This bill (HCR 13) is a naming resolution requesting that West Virginia's Division of Highways rename Cameron Ridge Bridge (Bridge Number 26-023/00-007.19, carrying CR 023 over Grave Creek in Marshall County) as the "Corporal James E. Jackley Memorial Bridge." It directs the Division of Highways to install signs with the new name and formally requests the change. The resolution commemorates Corporal James E. Jackley, a WWII veteran from Cameron, WV, who received military honors including Purple Hearts. The bill was adopted by both legislative chambers on April 12, 2025.
SCR 27 is a request for the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study West Virginia's alcohol sales regulations. The bill asks the committee to examine current rules (many dating to the 1930s) that govern alcohol sales, distribution, and consumption. The study will assess whether these regulations are efficient, modern, and effective, considering input from businesses, consumers, health professionals, and law enforcement. The committee must report its findings and recommendations to the 2026 legislative session.
Senate Concurrent Resolution 26 directs the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study smoke shops in West Virginia, focusing on products they sell, health risks, and sales to minors. The resolution specifically asks the committee to examine both legal and illegal tobacco, nicotine, CBD, kratom, and cannabis products, including their compliance with federal safety guidelines. The committee will assess how illegal products enter the state and their sources, with a report due to the 2026 legislative session. This study aims to inform potential regulatory changes regarding these products without proposing new laws. The resolution does not make policy changes but requests a comprehensive examination to address safety concerns.
HB 3520 redirects $56.2 million in unused funds from 10 specific state accounts - such as the Treasurer’s Office ($20 million) and Insurance Commission Fund ($30 million) - into the State Fund’s General Revenue surplus for the 2025 fiscal year. The bill transfers money from accounts where balances exceeded necessary funding needs, as noted in the legislature’s findings. This action increases the available surplus balance in General Revenue for potential future appropriations. The bill does not create new spending but reallocates existing unspent funds to the state’s general treasury.
This bill exempts small oil and gas-related tanks (210 barrels or less capacity) not located in high-risk "zones of critical concern" from most regulatory requirements, including third-party inspections. It requires owners of tanks in high-risk zones to perform monthly secondary containment inspections and self-certify annually instead of using third-party inspectors. The bill also prevents regulators from mandating physical tank modifications for leak detection without confirmed leaks. These changes primarily affect oil/gas operators and coal mining sites using such tanks.
HB 2349 requires opioid treatment programs licensed under West Virginia law to offer long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), such as IUDs or implants, to patients receiving methadone or suboxone treatment. This applies directly to patients in medication-assisted treatment programs and the facilities operating those programs. The bill amends licensing rules (§16B-13-3 and §16B-13-5) to mandate that facilities provide information about and access to LARC options as part of their standard services. It does not specify which contraception methods must be offered, only that facilities must make LARC available to eligible patients.
HB 3412 would exempt the West Virginia legislative branch from public records disclosure requirements under state law, provided the legislature adopts its own rules governing record access. This bill amends existing public records law to add a new provision (§29B-1-8) stating the law does not apply to the legislative branch once it establishes its own disclosure rules. The bill directly affects the legislature itself, not other government entities or the public. It does not change current disclosure practices but creates a pathway for the legislature to develop its own procedures for handling public records. The exemption is procedural and requires the legislature to act first - no immediate change occurs without adopted rules.
Senate Resolution 49 recognizes May 8, 2025, as World Red Cross Day and Red Crescent Day at the West Virginia Legislature. The resolution acknowledges the American Red Cross Central Appalachian Region's work in West Virginia, including assisting nearly 900 disaster-impacted families in 2024, collecting 40,000 blood units, and providing lifesaving training to over 20,000 people. It directs the Senate Clerk to forward a copy of the resolution to the American Red Cross Central Appalachian Region office. This procedural resolution does not create new laws or policies but formally honors the humanitarian work of Red Cross volunteers.
HB 2634 doubles criminal penalties for specific offenses involving minors in West Virginia. It directly affects perpetrators convicted of sexual assault in the third degree (against minors under 16), sexual abuse by a parent/guardian/custodian or person in a position of trust (including cases where the minor "willingly participated"), and possession of child sexual abuse material by caregivers. Key provisions increase maximum prison terms (e.g., from 5 to 10 years for sexual assault in the third degree, and from 20 to 40 years for abuse by a guardian) and double fines (e.g., from $10,000 to $20,000 for sexual assault). The bill focuses on enhancing punishments for crimes against children, particularly those involving individuals in trusted caregiving roles.
West Virginia's SB 911 creates a new "adjunct teaching permit" for individuals with a bachelor's degree and relevant experience, allowing them to fill vacant teaching positions, launch new classes, or supplement existing programs only when no certified teacher in that subject is available and willing to take the role. Adjunct teachers must complete specific training, be paired with a mentor, and cannot teach special education. County schools can set their own pay and benefits with the adjunct teacher, and must report adjunct hires to the state education department while posting openings publicly. This bill directly affects school districts hiring adjunct staff and the teachers seeking those positions.
This bill establishes a West Virginia grant program to fund U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug development trials for ibogaine, a substance being studied for treating opioid use disorder and related conditions. Eligible applicants (for-profit, nonprofit, or public entities) must submit detailed trial plans covering cardiac safety protocols, participant recruitment, and post-approval strategies for insurance coverage and uninsured access. The program requires applicants to seek FDA breakthrough therapy designation and establish trial sites equipped with cardiac intensive care. Funding is contingent on applicants matching state funds and committing to local biomedical industry development in West Virginia.
SB 939 requires medication-assisted treatment (MAT) facilities in West Virginia to implement a specific drug testing schedule for patients with substance use disorder. Upon admission, patients must undergo a comprehensive drug test, followed by direct observation tests every two weeks for six weeks, then every 45 days for one year, and every six months after that. Facilities must also allow providers to request tests at any time to assess treatment compliance. This bill directly affects patients in MAT programs and the facilities providing these services, establishing clear, time-based testing protocols to monitor treatment adherence.
