Healthcare

signed · West Virginia · Senate Jun 25, 2026

SB 741: Expanding pilot program to implement involuntary commitment process

SB 741 expands the pilot program for involuntary commitment processes to include additional counties: Cabell, Berkeley, Hampshire, Morgan, Ohio, and Wood. The bill requires mental health centers in these counties to provide timely evaluations (in-person or via video) for potential commitment and explain the process to affected individuals. It also mandates quarterly audits of commitment applications to ensure clinical justification, with findings kept confidential. This bill directly affects mental health centers, courts, law enforcement, and individuals subject to involuntary commitment in the expanded counties.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands mental health commitment pilot with timely evaluations and clinical audits, strengthening patient access and rights in mental healthcare services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · West Virginia · Senate Jun 25, 2026

SB 906: Permitting lawful prescription of crystalline polymorph psilocybin under FDA recommendations

This bill allows doctors in West Virginia to legally prescribe, distribute, and market specific forms of psilocybin once the FDA approves it and the DEA reschedules it. It amends state pharmacy laws to remove barriers for FDA-approved crystalline polymorph psilocybin products, aligning state regulations with federal decisions. The law applies only to pharmaceutical compositions of psilocybin that meet federal approval standards, not to raw or unapproved forms of the substance. Healthcare providers and pharmacies would be able to handle these medications under existing prescription drug frameworks once federal requirements are met.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill expands patient access to psilocybin treatments by removing state barriers and aligning with federal approvals, supporting mental health services.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · West Virginia · Senate Jun 25, 2026

SB 231: Relating to value-based payment requirements

This bill establishes a value-based payment system for West Virginia's Medicaid addiction care services, shifting from fee-for-service to rewarding providers based on patient recovery outcomes. It directly affects Medicaid providers treating substance use disorders by requiring them to use standardized billing codes starting in 2027 and report on five specific outcome metrics: housing stability, sobriety, avoidance of criminal justice involvement, self-sufficiency (employment/education), and provider transition plans. The bill mandates data collection and analysis by the Bureau for Medical Services to develop these metrics, with value-based payments requiring implementation by 2028. The goal is to create a coordinated care system focused on long-term recovery success rather than fragmented service volume.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill requires tracking 'avoidance of criminal justice involvement' as a key outcome metric, directly aligning with recidivism reduction goals in criminal justice reform.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareShifts Medicaid addiction care to value-based payments focused on recovery outcomes, improving patient care quality and aligning with mental health service support.85% confidence | Rep's Stance Voted absent

signed · West Virginia · Senate Jun 25, 2026

SB 650: Designating psychiatric hospital that treats exclusively civil and forensic patients

SB 650 amends West Virginia law to define a psychiatric hospital treating exclusively civil and forensic patients (with over 95% of its inpatient census being court-ordered forensic or civil involuntary commitments from state custody) as a "state-designated facility" for tax purposes. This change excludes such hospitals from the category of "eligible acute care hospitals" subject to a 0.75% tax on gross receipts, exempting them from this tax. The bill directly affects psychiatric hospitals in West Virginia meeting this specific patient mix requirement by altering their tax classification under the Medicaid funding structure.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExempts psychiatric hospitals from 0.75% tax on gross receipts, providing tax relief for designated facilities.95% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExempts forensic psychiatric facilities from tax, supporting infrastructure for court-ordered patients in criminal justice system.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExempts psychiatric hospitals from 0.75% tax, reducing operational costs to support mental health services for civil/forensic patients.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

signed · West Virginia · Senate Jun 25, 2026

SB 645: Prohibiting surprise billing of ground emergency medical services by nonparticipating providers

West Virginia Senate Bill 645 prohibits non-network ambulance services from charging patients extra fees beyond standard insurance cost-sharing. It requires insurers to pay non-participating ambulance providers directly at 400% of the Medicare rate (or the provider’s billed amount, whichever is lower) within 30 days of a clean claim. Patients cannot be billed for amounts beyond their standard copayments, coinsurance, or deductibles, and insurers must provide written denial notices with specific reasons. This applies to ground ambulance services covered under health insurance policies issued on or after January 1, 2027.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcarePrevents surprise billing for emergency ambulance services, protecting patients from extra charges and requiring insurers to pay at 400% Medicare rate.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

signed · West Virginia · Senate Jun 24, 2026

SB 570: Supplemental Appropriation to Department of Health, fund 8802

This bill (SB 570) allocates $199,476,099 in unspent federal funds to the West Virginia Department of Health's "Rural Health Transformation Program" for fiscal year 2026. It adds a new funding line (Fund 8802, Org 0506) under the Department's Central Office to support this specific program. The funds are designated for rural health initiatives and directly affect the Department of Health's ability to implement these programs. This is a procedural funding measure, not a policy change, using existing federal funds without new tax implications.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $199M in federal funds to rural health program, directly increasing budget allocation for essential public health services.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllocates $199M to Rural Health Transformation Program, directly funding healthcare services per bill summary.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

vetoed · West Virginia · House of Delegates Apr 2, 2026

HB 5074: Relating to changing the allocation of proceeds in the Medical Cannabis Program Fund.

HB 5074 changes how revenue from West Virginia's medical cannabis program is allocated. For fiscal year 2026, it directs $3 million to the Supreme Court for a child protection pilot, $10 million each to West Virginia University and Marshall University for ibogaine research, and $5 million to homelessness services, with remaining funds reverting to general revenue. Starting July 1, 2026, annual allocations will be: 15% to the Medical Cannabis Bureau for administration, 15% to the Department of Agriculture for cannabis testing, and 45% split among the Fight Substance Abuse Fund (20%), university research (10% each to Marshall and WVU), a Child Protection Commission (10%), and law enforcement training programs (40%). These changes apply to ongoing revenue from medical cannabis taxes, not new taxes or fees.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates cannabis program revenue to child protection, university research, and homelessness services, advancing funding for public programs and fiscal management.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAllocates $10M to universities for ibogaine research (addiction treatment), directly funding mental health services within healthcare.85% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill allocates $5 million to homelessness services, directly addressing housing needs through funding for housing-related support programs.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Healthcare

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vetoed · West Virginia · Senate Apr 1, 2026

SB 649: Requiring coverage of home blood pressure monitoring devices for certain Medicaid recipients

SB 649 requires West Virginia Medicaid to cover home blood pressure monitoring devices for specific enrollees: pregnant individuals or those within 12 months postpartum who have been diagnosed with uncontrolled hypertension. The bill mandates that covered devices must be validated by the U.S. Blood Pressure Validated Listing and includes coverage for an extra blood pressure cuff. Medicaid providers must also receive reimbursement for related services, such as patient training, interpreting readings, and delivering co-interventions. This policy directly affects Medicaid recipients with hypertension during pregnancy or postpartum, expanding access to essential monitoring tools.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates Medicaid coverage for blood pressure devices, expanding access to hypertension management for vulnerable populations, directly advancing healthcare access and coverage.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · West Virginia · House of Delegates Mar 5, 2026

HB 5260: Relating generally to medical cannabis

HB 5260 adds "edible" as an allowable form of medical cannabis in West Virginia, with strict requirements for safety and regulation. It requires processors to obtain bureau approval for each edible product, mandates specific shapes (like squares or circles), limits edibles to lozenges or gelatins, and caps THC content at 10mg per serving with a 15% potency variance. The bill prohibits color additives in edibles and requires all medical cannabis dispensing to be reported to the state's controlled substance monitoring database. This directly affects patients using medical cannabis, caregivers, and licensed processors who must comply with these new edible-specific rules.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAdds edible medical cannabis forms with safety regulations, expanding patient access to healthcare services under strict safety protocols.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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passed · West Virginia · House of Delegates Mar 5, 2026

HB 5563: To create the West Virginia Timely Transplant Referral and Coordination Act

HB 5563 requires licensed healthcare providers in West Virginia to refer patients meeting organ transplant criteria to a transplant center within three calendar days of documenting that need in the medical record. It exempts referrals only when a specific medical contraindication is documented. The Department of Health must collect and report annual data on referral timelines, including average wait times, compliance rates, and rural disparities. This law directly affects hospitals, transplant centers, and patients awaiting organ transplants by standardizing referral processes. The bill does not alter federal organ allocation policies or clinical eligibility standards.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates 3-day transplant referrals, reduces wait times, addresses rural disparities - directly improves patient access to critical care services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Healthcare

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