This bill creates the Small Business Investment Grant Fund to provide financial support to eligible investors who make qualifying investments in West Virginia small businesses. The fund, administered by the West Virginia Small Business Financing Authority, will offer grants up to $25,000 per investment (with a maximum of $100,000 per investor) for investments made between July 2027 and January 2029. To qualify, businesses must meet specific criteria including annual gross revenues under $1 million, operation primarily within West Virginia, and no more than 50 in-state employees. Investors must hold the investment for at least two years to maintain the grant, and businesses that relocate or close within two years must repay the grant amount to the fund.
HB 5123, the Consumer Data Protection Act, gives West Virginia consumers new rights over their personal data held by businesses. It requires businesses meeting size thresholds (like $25 million in annual revenue or handling data from 50,000+ consumers) to let consumers access, delete, correct, or opt out of selling their information. The law prohibits businesses from discriminating against consumers who exercise these rights and allows individuals to sue for violations. The West Virginia Division of Consumer Protection will enforce the law and create rules for implementation.
HB 5122 creates a new West Virginia Medicaid Buy-In Program to provide affordable health coverage to residents who earn too much for Medicaid but too little for private insurance, specifically those ineligible for both Medicaid and Medicare whose employers haven’t denied their group coverage. The program, administered by the Department of Human Services starting January 2027, offers income-based premiums (with priority for those transitioning from Medicaid) and covers essential services like emergency care, prescriptions, mental health treatment, and pediatric services. It requires reimbursement rates to align with Medicaid standards and mandates efforts to maximize federal funding through existing Medicaid options and waivers. The bill ensures non-discrimination in access and aims to maintain coverage continuity between the new program, Medicaid, and private plans.
HB 5099 requires courts to order defendants convicted of DUI causing death to pay monthly child support for the victim's child until age 18 or high school graduation. This directly affects children who lost a parent or guardian to a DUI-related death and defendants sentenced for such offenses. The bill mandates courts to set reasonable payment amounts considering the child's needs, guardian's resources, and other factors, while offsetting payments by any existing civil judgment for the same accident. The law takes effect July 1, 2026, and applies only to offenses committed on or after that date.
HB 5124 amends West Virginia law to establish requirements for nonpublic schools and education service providers (like tutoring centers) seeking to accept funds from the Hope Scholarship Program. It requires these providers to submit participation notices, provide expense receipts to parents, avoid refunding scholarship funds improperly, pass background checks for staff, and for schools, submit annual accreditation proof and enrollment data. The bill explicitly states providers cannot be forced to change their admission policies, curriculum, or hiring practices to accept scholarship students. This directly affects nonpublic schools and educational service organizations that wish to participate in the program by receiving scholarship funds for eligible students.
HB 5083 creates a paid parental leave pilot program for West Virginia state employees. It provides up to 12 weeks of paid leave (at 90% of average weekly wage, capped at $1,000 weekly) for birth or adoption of a child under age 12, during the period July 2026-July 2028. Employees must have worked 12 consecutive weeks for state government and submit documentation (birth/adoption records). The program expires December 31, 2029, and requires employers to maintain health coverage and benefits during leave. It does not cover part-time, elected, or certain vocational rehabilitation employees.
HB 5141 requires all health insurance providers in West Virginia to cover infertility services, directly affecting residents diagnosed with infertility or facing fertility risks from medical treatments like chemotherapy. The bill mandates coverage for diagnosis, medically necessary fertility treatments (including IVF for cases requiring it), and fertility preservation services (like egg/sperm freezing) before procedures known to impair fertility. Insurers must provide these services without prohibited limitations, covering evaluations, medications, donor materials, and storage of preserved reproductive material. This applies to all group health insurance policies and aligns with medical standards for "medically necessary" care, as defined in the bill.
HB 5148, the Student Bill of Rights, creates a formal framework of rights for all public school students in West Virginia. It directly affects every student by guaranteeing access to meaningful education, safe facilities, free expression (including speech and assembly), and the right to participate in curriculum development. Key mechanisms include requiring schools to provide written copies of the Student Bill of Rights at registration, maintain accessible written policies, and establish clear grievance procedures for complaints. The bill also ensures students can express views without discrimination, receive timely notice of school rules, and access their educational records. These provisions aim to standardize student protections across all public schools in the state.
HB 5107 requires West Virginia courts to verify specific conditions before returning a child to a home where they were previously removed due to abuse or neglect. The bill mandates courts confirm that child welfare agencies made reasonable efforts to preserve the family, provided reasonable accommodations for parents with disabilities (per the Americans with Disabilities Act), and documented why reunification isn't safe or appropriate. This applies to all cases where a child is being considered for return home after removal, affecting courts, child welfare departments, parents, and the children involved. The law aims to ensure safety and proper planning before reunification decisions are made.
HB 5062 creates the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act to expand Medicaid coverage for pregnant women and infants in West Virginia. It extends postpartum coverage to one year (up from the previous standard), increases reimbursement rates for prenatal/delivery care to at least $600, and adds coverage for depression screening, self-measured blood pressure monitoring, remote ultrasounds, and doula services. The bill directly affects low-income pregnant women and newborns whose family incomes are at or below 185% of the federal poverty level. Key provisions include requiring Medicaid to cover specific services like fetal monitoring and gestational diabetes management without bundled payments, and ensuring continuous eligibility for one year after pregnancy regardless of income changes.
HB 5072 creates West Virginia's TechCred Program, which reimburses employers up to $2,000 per employee for training costs to earn approved microcredentials (industry-recognized certifications completed in under a year). Employers must apply with proof of state business registration, tax compliance, and environmental adherence, while employees must be West Virginia residents. The program requires microcredentials to be approved by the higher education chancellor, prohibits employers from requiring continued employment after training, and mandates annual updates to a list of approved training providers. This directly affects West Virginia employers and their employees seeking job-relevant skills through short-term credentialing.
HB 5132 replaces West Virginia's 180-day school year requirement with a new system based on minimum daily instructional hours. It sets specific daily hour requirements: 315 minutes for K-5, 330 minutes for 6-8, and 345 minutes for 9-12, counting instructional time and related school activities. The bill allows counties to use "equivalent time" gained by extending school days to cover weather closures or schedule teacher planning days, while still meeting the total hour requirement. This change directly affects all public K-12 schools and students across West Virginia by shifting focus from calendar days to measured instructional time.
