HB 5494 proposes allowing West Virginia counties to charge a $5-per-night fee on hotel stays (including motels, vacation rentals, and short-term leases) to fund local emergency services. County commissions would set the exact fee amount (up to $5/night), and hotels, operators, and online booking platforms would collect and remit the fee. Proceeds must be used exclusively for emergency medical services, fire protection, law enforcement, and 911 operations. The bill defines "hotel" broadly to cover all temporary lodging under 30 days, ensuring the fee applies to both traditional hotels and platforms like Airbnb.
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SB 989 changes membership rules for the Medical Services Fund Advisory Council and creates a new Medicaid Beneficiary Advisory Council. It increases the council size from 9-15 to 11-15 members, requires specific nominations from professional groups (like medical, dental, and primary care associations), and adds a new Medicaid Beneficiary Advisory Council to represent Medicaid recipients. The bill also repeals the old Children’s Health Policy Advisory Board structure and updates the council’s responsibilities to align with federal requirements. These changes directly affect council members, professional associations that nominate them, and Medicaid beneficiaries through the new advisory body.
HB 5085 requires private residential programs for adolescents with behavioral or emotional challenges to obtain a license from West Virginia’s Office of Health Facility Licensure and Certification. The bill mandates background checks for all staff with direct contact with youth, prohibits physical discipline or denial of education, and requires programs to report restraints/seclusion within one business day. It also mandates written policies for suicide prevention, allows parents to remove youth or request weekly video calls, and requires programs to publicly post complaint procedures. The law directly affects operators of these residential programs (excluding schools, camps, or faith-based organizations), imposing new licensing, safety, and transparency requirements.
HB 5259 permits qualifying patients with a physician certification and a valid state-issued medical cannabis ID card, or their designated caregivers, to grow up to 10 cannabis plants for personal use. The bill specifically allows cultivation in "plant form" but limits this to no more than five mature, flowering plants at any time. Patients or caregivers must comply with physician certification requirements and cannot grow for commercial purposes or exceed the plant limits. This amendment to West Virginia's medical cannabis law adds Section 16A-5-11 to explicitly authorize home cultivation under these conditions.
SB 897 establishes licensing and certification requirements for alcohol and drug counselors in West Virginia. It defines key terms like "substance use disorder" and "practice of alcohol and drug counseling," which includes evaluating addiction issues, developing treatment plans, and providing trauma-informed care. The bill sets eligibility criteria, application fees, renewal fees, and grandfathering provisions for existing counselors based on education or experience. It also creates disciplinary actions for violations and specifies exceptions for healthcare providers, state employees, and self-help groups. This bill directly affects counselors seeking to provide substance use disorder treatment services in the state.
HB 5188 allows certified patients and their caregivers to legally possess and smoke medical cannabis in West Virginia under specific conditions. It authorizes only certain forms (like pills, oils, topicals, vaporized products, and flowers), prohibits dry leaf/plant forms initially, and requires identification cards issued by the state bureau. Certified patients may have up to two caregivers, who can serve no more than five patients each. The bill explicitly permits smoking - previously prohibited under state law - and mandates that unused cannabis remain in original packaging. It affects only those with valid medical cannabis certifications and identification cards.
SB 995 requires West Virginia's Secretary of Health to submit monthly reports to the Legislature detailing how state funds from the federal Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program are spent. The reports must include itemized budgets, vendor lists, programs developed with RHT funds, tracked data variables, and outcomes achieved. This oversight applies to West Virginia's $200 million RHT allocation (2026-2030), which aims to improve rural healthcare access and outcomes. The bill directly affects the Secretary of Health and legislative oversight bodies, mandating transparency without altering the RHT Program's operations.
This bill removes time limits for workers to file or modify claims related to progressive massive fibrosis, a lung disease often linked to occupational exposure (like mining). It directly affects workers who develop this condition, allowing them to pursue or adjust compensation claims without being barred by past deadlines. The bill amends West Virginia's workers' compensation code to eliminate statute of limitations barriers specifically for these claims and adds a new impairment rating for progressive massive fibrosis. This change ensures affected workers can access benefits regardless of when symptoms first appeared or worsened.
HB 5370, "Caitlyn's Law," would require a mandatory 24-hour hospital hold for individuals suspected of having a substance use disorder (as defined by the DSM) who are deemed at risk of causing serious harm to themselves or others due to their addiction. This applies when someone lacks judgment about needing treatment due to substance impairment, but excludes cases based solely on dementia, epilepsy, or intellectual disabilities. The bill mandates evaluation by a mental hygiene commissioner or licensed professional within that 24-hour period to determine if further involuntary treatment is needed. It directly affects individuals in West Virginia with suspected substance use disorders who meet specific risk criteria. The bill is currently in committee referral following its introduction on February 9, 2026.
HB 5306 is a supplemental appropriation bill that increases funding for West Virginia's Medicaid program by $128,383,090 for "Medical Services" and $268,451 for "Administrative Costs" within the Department of Human Services' Health Care Provider Tax - Medicaid State Share Fund (Fund 5090). It uses unappropriated funds from the 2026 fiscal year budget to cover existing Medicaid provider payments and administrative needs. The bill directly affects Medicaid healthcare providers and state agencies managing Medicaid services by ensuring funding availability for current obligations. Introduced on February 6, 2026, it is currently pending in the House Finance Committee. This is a procedural budget adjustment, not a policy change.
