HB 5574 updates ethics rules for West Virginia's Public Service Commission (PSC) commissioners. It requires commissioners to publish their financial statements online annually, revises criteria for determining actions in the "public interest," and removes outdated provisions like §24-1-1a and §24-1-1b. The bill also makes PSC members subject to the state's code of judicial conduct. These changes directly affect PSC commissioners by increasing transparency and aligning their conduct standards with judicial ethics.
HB 5538 creates a new "Master Esthetician" license in West Virginia for professionals seeking to perform advanced, noninvasive skin treatments beyond basic esthetics. To qualify, applicants must hold a current esthetician license, complete 600 hours of advanced training (including skin analysis and safety protocols), pass an exam, and pay fees. The bill defines the scope of practice to include advanced services affecting the epidermis/superficial dermis but explicitly prohibits medical procedures or deeper skin penetration. It establishes renewal requirements with continuing education and grants the Cosmetology Board authority to set safety rules for these advanced services. This directly affects estheticians aiming to expand their practice and aims to enhance consumer safety through clearer licensing standards.
HB 5555 amends West Virginia's mandatory child abuse reporting law to require certain professionals - including teachers, healthcare workers, social workers, and child care providers - to immediately report suspected sexual abuse, sexual assault, or serious physical abuse to local law enforcement, in addition to the existing requirement of reporting all suspected abuse to the Department of Health and Human Resources within 24 hours. The bill also mandates that schools provide written reporting guidelines to employees and obtain signed acknowledgments of receipt. This change applies specifically to serious cases where reporters have reasonable cause to believe a child suffered severe harm. The existing 24-hour reporting window for all abuse to child welfare agencies remains unchanged.
HB 5578 adds a 50-cent fee to every vehicle registration and renewal in West Virginia. The collected funds will be directly allocated to the Deputy Sheriff’s Retirement Fund, managed by the DMV. This bill affects all vehicle owners in the state who register or renew their vehicles, as the fee is applied uniformly to each transaction. It modifies existing vehicle registration fee provisions to redirect this revenue stream to support retired deputy sheriffs' pensions. The policy change is a straightforward funding mechanism with no new eligibility requirements or administrative changes beyond the fee allocation.
HB 5580 amends West Virginia law to clarify liability protections for local emergency telephone systems. It grants immunity from civil lawsuits for public agencies, telephone companies, and their employees when operating emergency systems or referring callers to the national 988 mental health hotline - except in cases of gross negligence. The bill specifically adds immunity protection for referrals to 988 (the national mental health crisis line) while maintaining that gross negligence remains a basis for liability. This change directly affects emergency call centers, telephone providers, and county emergency services that handle crisis referrals. The law aims to encourage participation in the 988 system without fear of liability for routine operations.
HB 5603 requires out-of-state landowners (those with primary residence or business outside West Virginia) to register their West Virginia properties with local authorities within 60 days of purchase, providing a physical address, in-state agent, and contact details. If a property is deemed dilapidated (unsafe, code-violating, or vacant over 12 months), local authorities must issue a 30-day notice for repairs, with failure to fix resulting in escalating fines: $15,000 for the first 30 days, doubling every subsequent 30 days. Each month of noncompliance is treated as a separate violation, with penalties accruing automatically. The bill targets out-of-state owners of neglected properties, aiming to address public safety hazards and reduce local government burdens from unremedied properties.
HB 5548, the "Stop Non-Consensual Distribution of Intimate Deep Fake Media Act," prohibits distributing deepfake videos or images that falsely depict a person engaging in non-consensual sexual conduct without their permission. It targets individuals who intentionally share such content to coerce, harass, or damage reputations, with penalties including fines up to $10,000 or up to five years in prison for repeat offenses. The law explicitly excludes constitutionally protected speech like political satire, commentary, or media with clear disclosures that it is manipulated. It also allows affected individuals or officials to seek court orders to stop violations.
HB 5616 modifies how "years of experience" are calculated for teachers and county-employed registered nurses in West Virginia. The bill explicitly adds military service time to the count of experience years if the individual was under a teaching contract at the time of military induction. This change directly affects teachers and nurses whose salary increments under the state minimum pay schedule will now include qualifying military service, aligning with existing provisions for other experience types. The amendment updates the statutory definition in §18A-4-1 of the West Virginia Code without creating new programs or funding.
HB 5595 amends West Virginia law to exempt personal property owned by veterans with a 100% disability rating from state property taxes. It directly affects fully disabled veterans who receive this specific military disability rating. The bill adds these veterans to the existing list of property tax exemptions under §11-3-9 of the West Virginia Code, which already covers items like churches, hospitals, and educational institutions. This change applies only to personal property (e.g., vehicles, equipment), not real estate. The bill was introduced in the West Virginia House of Delegates on February 16, 2026, and referred to the Finance Committee.
HB 5532 prohibits West Virginia counties and municipalities from imposing additional property taxes on residential rental properties beyond the rate applied to owner-occupied homes. It directly affects rental property owners and tenants by preventing local governments from charging higher taxes on rentals due to zoning classifications. The bill requires all county/municipal property taxes on rental properties to match those for owner-occupied homes and bans extra taxes based on zoning. This aims to reduce costs for tenants by preventing "double-taxing" that could raise rents, without altering sales or service taxes for businesses. The bill is currently in the House Finance Committee after introduction on February 16, 2026.
HB 5531 clarifies rules for hunters tracking mortally wounded game. It permits hunters to use leashed dogs or licensed unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to locate wounded deer, elk, turkey, wild boar, or bear, provided the hunter has a valid license and maintains physical control of the dog. Commercial operators (dog handlers or drone pilots) offering tracking services must be licensed as outfitters/guides or comply with FAA drone rules. The bill also specifies that only the hunter (or their designated handler) may humanely dispatch the animal to prevent suffering, and requires the state to publish a list of licensed tracking service providers by September 1 each year. This bill directly affects hunters, commercial tracking service providers, and wildlife management authorities in West Virginia.
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.
