Labor & Employment in West Virginia

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 9, 2026

HB 5331: To provide special consideration for municipalities to be allowed to join NPFRS for their paid firefighters

HB 5331 amends West Virginia law to allow municipalities with paid firefighters to join the Municipal Police Officers & Firefighters Retirement System (MPFRS) without requiring prior approval. This directly affects cities and towns that currently cannot participate in MPFRS for their full-time firefighters. The bill removes existing barriers by revising eligibility rules in the retirement system statutes, enabling these municipalities to enroll their paid firefighters in the existing retirement program. The change provides a structured pathway for local governments to offer retirement benefits to municipal firefighters under MPFRS, which currently serves some fire departments but not all.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

introduced · West Virginia · Senate Jan 16, 2026

SB 458: Providing pay raise for state road employees

SB 458 provides a $5,000 salary increase for all employees of the West Virginia Division of Highways, effective July 1, 2026. This direct pay raise applies to current road maintenance and highway workers employed by the state. The bill amends existing law to implement this specific salary adjustment without altering other existing provisions like scholarship programs. The change is effective immediately upon enactment for all eligible employees as of the specified date.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Roads & Highways

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 22, 2026

HB 4727: To provide a 25% pay increase for state teachers (all salary scales)

HB 4727 would increase all state teacher salaries in West Virginia by 25% across every salary scale and experience level, effective for the 2024-2025 school year. It directly affects all public school teachers paid under the state minimum salary schedule, including those with varying certifications (like A.B., M.A., or special education) and years of experience. The bill amends the existing salary schedule by adding 25% to every base salary figure shown in the table, such as raising a 0-year experience 4th Class teacher's salary from $39,057 to approximately $48,821. This is a direct pay increase applied uniformly to all teacher classifications without changing certification requirements or adding new benefit categories.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Special Education Teachers Professional Licensing

signed · West Virginia · Senate Jun 25, 2026

SB 104: Providing certain state mine inspectors with raise

This bill provides a $5,000 salary increase to state mine inspectors, including electrical, underground, and surface mine inspectors, effective upon enactment. It directly affects these specific inspectors by adding a fixed monetary amount to their base salaries without altering their duties or qualifications. The provision applies uniformly to all inspectors covered under the relevant chapter of the state code.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 28, 2026

HB 4875: To provide a 25% pay increase for state school service personnel (all salary scales)

HB 4875 would increase the minimum monthly pay for all West Virginia state school service personnel by 25% across every salary grade. This applies to employees working more than 3.5 hours daily (full-time equivalent) and half that rate for those working 3.5 hours or less, affecting roles like custodians, cafeteria workers, aides, and specialized staff listed in the pay scale. The bill amends §18A-4-8a of West Virginia law to implement this across all experience levels and job classifications, effective July 1, 2024. The change directly affects all state school service employees covered under the current minimum pay scale structure.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SB 92: Relating to enhanced pay for certain teachers

SB 92 creates a market-based pay enhancement for West Virginia teachers in counties where regional home prices exceed the state average. It directly affects certified teachers employed in counties where the median home price in their county plus neighboring border counties is higher than West Virginia’s statewide median. The bill calculates an annual multiplier using regional vs. state median home prices (from National Association of Realtors data), which is applied to each county’s average teacher salary to determine supplemental pay. This enhancement, added to base salaries, requires annual reporting to the State Auditor and is subject to personal income tax. The program begins July 15, 2026, with updates every five years.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Audits & Accountability Income Tax Teachers

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

HB 4658: To add to the teacher pay scale the increments of Bachelor’s Plus 30 and Master’s Plus 60 and add that amount in the appropriate increment.

HB 4658 would add a new pay increment for teachers with a Master's degree plus 60 credits (or equivalent) to West Virginia's teacher salary schedule, which currently only includes increments up to Master's plus 15. The bill establishes a base salary amount for this category and an additional $69 per year of experience (up to 35 years), matching the structure of existing increments like "A.B. + 30" and "M.A. + 15." This change would directly increase pay for teachers meeting this specific qualification, including those with a Master's degree and 60 additional credits beyond the degree. The bill does not affect the existing "Bachelor’s Plus 30" increment, which is already listed in the current salary schedule.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Teachers

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 22, 2026

HB 4589: Clarifying that the time limitations provided for filing occupational pneumoconiosis claims do not apply or otherwise limit the ability of a claimant to obtain an evaluation from the Occupational Pneumoconiosis Board

HB 4589 clarifies that time limits for filing occupational pneumoconiosis claims do not restrict when workers can seek medical evaluations from the Occupational Pneumoconiosis Board. It directly affects coal miners and others diagnosed with pneumoconiosis (like black lung disease) who need to obtain board evaluations to pursue compensation. The bill explicitly states that standard claim filing deadlines (three years for diagnosis or exposure) do not apply to the evaluation process itself. This ensures claimants can access necessary medical assessments without being barred by the usual time limits for submitting formal claims.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Workers' Compensation

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 20, 2026

HB 4586: Relating to government procurement of electric vehicles

HB 4586, introduced in West Virginia's 2026 legislative session, would prohibit state agencies and local governments from purchasing electric vehicles that may contain components made through forced labor or oppressive child labor. The bill defines "forced labor" as work obtained by coercion or fraud, including labor involving protected characteristics, and "oppressive child labor" as employment of children under 14 in hazardous work like mining. It requires all government contracts for electric vehicles to include a provision ensuring no components were produced using such labor, aligning with federal actions like the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. If enacted, the law would directly affect all state departments, counties, municipalities, schools, and universities purchasing electric vehicles, preventing taxpayer funds from supporting vehicles linked to unethical labor practices. The bill is currently pending in the House Government Organization Committee.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Child Labor

signed · West Virginia · House of Delegates Aug 13, 2026

HB 4191: Relating to providing child care generally

HB 4191 increases the tax credit available to West Virginia employers who provide on-site child care for their employees. The bill expands the credit to cover costs of building, improving, or operating qualifying child care facilities, including furniture and equipment. Employers can claim this credit for five years after the facility is first used, provided the facility primarily serves employees' children and meets ownership requirements. This directly affects West Virginia employers operating on-site child care programs, reducing their state tax burden for these expenses.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Labor & Employment

Sub-Topics Tax Credits

All labor & employment bills