HB 4059 requires West Virginia counties and hospitals to report costs related to undocumented immigrants. Counties must disclose quarterly expenses for housing, food, transport, and education for undocumented individuals, including dates, amounts, and purposes. Hospitals must add immigration status questions to patient forms (with privacy assurances) and report quarterly on admission numbers, including those who declined to answer. The Department of Health will compile annual reports on uncompensated care costs for noncitizen patients and submit them to state leaders. This bill focuses solely on data collection, not cost calculation or policy changes.
SB 522, the West Virginia Jobs Protection Act, requires all employers in West Virginia - including businesses, government agencies, and contractors - to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm the work authorization of every new hire within three business days of their start date. This applies to all employers regardless of size, with violations subject to fines of $5,000-$15,000 per unauthorized worker, license suspension, or loss of state contracts. Employers must enroll in E-Verify and begin compliance by July 1, 2026, and retain verification records for at least three years. The law aims to ensure all employees have legal work authorization under federal law, with the West Virginia Division of Labor overseeing enforcement and reporting compliance data annually.
HB 4551, the West Virginia Safe Trucking Act 2026, requires non-domiciled commercial drivers (those not residents of West Virginia) operating commercial vehicles in the state to present a valid work visa and proof of citizenship (such as a birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or passport) starting July 1, 2026. This applies specifically to drivers holding non-domiciled commercial driver licenses or learner permits, as defined by federal regulations. Violations carry fines up to $2,500 for drivers per offense and up to $3,000 per violation for commercial carriers employing non-compliant drivers. The bill amends existing licensing standards to add these requirements and penalties, focusing on verifying legal work authorization for commercial truck drivers.
Senate Bill 462 requires most employers in West Virginia to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm whether new employees are legally permitted to work before hiring them. Employers must create an E-Verify account, temporarily employ new workers until verification is complete, and maintain records for three years or the length of employment, whichever is longer. The bill also prohibits local governments from creating conflicting rules and allows the labor commissioner to access specific state records (like driver’s license databases) to verify work status while protecting personal information. This applies to all businesses and organizations employing workers in West Virginia, with exceptions for employees hired before the bill’s effective date and those already exempt under federal law.
HJR 18 proposes amending West Virginia's Constitution to explicitly prohibit non-U.S. citizens from voting in any state election. It would add language to Article IV, Section 1 stating, "no person who is not a citizen of the United States be entitled to vote at any election held within this state." This change directly affects non-citizen residents currently eligible to vote in West Virginia elections. The amendment requires voter approval in the 2026 general election and would be designated as "Amendment 1" or the "Citizens Voting Amendment." The bill is currently referred to the House Judiciary Committee.
HB 4198, the E-Verify Requirement Act, requires all employers in West Virginia - including businesses, government entities, and public agencies - to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm employees' work authorization. It replaces criminal penalties with fines for knowingly employing unauthorized workers ($100-$10,000 per violation depending on offense count) and allows license suspension or revocation for repeat violations. The bill also creates a "safe harbor" for employers who use E-Verify, shielding them from penalties for failure to verify status. It repeals a provision denying business expense deductions for non-compliance but maintains financial penalties and licensing consequences for violations.
HB 4596 prohibits local governments (like cities, counties, and law enforcement agencies) from adopting policies that restrict cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The bill requires these entities to comply with federal immigration law enforcement or risk losing state funding - specifically, they have 90 days to fix violations after notice, and face funding denial for the next fiscal year if a court rules they intentionally violated the law. It directly affects local jurisdictions that might have previously limited information-sharing or collaboration with federal immigration authorities. The law aims to ensure local entities do not obstruct federal immigration enforcement efforts through policy.
