Education (Curriculum)

in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 19, 2026

SB 489: Creating High School Educator Flexibility Act

SB 489 creates a new course-specific teaching permit allowing certified West Virginia high school educators to teach high-quality courses outside their formally endorsed subject area. Eligible educators - including those with alternative certifications, conditional licenses, or relevant degrees - can earn this permanent permit by completing 30+ hours of approved professional learning tied directly to a specific course. Approved professional learning must be provided by designated non-profit organizations and cover both course content and teaching methods, verified by a certificate. School districts can then assign educators with these permits to fill specialized teaching needs, such as career-technical or college-aligned courses developed with colleges or industry partners. This system aims to increase flexibility in staffing without requiring full certification changes.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates a course-specific teaching permit enabling educators to teach outside endorsed subjects via professional development, expanding course access and supporting K-12 teacher flexibility and educational offerings.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Curriculum Teachers

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 14, 2026

HB 4102: Requiring publicly funded medical schools to teach certain life-saving methods

HB 4102 requires all publicly-funded medical schools in West Virginia to teach specific evidence-based, life-saving medical procedures. This includes abortion pill reversal (using progesterone within 72 hours of taking mifepristone), ectopic pregnancy treatment, miscarriage management, and perinatal hospice care. The bill mandates these topics be part of standard curriculum, with schools failing to comply risking loss of state funding after review by the Legislative Oversight Commission. It directly affects medical schools receiving state, local, or federal funding. The law cites public health and safety as justification, focusing on required teaching content rather than outcomes.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates specific life-saving medical curriculum in public medical schools, enhancing higher education curriculum content per Education (Higher) subject.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates teaching life-saving medical procedures in medical schools, enhancing provider training for critical healthcare services including abortion pill reversal and perinatal care.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum Public Health Women's Health

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SB 51: Requiring course in public schools on human development

SB 51, titled the "Baby Olivia Act," requires all West Virginia public schools to teach a mandatory course on human growth and development starting in third grade. The course must include two specific educational materials: a high-definition ultrasound video showing fetal organ development and the "Meet Baby Olivia" video detailing human development from conception to birth. The State Board of Education is authorized to adopt curriculum rules, and the Attorney General can enforce compliance with civil penalties for nonadherence. This law directly affects public school students in grades three and above across the state.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates mandatory human development curriculum in K-12 schools, enhancing curriculum standards per bill's requirements.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 21, 2026

HB 4670: To create a pilot program that would exempt certain counties from provisions of the Education code.

HB 4670 creates a voluntary pilot program allowing West Virginia counties to opt out of the state's standard education funding formula and certain education code requirements. Participating counties would receive a fixed block grant equal to their current funding and gain control over staffing, salaries, class sizes, testing (including optional SAT/ACT), graduation requirements, and school calendars. The program excludes counties recently taken over by the state board or declared financially distressed, and requires a 2028 report to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability. This bill directly affects participating counties by shifting decision-making authority from state mandates to local control over education operations.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMaintains current funding via fixed block grants while granting counties control over staffing, curriculum, and testing - aligning with support indicators of local flexibility and resource stability.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum School Choice School Funding

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 23, 2026

HB 4794: Requiring high school students to pass a test on the US Constitution to graduate from high school

HB 4794 requires all high school students in West Virginia to pass a test on the U.S. Constitution to graduate. The State Board of Education must create the test, which mandates an 85% passing score and makes content publicly available. Students who fail can retake the test weekly until they meet the threshold. This applies to all high school students in grades 9-12 and takes effect July 1, 2026. The bill aims to ensure graduating seniors demonstrate foundational knowledge of constitutional principles.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates constitutional knowledge test for graduation, strengthening curriculum standards and ensuring foundational civic education per stated purpose.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education Testing & Assessment

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 20, 2026

SB 166: Relating to eligibility for WV Invests Grant Program

SB 166 amends West Virginia's WV Invests Grant Program to include associate degrees and certificates in emergency medical services (EMS) as eligible post-secondary programs. This change directly affects West Virginia residents pursuing EMS credentials by allowing them to qualify for the grant, which covers tuition and fees at participating institutions. The bill modifies the eligibility requirements in §18C-9-5(a)(8) to explicitly include EMS programs, without altering other existing grant terms like residency, academic standards, or the repayment agreement for graduates who leave the state.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands grant eligibility for EMS associate degrees, increasing access to higher education funding and aligning with educational access indicators.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds EMS education grants, expanding healthcare workforce training for emergency services by including EMS credentials in grant eligibility.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands grant eligibility for EMS credentials, enabling workforce development in a critical labor sector by reducing education barriers for future workers.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum Higher Education Student Financial Aid

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 19, 2026

HB 4071: Requiring K–12 schools to display school report card on website

HB 4071 requires all West Virginia public K-12 schools to post their annual report cards on their official websites. County school boards must use the state's existing WV Education Information System for collecting and reporting data to meet federal accountability standards under the Every Student Succeeds Act. This bill directly affects every public school in the state by mandating transparent, online access to performance data for parents and the public. It does not alter school funding or academic standards but ensures consistent reporting through the state’s established electronic platform.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill mandates transparent school performance reporting to meet federal accountability standards, strengthening public oversight of K-12 education data without altering funding.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum School Funding Tags Data Reporting

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introduced · West Virginia · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SB 202: Exempting certain military veterans and their dependents from tuition

SB 202 would exempt certain military veterans and their families from tuition and fees at West Virginia’s public colleges and universities. It specifically covers: (1) spouses and children of veterans killed in action, missing in action, or who died while serving; (2) disabled veterans with 90%+ service-connected disabilities (since 9/11); and (3) spouses and children of active-duty veterans who died or went missing in service. To qualify, applicants must be West Virginia residents, apply for FAFSA, exhaust other tuition aid, and maintain academic standards. The exemption applies only to undergraduate programs and does not cover special fees like lab costs or parking. The bill is pending in committee and not yet law.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExempts veterans' families from tuition, increasing access to higher education through direct financial support for eligible students.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransExempts eligible veterans' families from tuition fees, expanding educational benefits for covered groups per bill's specific provisions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum Higher Education Student Financial Aid Military Families Veteran Benefits Veteran Education

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 29, 2026

HB 4953: To require all West Virginia high school students to pass a Civics examination and the United States Naturalization Examination

HB 4953 requires all West Virginia high school students to pass a civics examination and the U.S. Naturalization Examination as a prerequisite for graduation. This bill directly affects all public, private, parochial, and denominational high school students in West Virginia who are nearing graduation. Key provisions mandate that schools teach U.S. government history, civics, and the Constitution (as outlined in §18-2-9), provide standardized tests aligned with these standards, and make the two exams mandatory for graduation. The bill does not change existing curriculum requirements but adds the passing of these specific exams as a new graduation requirement.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates civics/naturalization exams for graduation, requiring curriculum focus on U.S. government history and Constitution, strengthening educational standards for K-12 students.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education Testing & Assessment

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 19, 2026

HB 4450: Removing restrictions of taxpayers to access online curriculum, and allow for taxpayers to inspect additional instructional material adopted by the county board pursuant to including books in the classroom

HB 4450 requires West Virginia public schools to post adopted curriculum online (with login access for students and parents) by the start of each school year. It allows parents, custodians, or guardians of enrolled students to request inspections of classroom materials (including books and supplementary resources), with teachers required to schedule appointments within 10 business days and demonstrate how materials align with state standards. The bill also mandates that teachers list required books on class syllabi and makes them available to parents upon request. It establishes a formal complaint process for non-compliance, with county superintendents resolving issues within seven business days before escalating to the State Superintendent. This bill affects parents/custodians/guardians of students, not general taxpayers, as clarified by the bill's actual provisions.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates online curriculum access for parents/students and requires material inspections aligned with state standards, enhancing transparency and accountability in K-12 education.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum

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