This bill increases civil penalties for political committees, candidates, or their treasurers who fail to file complete campaign finance reports or submit grossly inaccurate reports. For first violations, penalties rise from $10 per day to a maximum of $500; subsequent violations max out at $1,000 per report. The Secretary of State must first send written notice of the issue, allowing 7-10 days to fix the report before imposing fines, and may grant up to 14 additional days for good cause. It also allows payment plans and refers unpaid fines to debt collectors after 30 days.
SB 815 adds $1.5 million to the Department of Homeland Security's Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation (specifically its Correctional Units under Fund 0450) for equipment purchases during fiscal year 2026. This supplemental appropriation uses an unappropriated surplus balance identified in the Governor's budget document, rather than new funding. The bill directly affects the state's correctional facilities by providing funds for equipment replacement or upgrades. It is a procedural budget adjustment with no policy changes, solely reallocating existing surplus funds to a specific operational need.
SB 809 would reclassify cannabis and its natural/synthetic derivatives from West Virginia's strictest "Schedule I" (illegal with no medical use) to "Schedule III" (permitted for medical use under prescription). This change would directly affect medical cannabis patients and healthcare providers in West Virginia by allowing legally sanctioned medical use with a prescription. The bill amends state law to move cannabis out of Schedule I (which lists substances like heroin and fentanyl) and into Schedule III, where medical access is permitted. This represents a concrete policy shift toward legal medical cannabis use in the state.
SB 790 reorganizes West Virginia's energy governance by transferring the Office of Coalfield Community Development into the Office of Energy and creating a new Comprehensive Energy Policy and Development Plan. It requires the Office to develop a long-term strategy covering coal, natural gas, nuclear, hydropower, hydrogen, and geothermal energy sources, including annual reports and stakeholder meetings. The bill grants the Office new authority to approve power plant decommissioning, designate energy-ready communities, and establish site criteria for energy projects. This directly affects the Office of Energy's operations and state energy planning processes, eliminating outdated programs like the Coal Fired Grid Stabilization Act.
HB 5029 extends the payment period for fees charged by county fire prevention units from 75 days to 180 days. It directly affects property owners or responsible parties who must pay for firefighting, rescue, or debris cleanup services provided by these units. The bill maintains the $1,500 cap for single incidents (except for hazardous materials or complex rescues), requires written itemized billing, and keeps the 90-day deadline for initiating court action if payment isn't received. This change provides more time for responsible parties to settle charges without altering fee limits or service requirements.
SB 810 establishes a Lung Cancer Prevention and Education Program within West Virginia's Bureau for Public Health to target underserved communities lacking access to screening. The bill provides grants to qualified organizations (like hospitals or clinics) to offer low-dose CT scans for early lung cancer detection, along with education and referral services. Eligible applicants must meet specific standards for quality screening, collaboration with healthcare providers, and outreach to underserved populations. The program requires annual reporting on services provided and outcomes, and it uses funding from the state's Rainy Day Fund to cover screening costs for qualifying residents.
HB 5070 requires real estate brokerage firms in West Virginia to pay realtors their earned commissions on open contracts when those realtors leave the firm to join another brokerage. Specifically, it amends the real estate license law to mandate that brokers must remit to the departing agent any compensation due from contracts signed while the agent was affiliated with that brokerage, upon receipt of the commission. This directly affects real estate agents who transition between brokerages and ensures they receive payment for work completed under prior contracts. The bill does not alter other licensing requirements or commission-sharing rules but focuses solely on ensuring fair payment for existing contracts during agent transitions.
SB 806 clarifies West Virginia's definition of "farm" or "farmland" for property tax purposes. It allows landowners or tenants to operate non-farming business activities (like agritourism or small retail) on qualifying farmland without losing its tax classification, as long as farming remains the primary and predominant use. The bill specifies that land cannot be considered "primarily for farming" if other commercial enterprises fundamentally alter the land's agricultural use. This directly affects farmers who diversify their operations but maintain farming as their main activity, ensuring they retain eligible tax treatment. The commissioner of agriculture will help determine if land qualifies under this definition.
SB 807 allows physician assistants (PAs) in West Virginia to own medical practices or businesses, which was previously restricted under state law. The bill amends licensing rules to permit PAs to be shareholders in medical corporations and to form professional LLCs under the Uniform Limited Liability Company Act. It also prohibits PAs from receiving licenses or authorizations for referrals where they have a financial interest in the referral source. This directly affects PAs seeking greater business ownership opportunities while maintaining safeguards against conflicts of interest in patient referrals. The policy change updates professional licensing provisions without altering PA scope of practice or clinical responsibilities.
SB 803 requires public schools in West Virginia to assess the academic competency of students transferring from nonpublic schools (including homeschools, microschools, learning pods, or individualized instruction plans) before transcribing their previous grades onto a public school transcript. This applies specifically to students enrolling in public schools after receiving education outside the traditional public system. The key mechanism is a mandatory competency assessment administered by the public school upon enrollment, ensuring students meet academic standards before their prior coursework is recognized. The bill does not change graduation requirements or affect students already enrolled in public schools.
SB 811 would amend West Virginia law to allow registered voters to change their political party affiliation on the day of any election, including primaries, general elections, or special elections. Currently, voters must select a party affiliation when registering and cannot update it until after an election, but this bill would permit changes at polling places on election day. The provision applies to all registered voters who wish to switch parties without requiring prior registration updates. It does not affect voter eligibility, voting methods, or other registration requirements - only the timing of party affiliation changes.
This bill, HB 5314, provides an additional $330,000 in funding to the Department of Health's Vital Statistics Account (fund 5144) for fiscal year 2026. It increases an existing appropriation for "Personal Services and Employee Benefits" within that account to cover ongoing operational costs. The funding comes from unappropriated balances available in the account and directly supports the Vital Statistics office, which manages birth, death, and fetal death records in West Virginia. This is a routine budget adjustment, not a new policy change.
