HB 5620 West Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

To restore local control in the decision making process in regard to data centers

HB 5620 would limit local government authority over "certified high impact data center" projects by blocking counties and municipalities from enforcing zoning, building permits, licensing, or other local regulations for these facilities. The bill requires the Department of Commerce to designate a "Data Economy Liaison" to coordinate with data center developers and mandates that certified projects pay standard municipal business taxes. It applies only to data centers certified by the Commerce Secretary under this law, not all data centers. The bill is pending in the House Judiciary Committee as introduced on February 16, 2026.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 16, 2026 Last action Feb 16, 2026
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Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
4
Key actions
0
Committee
2
Feb 16, 2026
Committee
To House Judiciary
lower
Feb 16, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
Feb 16, 2026
Committee
To Judiciary
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Laura Kimble
Laura Kimble
RRepublican
WV
71