably veteran of any branch of the armed services of the United States from the payment of vehicle registration fees, with the exception of a special initial application fee of $10. The bill allows the spouse to continue using the veteran’s plate until the surviving spouse dies, remarries, or fails to renew the plate.
House Bill 4176 allows youth and those who carry a Class Q special hunting permit to take one antlered deer during the special youth deer season.
The DNR cannot do this itself, as the law ties youth and Class Q licenses to Class XS licenses.
Kent Leonhardt provided a presentation on the Department of Agriculture.
In 2017, 148 tractor and supplies businesses were registered with Agriculture; now there are 238. Farmers’ markets have tripled. Agricultural output in West Virginia increased by 27 percent from 2017 to 2022. West Virginia has seen growth in Agriculture.
Leonhardt said we’ve changed the way we do agriculture in WV. Poultry is the state’s number one agricultural industry. An egg-cracking facility is being built in Pendleton County to sell liquid eggs to schools.
The apple industry is doing well, and maple syrup production is up in the state.
