This concurrent resolution (HCR 8) requests that West Virginia's Division of Highways rename a bridge in Logan County - the Whitman Creek Box Beam crossing CR 009/01 over Copperas Mine Fork - as the "U.S. Army PFC Lester E. Maynard Memorial Bridge." It commemorates PFC Lester E. Maynard, a Vietnam War soldier from Logan County who died in combat in 1967. The resolution has no policy impact beyond signage and was passed unanimously by both chambers.
This is a commemorative resolution (HCR 15), not a substantive bill. It requests the West Virginia Division of Highways name two specific bridges in Raleigh County after U.S. Marine PFC Delbert Carles Roles, a WWII hero who died in action during the Battle of Guam in 1944. The resolution specifies the exact locations: I-77 NB OVER RAL 48 and I-77 OVER CABELL RD. It has no policy or funding impact - it solely honors a veteran through a bridge naming. The resolution passed unanimously in April 2025.
SB 197 modifies West Virginia's teacher certification rules by exempting certain candidates from basic skills and subject matter tests. Specifically, it removes the testing requirement for individuals who completed standard teacher education programs (including those with less than a 3.0 GPA in such programs) and for those with alternative certification pathways. The bill maintains other requirements like bachelor's degrees, background checks, and pedagogical training. This change directly affects new teachers seeking standard teaching certificates through traditional education pathways. The bill does not alter requirements for alternative certification programs, administrative credentials, or paraprofessional roles.
SB 470, the WV Athletic Freedom Act, allows West Virginia high school students, coaches, and athletic trainers to participate in outside sports teams or events without being barred from school sports. It prohibits school districts and the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission from restricting this outside participation as a condition for school team membership. However, coaches retain the right to prevent players from missing team practices or games due to outside activities, and team requirements must take priority during postseason play. The law aims to expand athletic opportunities while maintaining school team obligations.
SB 593 requires counties using West Virginia's Express Vote electronic voting system to capture and preserve images of each ballot cast, along with a summary of votes (cast vote record), without including voter names or other personal details. County election officials must send these records to the Secretary of State within 24 hours after election canvass concludes. The Secretary of State must then publish the data online by precinct and county, with special privacy protections for precincts having fewer than 10 absentee, provisional, or challenged ballots to prevent voter identification. This law directly affects county election offices, the Secretary of State, and ensures public access to election data while safeguarding voter anonymity.
SB 548 requires all public schools serving grades K-12 to provide annual evidence-based training on two topics: youth violence prevention (for grades 6-12) and social inclusion (for all K-12 students), each totaling at least one hour per school year. The West Virginia Department of Education must develop and maintain a publicly available list of approved, proven programs meeting specific criteria to fulfill these requirements. Schools may deliver training in-person, virtually, or digitally, and the bill allows (but does not require) schools to establish student-led violence prevention clubs. The law applies to public schools, with requirements being voluntary for public charter and nonpublic schools.
SB 54 requires all West Virginia public schools to provide age-appropriate Holocaust education starting in the sixth grade. The bill mandates instruction on the systematic annihilation of European Jews and other groups by Nazi Germany, as a "watershed event in human history," using guidance from the West Virginia Commission on Holocaust Education. Schools must teach this topic in a way that examines human behavior and promotes responsible, respectful citizenship. The instruction cannot be provided before sixth grade, applying directly to all public schools within the state.
HB 2190 permanently includes Potomac State College of West Virginia University as an eligible institution for the "Learn and Earn Program," removing its previous status as a temporary "pilot" program. The bill modifies West Virginia law to ensure Potomac State College meets the definition of a community and technical college for program participation, allowing its students to access this workforce development initiative. Under the program, students work with employers while studying, with employers required to provide a dollar-for-dollar cash match for student salaries. This change directly affects Potomac State College students pursuing technical programs and participating employers across West Virginia. The policy shift makes Potomac State College’s eligibility permanent, rather than time-limited.
HB 3425 clarifies that staff working for vendors at correctional facilities are included under the definition of "person employed by the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation" for purposes of sexual offense laws. It amends Section 61-8B-10 to explicitly cover contracted vendor staff who work at correctional facilities, ensuring they fall under the same legal provisions as direct employees. This change directly affects vendor employees working in West Virginia state correctional facilities, including those managing security or supervision roles. The bill does not create new penalties but ensures existing laws apply consistently to all facility staff, regardless of employment structure.
HB 3377 creates a program allowing West Virginia counties and municipalities to maintain roads and bridges not currently maintained by any government entity (defined as "orphan roads"). It establishes criteria for designation (e.g., public use, existing condition, resource availability), requires public notification before acquisition, and permits funding through existing infrastructure budgets, state/federal grants, or private partnerships. The bill also mandates an online map of state roads by 2026 and includes provisions for acquiring necessary property rights. This directly affects local governments seeking to improve neglected infrastructure, with no direct impact on individual residents.
HCR 10 is a memorial resolution requesting the West Virginia Division of Highways name a specific 1.5-mile segment of Knobley Road in Mineral County (between U.S. Route 50 and WV Route 9, ending at WV Route 18) as the "U.S. Marine Corps PFC Robert Thomas Taylor Memorial Road." It directs the Division of Highways to install signs at both ends of the road segment to identify the memorial. The resolution commemorates PFC Robert Thomas Taylor, a Marine who died in Vietnam in 1969, and has no substantive policy impact beyond this naming request. This is a procedural memorial resolution, not a law creating new obligations.
This Senate Joint Resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to change West Virginia's constitution, removing the prohibition on incorporating churches or religious denominations. If approved by voters, it would allow religious groups to form legal entities (incorporate) if they choose, while maintaining existing laws governing church property ownership, sale, and transfer. The amendment specifically revises Article VI, Section 47 of the state constitution to state that "incorporation of religious denominations is permitted" rather than prohibited. It does not create new requirements but clarifies that churches may opt to incorporate under general laws, with no direct impact on existing unincorporated religious organizations.
