Labor & Employment

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 3, 2026

HB 5150: Establishing the West Virginia Secure Choice retirement program

HB 5150 establishes the West Virginia Secure Choice Retirement Program, a state-administered retirement savings plan for private-sector workers at eligible employers. It applies to private businesses with five or more employees that do not already offer a retirement plan, excluding government employers and workers covered by other plans. The program automatically enrolls eligible employees in a retirement account (choosing between Roth or traditional IRA options), with payroll deductions starting at a default rate that increases annually until reaching a maximum. Contributions are held in a state trust and must comply with federal IRA rules, giving employees the right to adjust their contribution rates.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEstablishes automatic retirement savings for private workers via payroll deductions, directly enhancing employee benefits and financial security.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Retirement Benefits

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 3, 2026

HB 5140: Employer discriminatory practices

HB 5140 amends West Virginia's anti-discrimination law to expand protections for workers. It lowers the minimum employee threshold for employer coverage from 12 to 2 workers, meaning smaller businesses now fall under the law, and explicitly includes independent contractors as "employees" for discrimination claims. The bill also extends the deadline to file a discrimination complaint with the Human Rights Commission from one year to three years. These changes directly affect more small businesses and independent contractors by broadening legal protections against workplace discrimination based on protected characteristics like race, gender, or disability.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands anti-discrimination coverage to small businesses (2+ employees) and independent contractors, extends complaint deadlines, directly strengthening worker protections under Labor & Employment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Employment Discrimination

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

HB 5503: Relating to providing a $5,000 salary increase to certain inspectors.

HB 5503 would provide a $5,000 annual salary increase to state mine inspectors, including electrical, underground, and surface mine inspectors, as defined in the existing law. The bill directly affects these specific inspectors by increasing their base pay on the effective date of the law. Key provisions require the salary adjustment to apply to all inspector categories covered under the current mine safety chapter. The bill focuses solely on the concrete policy change of raising salaries, with no additional provisions or program requirements.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases state spending on mine inspectors' salaries, directly allocating budget funds for salary adjustments under fiscal management.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill increases base pay by $5,000 for mine inspectors, directly advancing wages for a specific labor group under Labor & Employment.90% confidence

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 2, 2026

HB 5047: To create the Mobile Career and Technical Education Classroom Program.

HB 5047 creates a Mobile Career and Technical Education Classroom Program to address limited access to career training and specialized education in rural and coalfield counties of West Virginia. The program, administered by the state Department of Education, provides funding specifically for converting buses or vehicles into mobile classrooms equipped for career and technical education, workforce training, and fine arts instruction. Funds may cover vehicle conversion, renovation, instructional equipment, and safety modifications, but cannot be used for standard school buses. This initiative prioritizes applications submitted jointly by counties, career centers, or workforce development agencies to expand educational opportunities in underserved communities.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates mobile classrooms to expand career education access in underserved rural counties, funded by state for workforce training and fine arts instruction.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill explicitly funds workforce training via mobile classrooms, directly advancing employment readiness in underserved areas.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Workforce Development

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

HB 5451: Relating to survivor’s benefit payment for first responders

HB 5451 amends West Virginia law to update the payment process for funeral expenses of first responders killed in the line of duty. It ensures the state provides up to $8,000 for funeral costs (covering burial, services, etc.) for eligible law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, correctional staff, and probation officers who die while performing official duties. The bill clarifies that this payment supplements other benefits but guarantees at least $8,000 total if other funds cover less. It makes technical updates to align the statute with current code language and adjusts the effective date.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides $8,000 funeral benefit for first responders' families, expanding worker benefits for line-of-duty deaths80% confidence

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

HB 5654: Exempting West Virginia DNR officers from having to pay income tax on retirement.

HB 5654 would exempt retirement benefits received by West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (DNR) Police Officers from the state's personal income tax. This directly affects current and future DNR Police Officers who receive retirement benefits under state retirement systems. The bill adds a new provision (§11-21-12o) to the tax code, removing the requirement for these officers to pay income tax on their retirement payments. The bill was introduced on February 17, 2026, and referred to the House Finance Committee for review.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExempts DNR officers' retirement benefits from state income tax, providing targeted tax relief. Directly alters tax code to reduce tax burden for specific public safety personnel.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExempts DNR officers' retirement benefits from tax, expanding net compensation as part of employment benefits.80% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax

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

HB 5565: Relating to creating the State Election Poll Clerk Reimbursement Fund Account for county poll clerks to receive a stipend of $100 per day for each day they work during early voting and/or election day for general elections.

HB 5565 creates a new State Election Poll Clerk Reimbursement Fund Account in the state treasury to pay county poll clerks a $100 daily stipend for work during early voting or election day for general elections. This directly affects county poll clerks who serve in precincts during general elections, providing them with compensation for their service. County clerks must submit individual invoices for eligible clerks within 30 days after a general election, and the Secretary of State will pay these stipends from the new fund. The bill does not change election procedures or apply to primaries or municipal elections.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates new state fund for poll clerk stipends, increasing public service funding allocation within state budget.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides daily stipend ($100) to poll clerks for election work, directly funding compensation for labor performed, aligning with labor & employment support indicators.95% confidence

Tags Elections

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passed · West Virginia · House of Delegates Mar 9, 2026

HB 5163: Relating to exempting child-care programs operated by a county board of education exclusively for the children of its employees from certain licensing requirements

HB 5163 exempts child-care programs operated by county school boards exclusively for the children of their employees or students from most state licensing requirements. This directly affects county school districts and their employees/students who rely on these on-site child-care services. The bill adds this exemption to existing licensing rules while allowing the State Board of Education to create safety and health rules for these programs. It does not change current requirements for other child-care providers, such as family day-care homes or private facilities.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExempts school district child-care for employees from licensing, enabling on-site childcare access - a workplace benefit supporting employee retention and work-life balance.90% confidence

Tags Children

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

HB 5617: To allow authorized retailers, qualified as workforce training community centes, to retain a portion of consumer sales and use taxes

HB 5617 would allow certified nonprofit retailers (called "workforce training community centers") meeting specific criteria to retain 75% of consumer sales tax revenue collected after the first $1 million in annual sales. These retailers must use the retained funds exclusively for job training and placement services targeting people with employment barriers, such as disabilities. They would continue paying local sales taxes and report retained amounts to the state Department of Revenue. The bill creates a new program to expand access to workforce development by redirecting a portion of sales tax revenue toward job training services.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects 75% of sales tax revenue to fund job training programs for people with employment barriers, creating new public service funding through tax retention.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentFunds job training for people with employment barriers through tax retention, directly supporting workforce development and employment access.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Revenue Sales Tax Workforce Development

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signed · West Virginia · Senate Jun 25, 2026

SB 1038: Adjusting salaries for certain administrative law judges

This bill (SB 1038) increases salaries by 15% for three specific positions at the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review: Chief Administrative Law Judge, Administrative Law Judge 1, and Administrative Law Judge 2. The adjustment applies to salary levels effective when the bill takes effect and is separate from other 2026 budget salary changes. The stated purpose is to help ensure unemployment compensation hearings occur in a timely manner. The funding for this increase is exempt from standard budget constraints, and the law explicitly states it creates no legal liability for implementation.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentIncreases salaries for unemployment compensation judges to ensure timely hearings, directly supporting efficient processing of worker unemployment claims within employment standards.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Unemployment