SB 86 West Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Creating Unmatched Medical Graduate Advisory Council

SB 86 creates the Unmatched Medical Graduate Advisory Council to address the issue of West Virginia medical school graduates who cannot secure residency placements. The council, composed of higher education and medical board leaders, must study solutions and submit recommendations by December 31, 2025, including options like allowing unmatched graduates to intern with licensed physicians. The Higher Education Policy Commission will provide administrative support for the council's work. This bill does not enact new policy but establishes a process to examine a national healthcare access challenge affecting West Virginia's rural communities.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics: Medical Licensing

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 12, 2025 Last action Mar 5, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Committee Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to expand the advisory council's membership, restructure the findings and purpose sections for clarity, and improve the organization of reporting requirements. The committee substitute adds several new voting members to the council, including representatives from specific medical schools and training institutes, while removing the option for the Chancellor to designate a representative. The text was also reformatted to separate legislative findings from the council's purpose and to clarify the reporting timeline.

Scope change

The scope of the advisory council was expanded by adding six new voting members (Deans and Chairs from specific medical schools and training institutes) to the original three members, broadening the council's representation across West Virginia's medical education system.

SCOPE

Added six new voting members to the advisory council: Dean of Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Chancellor of Health Sciences at WVU School of Medicine, President of WV School of Osteopathic Medicine, and Chairperson of Mountain State Osteopathic Postdoctoral Training Institute.

Removed the option for the Chancellor for Higher Education to designate a representative, requiring the Chancellor to serve as a voting member personally.

REQUIREMENT

Reorganized the bill structure to separate legislative findings from the council's purpose, making the bill's intent clearer and more readable.

TECHNICAL

Changed the quorum requirement language from 'majority of voting members' to 'majority of the voting members' for consistency and clarity.

Consolidated administrative support and funding provisions into a single subsection for better organization.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 5, 2025

Senate · Referred to committee

To Finance

Mar 5, 2025

Senate · Reported by committee

Committee substitute reported, but first to Finance

Feb 12, 2025

Senate · Referred to committee

To Health and Human Resources

Feb 12, 2025

Senate · Introduced

Introduced in Senate

Feb 12, 2025

Senate · Referred to committee

To Health and Human Resources then Finance

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors