HB 5565 creates a new State Election Poll Clerk Reimbursement Fund Account in the state treasury to pay county poll clerks a $100 daily stipend for work during early voting or election day for general elections. This directly affects county poll clerks who serve in precincts during general elections, providing them with compensation for their service. County clerks must submit individual invoices for eligible clerks within 30 days after a general election, and the Secretary of State will pay these stipends from the new fund. The bill does not change election procedures or apply to primaries or municipal elections.
HB 5577 requires West Virginia county school boards to establish and regularly review anti-bullying policies that include specific components like clear definitions, reporting procedures, and victim protections. It mandates that school boards actively seek input from parents, guardians, and students when updating these policies, and ensures all modifications are transparent to the school community. School boards must also report on policy effectiveness to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability (LOCEA) at LOCEA's discretion. This bill directly affects county school boards, students, and families by standardizing and improving how schools address harassment, intimidation, and bullying.
HB 5483 requires health insurers and pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) to include all cost-sharing payments (like copays or deductibles) made by patients or others when calculating a patient's total out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs. It applies annual cost-sharing limits to all health plans sold in West Virginia and prohibits insurers or PBMs from altering coverage terms based on whether a patient has financial assistance for a drug. The bill directly affects patients using prescription drugs, insurers, PBMs, and third-party administrators, ensuring their coverage terms remain unchanged regardless of available drug financial help. Violations carry civil penalties up to $10,000 per incident, with restitution required for affected patients. The law takes effect for new plans on or after January 1, 2027.
SB 948 would allow licensed concealed carry permit holders to carry firearms within West Virginia's Capitol Complex buildings and on its grounds, including surrounding streets and sidewalks. It requires permit holders to show their license upon request when entering buildings and prohibits firearms in the Governor's office and specific Supreme Court areas (third/fourth floors of the East wing). The bill also permits firearms in locked vehicles on Capitol property (if out of view) and restricts pepper spray containers to one ounce or less. This change applies only to individuals legally permitted to carry concealed firearms under state law.
SB 946 prohibits most health care providers from charging facility fees for outpatient services, except for services on a hospital campus, at facilities with licensed emergency departments, or for emergency care at freestanding emergency facilities. It specifically bans facility fees for outpatient evaluation services and certain diagnostic/imaging services identified annually by the West Virginia Insurance Commission. The bill requires hospitals, health systems, and freestanding emergency facilities to submit detailed annual reports to the Commission - including revenue data, patient visits, and top procedures - published publicly online. These reports aim to increase transparency about facility fee practices, with the Commission authorized to create rules and impose fines for noncompliance. The law directly affects hospitals, health systems, and freestanding emergency facilities that previously charged these fees.
Senate Bill 959 closes West Virginia's Parent Education Fund on July 1, 2026, and redirects its remaining balance to the Family Court Fund. It also changes where fees collected from parents attending required parent education classes (up to $25 per person) and civil penalties for violating parenting plans (up to $1,000 for repeat offenses) are sent - now to the Family Court Fund instead of the Parent Education Fund. This bill does not alter the requirement for parents to attend parent education classes or the fee amounts, only the destination of the funds. The change applies to all fees and penalties collected after the fund's closure date.
HB 5594 requires all American flags sold at retail in West Virginia to be manufactured in the United States. This law directly affects retailers selling American flags within the state, prohibiting the sale of flags made outside U.S. borders. The key provision adds a new section to West Virginia's consumer protection law, mandating that retailers verify and comply with U.S. manufacturing for all American flag products offered for sale. The bill does not apply to flags sold for non-retail purposes or to other flag types.
SB 404 allows West Virginia's Department of Human Services (DHS) to contract with both secular and faith-based organizations providing child welfare services, including foster care and family support. It specifically protects faith-based providers' religious identity, prohibiting DHS from requiring them to remove religious symbols, alter governance, or change religious practices to qualify as service providers. Parents or legal guardians can object to placing a child at a faith-based provider on religious grounds, prompting DHS to find an alternative placement unless a court order prevents it. If a parent or guardian requests the child remain at a faith-based provider, the matter is referred to a hearing. This bill directly affects DHS, child welfare providers, and families involved in foster care placements.
HB 4462 bans the sale of cell-cultured food products (like lab-grown meat, eggs, fish, or poultry) for human consumption in West Virginia. It defines these products as those made by growing animal cells in a lab to mimic traditional food items, and removes any requirement for labeling them as "lab-grown" or similar. The bill specifically targets cell-cultured products, not plant-based alternatives (defined as "analogue products"). This is a direct sales prohibition with no new labeling rules for the banned products.
HB 4098 amends West Virginia law to restore jury service eligibility for individuals with expunged felony convictions. It specifically updates the disqualification rule (§52-1-8(b)(6)) to clarify that people whose felony convictions have been legally expunged are no longer disqualified from serving on juries, provided they meet other standard requirements like citizenship and residency. This directly affects West Virginians who have completed the expungement process for felony offenses, allowing them to serve on juries without restriction. The change removes a barrier to civic participation for this group while maintaining existing disqualification criteria for unexpunged convictions.
This bill prohibits the distribution or prescription of "abortifacients" (drugs intended to cause abortion) within West Virginia. It directly affects licensed medical professionals (like doctors and pharmacists) and anyone distributing such drugs, with violations carrying felony penalties (3-10 years imprisonment) for non-professionals and potential license revocation for medical providers. Key provisions include banning the mailing, sale, or dissemination of abortifacients without a valid prescription, requiring medical professionals to attest to compliance, and creating a civil lawsuit option for affected parties. The law includes exceptions for medical emergencies - defined as situations where an abortion is necessary to prevent serious risk of death or life-threatening impairment to the patient.
HB 5493 would require West Virginia courts to offer convicted sex offenders (specifically those found guilty of crimes against minors under §61-8-12 or related statutes) a choice between hormone treatment (medroxyprogesterone acetate or MPA) or surgical castration as an additional penalty, alongside standard sentencing. Courts must first confirm a defendant's medical suitability for MPA treatment through a court-appointed expert, and the treatment duration is specified in the sentence. Refusing MPA treatment after sentencing could result in a 1-5 year prison term. The bill also mandates a prerelease risk assessment for these offenders before their release from prison.
