The Health and Human Resources Committee met this afternoon.

Markup & Passage

House Bill 4982 re-establishes the Office of Healthy Lifestyles and expands a coordinated, statewide Healthy Lifestyles framework to promote nutrition, physical activity, and wellness through cross-agency collaboration, school-based initiatives, public-private partnerships, grants, and reporting requirements, thereby improving the health of West Virginians. The bill creates a Highly Lifestyles Fund, coordinates with Medicaid, the Department of Education, and the Department of Agriculture. The bill prevents school employees from penalizing students’ participation in recess and PE based on academic performance or behavior. The bill also requires the development of the Governor’s Fitness Test, a school fitness month, and the reporting of outcomes of both.

Committee Hearing

House Bill 4852 adds definitions to the West Virginia Code relating to food regulation.

House Bill 4392 bans FD&C Blue No. 1, FD&C Blue No. 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, and FD&C Yellow No. 6 from medications.

House Bill 5022 expands the programs included in the annual capitation rate review to include the Aged and Disabled Waiver Program, the Personal Care Services Program, and the Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver Program.

The House Environment, Infrastructure, and Technology subcommittee advanced House Bills 4040, 4419, and 4426 to the committee on Energy and Public Works.

House Bill 4040 would establish the Non-State-Owned Roads Improvement Act. This bill would give municipalities the authority to make improvements to roads that are not owned by the state. This bill was advanced to Energy and Public Works.

House Bill 4419 would require certain procedures comply with the West Virginia Parkways Authority before tolls, rents, fees, or charges may be increased for Parkways. This bill was reported to Energy and Public Works.

House Bill 4426 would ensure that funding to counties named by the State Road Construction Account does not affect any funding received by those counties from the State Road Fund. This bill was reported to Energy and Public Works

The House Public Education and Educational Choice Committees discussed several bills this afternoon.

Public Education

House Bill 4871 would make vegetarian meal option available for students that complies with federal nutritional guidelines.

House Bill 4467 would permit pregnant women and new mothers who are employed by the public school system to utilize the sick leave bank.

House Bill 4485 would allow educators in the public school system or in the higher education system to donate leave to employees for maternity leave.

Educational Choice

House Bill 4817 would modify the Charter Schools Startup Fund. Some of these modifications include an application submission to be sent to the West Virginia Professional Charter School Board, expanding the uses for the funds, and requiring the distribution of money to qualifying charter school applicants and charter schools.

House Bill 4062 would create the West Virginia Homeschool Student Athletics Participation Act. This act would create an opportunity for homeschool students to play in WVSSAC athletics.

House Bill 4950 would establish the West Virginia Freedom and Innovation Pilot Act of 2026. This act would let school districts opt out of the school aid formula, following School Board approval. Any county that chooses to participate in the pilot program shall be funded by a grant of $5,775 per enrolled student as of December 2025.

The Subcommittee on Government Administration met this afternoon.

Markup & Passage

House Bill 4483 updates funeral director licensing. The bill also reduces the time required for apprenticeship towards licensure.

House Bill 4492 increases the maximum broker deposit amount to $500.

House Bill 4550 requires the State of West Virginia, or any agency or political subdivision, to provide appraisals for landowners when involved in eminent domain negotiations.

House Bill 4580 establishes a two-county pilot program requiring the use of mobile devices to access the CPS case management system during child abuse and neglect investigations. The Department of Human Services would be required to report annually to LOCHHRA about the programs.

Committee Hearing

House Bill 4531 requires the Division of Motor Vehicles to provide certain identification documents to homeless U.S. citizens residing in homeless shelters within this state at no cost.

House Bill 4612 would allow for a new vehicle title to be provided for an older vehicle left to individuals inheriting property.

House Bill 4518 would streamline the process of updating a driver’s information when getting a new vehicle and using EZ-Pass.

House Bill 4558 would allow tow truck companies to access driver registration information on demand, at any time. The goal is to notify owners of vehicles where their vehicles can be found.

The Subcommittee on Banking and Insurance met this afternoon.

Markup & Passage

House Bill 4089 requires health insurers to cover scalp-cooling systems for the preservation of hair during cancer chemotherapy.

The bill was advanced to the full committee.

Committee Hearing

House Bill 4009 creates the Portable Benefit Account Act, which allows independent contractors to receive benefits from their hiring parties for healthcare, retirement, and life insurance.

House Bill 4117 prohibits out-of-network emergency medical services agencies from balance billing a covered enrollee in a health insurance plan for ground ambulance services.

The House Health and Human Resources Committee advanced two bills this evening.

House Bill 4641 would organize the guidelines for nutritionally adequate school breakfasts and lunches to follow standards set by new federal guidelines, as well as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This bill was advanced to the Standing Committee on Education.

House Bill 4770 would create limitations on the use of AI technology to deliver mental health care except for administrative functions. This bill was advanced to Finance.

House Bill 4982 would establish and expand a coordinated, statewide Healthy Lifestyles framework to promote nutrition, physical activity, and wellness through cross-agency collaboration, school-based initiatives, public-private partnerships, grants, and reporting requirements to improve the health of West Virginians.

House Bill 4760 would require insurance to cover certain nutrition and dietary needs that are recommended by a person’s physician.

House Bill 4907 would restrict the use of pesticides within 1000ft of schools. These pesticides include paraquat or paraquat dichlorate, atrazine, dicamba, chlorpyrifos, 2,4-dichloroacetic acid (2,4-D), glyphosate, or perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substance.