Senate Bill 1 aims to improve coordination between utility companies and the West Virginia Division of Highways to prevent unnecessary damage to newly paved roads. Starting December 31, 2025, utility companies must submit annual reports to the local Division of Highways district office detailing planned projects requiring digging or cutting into paved roads over the next two years, including information about related grants. The Division of Highways will review and use these reports in project planning. Beginning September 1, 2025, the Division must publish a map of its districts on its website, a list of planned paving activities, and copies of utility reports. If a utility has no planned road-related work, they can submit a “no plans report” to comply with the requirement. Utilities are still permitted to perform necessary repairs and must restore any road or right-of-way they damage according to the Division of Highways’ utility accommodation manual. Failure to submit the required reports may result in the Division withholding a “Right of Way Entry Permit” until the report is provided. The bill does not prevent routine road maintenance like pothole filling and is designed to promote better planning and reduce unnecessary road damage.
Senate Bill 8 expands West Virginia’s safe surrender options for parents with newborns by adding emergency medical service facilities, police departments, 911 call centers, and sheriff’s detachments as designated safe surrender sites where parents can anonymously leave a child 30 days old or younger. The legislation allows these facilities to install and operate “newborn safety devices,” which are specially designed, secure receptacles with dual alarm systems that immediately notify staff when a child is placed inside. These devices must be visually checked twice daily, have an alarm system tested weekly, and trigger a 911 call if no staff responds within 15 minutes of a child being placed in the device. Parents who use these devices remain anonymous and will not be pursued, and the act of surrendering a child through these means is not considered child abuse. Emergency medical service providers who retrieve a child from a safety device are required to take the child to the nearest hospital emergency room and have implied consent for medical treatment. The bill also provides immunity from criminal or civil liability for emergency medical services providers acting in good faith, except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct. The primary goal is to provide safe, anonymous options for parents who cannot care for their newborn, thereby protecting infant welfare and reducing potential harm.
Senate Bill 10 exempts the processing of beef, pork, or lamb by a slaughterhouse for an individual owner of the product processed from the Consumer Sales and Service Tax.
Senate Bill 22 addresses penalties for nonpayment of royalties in oil and natural gas lease agreements in West Virginia, specifically for conventional vertical wells. The legislation stipulates that if a lessee or operator fails to pay royalties within six months after the payment is due, they will be liable to pay the lessor or landowner three times the market value of the unpaid royalty unless there is a written agreement specifying different terms or a genuine dispute exists. The bill applies to royalty payment disputes filed on or after July 1, 2025, and establishes that jurisdiction for such disputes will be in the county where the well and leasehold are located. Additionally, the prevailing party in such legal actions may be awarded reasonable attorney’s fees and costs. This legislation intends to protect landowners and mineral rights holders by providing a strong financial deterrent against delayed or withheld royalty payments while also offering a clear legal framework for resolving such disputes.
Senate Bill 35 permits current campus police officers in West Virginia to participate in the Deputy Sheriff’s Retirement System (DSRS) and mandates that newly hired campus police officers participate in the DSRS beginning on January 1, 2026.
Senate Bill 50 mandates that municipal elections in West Virginia must be held on the same day as statewide primary or general elections, with a compliance deadline of July 1, 2032. Municipalities must negotiate agreements with county commissions to establish election dates, officials, and registration procedures and will be responsible for sharing administrative election costs proportional to their registered voter count. The legislation allows municipalities to potentially extend or reduce current elected officials’ terms by up to 18 months to align with the new election schedule, which a majority vote must approve. For municipal elections between now and 2032, when no county or state election occurs, the bill provides flexibility in election board composition, allowing boards to be as small as four persons. Additionally, municipalities without existing charters must pass an ordinance establishing their new election day in coordination with their county commission, ensuring all local elections, including officer elections, municipal bond elections, and levy elections, coincide with statewide election dates.
Senate Bill 75 modifies the distribution of lottery and racetrack income in West Virginia, primarily affecting how funds are allocated from the State Excess Lottery Revenue Fund. Specifically, the bill allows the lottery commission to transfer up to $9 million annually to the Licensed Racetrack Modernization Fund and reduces certain distributions by 100 percent starting from the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014. The legislation gives the Governor significant flexibility to redirect lottery revenues, particularly in budget shortfalls. Suppose the state Budget Office determines a budget shortfall greater than $100 million as of December 1, 2015. In that case, the Governor can, by Executive Order, redirect net terminal income revenues to the General Revenue Fund instead of other mandated funds. Additionally, the bill provides a mechanism to redirect lottery funds until the unfunded liability of the Old Fund (a workers’ compensation fund) is fully paid or provided for, as certified by an independent actuary. The redirected funds will be deposited into the State Excess Lottery Revenue Fund and can be spent according to legislative appropriations, with priority given to debt service payments before other distributions are made on a pro-rata basis.
Senate Bill 102 changes West Virginia’s existing law regarding deed requirements by adding a new provision that mandates most real estate deeds include a notarized acknowledgment from the grantee (the person receiving the property) demonstrating their acceptance of the property transfer. Specifically, this requirement applies to all deeds except for two key exceptions: transfer on death deeds (which allow the property to automatically transfer to a designated beneficiary upon the owner’s death) and transfers between parents and children where the property value is less than $2,000. The bill preserves the existing standard deed language format while introducing the new grantee acknowledgment requirement, which is intended to provide additional clarity and formal confirmation of property transfers.
Senate Bill 128 amends West Virginia state law regarding payment for professional and socially necessary services in child welfare proceedings by eliminating courts’ ability to order services at rates higher than Medicaid or the Department of Human Services’ established rates. Currently, courts can order these services at a higher rate if professional services (such as treatment, therapy, counseling, evaluation, and expert testimony) are not provided within 30 days. This legislation removes this provision, requiring that services be paid at the standard Medicaid or departmentally established rates, regardless of delays. The bill maintains the existing process where the Department of Human Services can be ordered to pay for these services but restricts their ability to be reimbursed at elevated rates.
Senate Bill 138 enhances penalties for fleeing from a law enforcement officer, creating more severe consequences for repeat offenders. The legislation modifies explicitly existing laws to establish stricter punishments for individuals who intentionally flee from officers in vehicles, with escalating penalties for second and third offenses. A first-time car fleeing offense will remain a misdemeanor. Still, a second offense becomes a felony with potential imprisonment from 1-3 years, and a third offense can result in 2-5 years of imprisonment. The legislation also clarifies that fleeing while under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be treated as a driving under the influence conviction for licensing purposes. Additionally, the bill expands the definition of prior offenses that can be considered when determining sentencing, extending the lookback period to 15 years for certain violations.
Senate Bill 154 Â establishes restrictions on sexual orientation and gender identity instruction in West Virginia public schools, defining key terms such as “biological sex” (the sex listed on a birth certificate), “gender identity” (an individual’s identification as male, female, or another category), and “sexual orientation” (an individual’s perceived sexual orientation). The legislation prohibits instruction related to sexual orientation or gender identity, with specific exceptions: teachers may respond to student questions, refer to sexual orientation or gender identity when providing historical context, address bullying situations, or discuss the topic in advanced placement or dual enrollment courses. The legislation requires public school employees to report to school administrators any student requests for gender identity accommodations and mandates that administrators inform the student’s parent, custodian, or guardian about such requests. School personnel are prohibited from providing false or misleading information about a student’s gender identity or transition intentions. Parents can file complaints for violations, and school personnel found in violation may face disciplinary action or dismissal. The West Virginia Board of Education, in consultation with the Higher Education Policy Commission, must develop rules to implement the law, and the Attorney General is authorized to enforce compliance.
Senate Bill 158 modifies the eligibility requirements and political activities for West Virginia State Board of Education members. Board members are prohibited from being on political party executive committees or holding other public offices. This legislation clarifies and expands these restrictions. Appointed members are now explicitly forbidden from becoming candidates for or holding other public offices, serving on political party executive committees, becoming delegates to national political party conventions, or soliciting political contributions for candidates. However, the bill does allow board members to engage in certain political activities, such as making campaign contributions, attending political fundraisers, serving as unpaid campaign volunteers, endorsing candidates, and attending political party conventions. The bill maintains the existing provisions that no more than five appointed members can be from the same political party, and the Governor still appoints members with Senate consent for nine-year overlapping terms. Additionally, the legislation reinforces existing protections that prevent board members from being removed by the Governor except for specific reasons like official misconduct or incompetence, and it continues to prohibit individuals convicted of certain offenses involving minors from serving on the board.
Senate Bill 196 increases the severity of sentences for multiple drug offenses, including distributing large quantities of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. The legislation also increases the minimum sentence for drug delivery, resulting in death from three to 10 years, and for failing to seek medical assistance for someone overdosing from one to two years. These increases were in tribute to Lauren Renee Cole, 26, of Morgantown, who died July 9, 2020, due to fentanyl poisoning. The bill increases the minimum sentence for manufacturing, delivering, or possessing with intent to manufacture or deliver Schedule I and Schedule II narcotics or methamphetamine and introduces mandatory minimum sentences and restrictions on alternative sentencing for conspiracies involving large quantities of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. The legislation also introduces mandatory minimum sentences for transporting large quantities of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl into the state, along with restrictions on probation, home incarceration, and sentence suspension.
Senate Bill 198 expands and clarifies West Virginia’s laws regarding child pornography, focusing specifically on computer-generated and artificially created images. The legislation introduces new definitions for terms like “computer-generated child pornography” and “fabricated intimate images,” which include visually realistic digital representations created using artificial intelligence or computer technology. The bill establishes criminal penalties for creating, distributing, possessing, or disclosing such images, ranging from misdemeanors to felonies, depending on the number of pictures and specific circumstances. It also mandates that individuals who encounter potentially inappropriate photos of minors on electronic devices must report them to law enforcement, with an affirmative defense provided for those who comply with reporting requirements. The bill applies to both actual and computer-generated images of minors in sexually explicit contexts, and it includes provisions for both adult and juvenile offenders. The legislation maintains confidentiality protections for restricted materials used in prosecution. It exempts certain professionals like law enforcement, prosecutors, and court personnel from prosecution when handling such materials during their official duties.
Senate Bill 199 attempts to provide more comprehensive approaches to managing disruptive student behaviors. The legislation introduces new protocols for handling student behavior, particularly for students in K-6, when their actions are deemed violent, threatening, or create an unsafe learning environment. The bill allows county school boards to partner with licensed behavioral health agencies to address student behavioral problems. Students in alternative learning centers or behavioral health agencies must meet regularly with qualified professionals like school social workers, behavior specialists, or psychologists. The bill emphasizes developing personalized behavioral intervention plans, conducting functional behavioral assessments, and prioritizing evidence-based interventions before considering more severe disciplinary actions. For elementary students with persistent behavioral issues, the bill establishes a step-by-step process that includes initial interventions, potential referrals to specialized teams, and possible placement in alternative learning environments. The legislation also requires the State Board of Education to develop a statewide disciplinary policy, prohibits suspending students solely for not attending class, and ensures that disciplinary actions do not conflict with federal laws like the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
