Budget & Taxes

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2026

HB 5522: Relating to creating an annual sales tax holiday for the sales of feminine hygiene products.

HB 5522 creates an annual sales tax holiday in West Virginia for feminine hygiene products and diapers. The bill exempts these items from sales tax on the second Saturday of May plus the Friday and Sunday directly surrounding that date each year. It defines "feminine hygiene products" broadly to include tampons, pads, menstrual cups, and similar items, whether disposable or reusable. The tax holiday directly affects consumers purchasing these products during the designated dates, reducing their out-of-pocket costs. The bill establishes this exemption by amending the state's sales tax code to exclude these items from taxation during the specified period.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExempts essential feminine hygiene products from sales tax, providing direct tax relief to consumers during designated dates.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Procurement Sales Tax

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Mar 11, 2026

HB 5285: Supplemental Appropriation to the Department of Human Services-Bureau for Social Services from the Unappropriated Balance

HB 5285 increases funding for specific social services divisions within West Virginia's Department of Human Services using leftover state funds. It raises appropriations for the Bureau for Social Services' Office of the Commissioner, Child Protective Services, Social Services Case Workers, Adult Protective Services, and Youth Services Case Workers for fiscal year 2026. The bill supplements existing budget allocations rather than creating new programs, directly affecting staff and service delivery in these divisions. It uses unappropriated balance funds from the state treasury, as identified in the Governor's budget document, to cover these increased costs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases appropriations for essential social services (Child Protective Services, Adult Protective Services) using unappropriated funds, directly advancing public service funding within budget management.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 16, 2026

HB 5620: To restore local control in the decision making process in regard to data centers

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates certified data centers pay standard municipal business taxes, ensuring tax revenue collection without defunding local services.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill removes local regulatory barriers for data centers, facilitating tech infrastructure development without restricting data privacy or cybersecurity policies.85% confidence

Tags Local Government

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 17, 2026

HB 5637: Add weighted funding back into the school aid funding formula for students with unique learning needs

HB 5637 adds 50% weighted funding to West Virginia's school aid formula for students with unique learning needs, including students with disabilities and English language learners. This means schools serving these students will receive additional state funding based on counting each such student as 1.5 full-time students in enrollment calculations. The bill requires county school boards to apply to the state superintendent for this supplemental funding, which is distributed based on student proficiency levels and county capacity. It directly affects public schools and students with disabilities or limited English proficiency by increasing their funding allocation.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAdds 50% weighted funding to school aid formula, increasing state budget allocation for K-12 education programs serving vulnerable students.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAdds 50% weighted funding for students with disabilities and ELLs, increasing state support via school aid formula to strengthen resource allocation for vulnerable learners.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations School Funding Special Education Student Health

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Feb 11, 2026

SB 912: Removing sales tax for food bought in vending machines

SB 912 would remove the 6% state sales tax on prepared food purchased from vending machines and money-operated machines in West Virginia, effective January 1, 2027. This change applies specifically to food sold through these machines (like snacks or meals), meaning consumers would pay no sales tax on such purchases and businesses operating the machines would not collect the tax. The bill amends West Virginia's tax code (§11-15-3) to explicitly exclude this category of food from the standard sales tax rate. It does not affect tax on food sold in stores, restaurants, or other retail settings.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRemoves 6% sales tax on vending machine food, providing direct tax relief to consumers and businesses, aligning with support indicators for tax relief.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Feb 20, 2026

SB 860: Relating to payment of funeral expenses for first responders

SB 860 creates a state fund to cover funeral expenses for certain first responders who die while performing official duties. It authorizes up to $8,000 in payments for reasonable funeral and burial costs for law enforcement officers (including public facility security staff), firefighters (paid and volunteer), emergency medical personnel, correctional employees, and probation officers. The fund complements existing benefits but ensures at least $8,000 is available if other sources provide less. Payments require written certification that the death occurred "as a proximate result of official duties" and do not duplicate benefits under other state laws.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates state fund for first responder funeral expenses, allocating public funds to support essential personnel. Directly funds a public safety program through state budget.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill provides $8,000 funeral expense coverage for first responders killed on duty, expanding worker benefits for high-risk employment. This strengthens family support and employment safety net for these workers.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Professional Licensing Tags Public Safety

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Feb 9, 2026

SB 870: Providing $10,000 pay raise to teachers across five years

SB 870 proposes a $10,000 total pay increase for West Virginia teachers over five years, distributed through annual adjustments to the state minimum salary schedule based on experience and education level. It also mandates a 25% pay raise for school service personnel (such as aides and support staff) over the same five-year period. The bill amends existing law to establish new salary tiers, with specific pay amounts listed for different experience levels and qualifications (e.g., starting at $39,057 for teachers with zero experience and a master's degree). This policy directly affects all public school teachers and support staff in West Virginia, aiming to increase base compensation through structured, incremental raises.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates state funds for teacher and support staff pay raises through budget appropriations, increasing public education spending per legislative mandate.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates $10k teacher pay raises over 5 years and 25% raises for support staff, directly advancing educator compensation and retention in K-12 education.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill mandates 25% pay raise for school staff and $10k teacher pay increase over 5 years, directly boosting wages for education workers under Labor & Employment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 9, 2026

HB 5320: Welcome Act

HB 5320, the "Welcome Act," aims to address West Virginia's housing shortage by changing how land is taxed during development. It allows property owners to keep their original tax classification for subdivided land until individual lots are sold, directly affecting homeowners and developers. The bill protects property owners' right to further subdivide land after initial sales, requires new parcels to include 24/7 access to a road (without mandating road construction), and limits local governments from imposing stricter road standards than the existing access road. These provisions apply to casual land divisions but not to formally recorded subdivisions with existing deed restrictions.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill defers property tax increases during land subdivision, providing tax relief to developers to address housing shortages. Directly alters tax classification policy to promote development.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill directly addresses housing shortage by reducing tax barriers for developers, enabling faster subdivision and housing supply growth without mandating infrastructure costs.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Incentives Affordable Housing Property Development Property Taxes

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signed · West Virginia · House of Delegates Aug 21, 2026

HB 5682: Supplemental Appropriation to expire funds to surplus balance of General Revenue

HB 5682 redirects $72 million in unused funds from previous fiscal years to support biomedical research at West Virginia medical schools. It expires $37 million from the 2023 Governor’s Civil Contingent Fund and $35 million from the 2017 fund, adding these to the General Revenue surplus for the 2026 fiscal year. The funds are specifically allocated to: $30 million for Marshall University School of Medicine, $5 million for West Virginia University Dental School, $32 million for West Virginia University School of Medicine, and $5 million for the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. This supplemental appropriation expands biomedical research capacity without creating new taxes or spending.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects $72M in unspent funds to biomedical research, promoting fiscal responsibility by utilizing surplus without new taxes or spending cuts.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllocates $72M to medical schools for biomedical research, directly funding higher education institutions as part of education topic.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRedirects $72M to biomedical research at WV medical schools, directly funding healthcare infrastructure and research per bill summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations Revenue State Budget Higher Education

introduced · West Virginia · Senate Jan 16, 2026

SB 447: Relating to Industrial Access Road Grant Program

SB 447 amends West Virginia's Industrial Access Road Fund to clarify spending rules and raise monetary limits. It increases the annual county allocation cap for unmatched funds from $400,000 to $800,000 and sets a $300,000 cap for matched funds. The fund can only finance roads to existing or planned industrial sites (e.g., manufacturing, distribution, or West Virginia Business Ready Sites Program locations), not schools, shopping centers, or private property. Counties must provide surety bonds if sites aren't built on time, and projects require Division of Highways approval within 90 days.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases county funding caps for industrial road program within state budget, advancing fiscal allocation for infrastructure spending.90% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationIncreases funding caps for industrial road infrastructure, expands program scope to support industrial access roads, directly advances transportation infrastructure funding.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Airports Roads & Highways Transportation Funding

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