HB 5020 prohibits individuals on the state sex offender registry, convicted of sexual assault, or convicted of juvenile abuse from entering public school property or attending school events. It directly affects these individuals and requires schools to hold parent-teacher conferences with them via phone or virtual meeting instead of on-site. Violating this ban is a misdemeanor for a first offense (up to six months in jail) and a felony for repeat offenses (one to five years in prison). The bill also allows the State Board of Education to create implementing rules.
HB 5039, titled "Fueling Modern Life," repeals all existing West Virginia air pollution control statutes (§22-5-1 through §22-5-20) and replaces them with a new policy declaring carbon dioxide (CO₂) a "foundational nutrient" necessary for life, not a pollutant. The bill mandates that West Virginia will not treat CO₂ as a pollutant, reject "net-zero" emission targets, and actively support carbon-based fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas. This directly affects all entities regulated under air pollution laws, including power plants and industrial facilities, by eliminating CO₂ emission requirements. The legislation shifts state policy to prioritize fossil fuel use for economic development while asserting CO₂ levels are beneficial and historically low.
HB 5037 would require all West Virginia residents who wish to vote in state or local elections or run for public office (including state, county, city, town, or village positions) to be natural-born U.S. citizens. The bill amends election code definitions to specify that "voter" and "candidate" must be natural-born citizens, excluding naturalized citizens from eligibility. These changes would take effect on January 1, 2028, applying to all general, primary, and special elections. The bill directly affects voters and candidates seeking public office in West Virginia.
HB 5018 would stop the West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) from maintaining certain low-traffic roads, including lanes, cul-de-sacs, dead ends, city streets, and non-through routes with fewer than 10 average daily vehicles per 0.1 mile. The bill specifies these roads would no longer receive physical maintenance (like repairs or snow removal), though legal rights-of-way would remain documented on paper. Crucially, the bill ensures county budgets allocated for road maintenance would not be reduced as a result of this change. This policy directly affects rural and residential roads with minimal traffic, shifting maintenance responsibility away from the state highway system.
HB 5028 creates the Small-Town Main Street Recovery Act, providing grants to West Virginia municipalities with fewer than 25,000 residents. The bill directs the Department of Economic Development to fund storefront upgrades, small business support, and broadband improvements in these communities. Municipalities must coordinate applications with county commissions or regional development authorities to receive priority consideration. The program aims to support economic revitalization in smaller towns through direct financial assistance for key infrastructure and business needs.
HB 5038, the Affordable Electricity and Economic Growth Act of 2026, directs West Virginia's Department of Economic Development to identify suitable sites for coal-fired electricity generation and coke production facilities near coal deposits, transmission infrastructure, and steel manufacturing locations. It requires state agencies to streamline regulations and review existing rules to reduce delays for projects using locally mined coal. The bill aims to support economic development by making it easier to build facilities that produce electricity and coke (used in steelmaking) within the state. This directly affects coal producers, steel manufacturers, and state regulatory agencies responsible for permitting and oversight.
HB 5033, the Pro-Growth Regulatory Reform Act of 2026, requires state agencies to obtain legislative approval before implementing new regulations that cost more than $500,000 over five years. Agencies must submit such proposed rules to the Legislative Rule-making Review Committee 30 days before the next regular session, and the legislature must enact ratifying legislation for the rule to take effect. If the legislature fails to approve the rule during the session, the agency must terminate the proposed rulemaking. This bill directly affects state agencies creating regulations, adding a cost-based approval step while exempting emergency rules.
HB 5023 allows West Virginia residents to vote in municipal elections for cities where they don't live, provided they live in the county containing the city and paid work-related fees (like user fees or service charges) to that city within the past year. It prohibits non-residents from voting for ward or district representatives unless they reside in that specific area, requires contacting the county clerk before registration closes, and limits voters to one vote per municipality. The bill clarifies that non-resident voting must follow the "one person, one vote" principle and prevents municipalities from blocking this process through local rules. This applies only to municipal elections, not state or federal contests.
HB 5031 requires West Virginia's Fatality and Mortality Review Team (under the Department of Health) to have access to vaccination records during death investigations. The bill amends state law to explicitly include vaccination records as a type of medical information the team may request from government agencies. State, county, and local agencies must provide these records upon written request. This change directly affects the review team's ability to gather data for forensic and public health research, while requiring health and government agencies to share vaccination history in death cases. The bill standardizes reporting practices by adding vaccination records to the types of information investigators can access.
HB 5046 lowers the eligibility age for an annual retirement annuity adjustment in the West Virginia State Police Retirement System from 63 to 55 years. It directly affects current and future West Virginia State Police retirees aged 55 or older, as well as surviving spouses receiving benefits under specified sections. The bill adds a 1% annual adjustment to retirement awards (paid monthly starting July 1), which supplements existing benefits but cannot be retroactive. Retirees or surviving spouses with less than one year of benefits at the first adjustment date receive a pro-rata share of the full annual amount.
HB 5035 requires medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs - facilities providing medication for opioid addiction - to create written community relations policies. These policies must detail how the program will engage with local communities and avoid disrupting public functions. The bill mandates that MAT programs publish a public notice 60 days before opening or moving, notify county commissioners and mayors by certified mail, and obtain local government approval for new locations. It also restricts new MAT facilities from locating within half a mile of schools or daycares (with limited variances for existing facilities), aiming to address community concerns through transparency and local input.
HB 5049 allows regional jails in West Virginia to assign qualified inmates to maintain local cemeteries, directly affecting regional jail facilities, local governments managing public cemeteries, and cemetery owners on private land. The bill requires jails to obtain permission from local governments for public cemeteries or landowner consent for private ones before inmates perform maintenance work. It also includes liability protections for jails, local officials, and cemetery owners, except in cases of gross negligence or malfeasance. Inmates convicted of sexual offenses or violent felonies are excluded from this program.
