Transportation in West Virginia

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 23, 2026

HB 4723: Make it illegal to operate a “squatted” vehicle on West Virginia roads.

HB 4723 prohibits operating vehicles with a front or rear fender raised four or more inches higher than the other side ("squatted" vehicles) on West Virginia roads starting July 1, 2026. It directly affects drivers who modify their vehicle suspensions in this manner. For the first six months after the effective date, law enforcement may issue only warning citations; after January 1, 2027, violations carry escalating penalties: $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second, and $300 plus a one-year license suspension for a third offense. The bill defines "squatted" vehicles specifically and establishes clear enforcement timelines.

Topics ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Driver Licensing Vehicle Registration

in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 30, 2026

SB 131: Creating credit against severance tax for certain infrastructure improvements

SB 131 creates a tax credit against West Virginia's severance tax for businesses that make qualifying investments in road/highway infrastructure improvements or coal production/processing facilities. It directly affects coal industry businesses and infrastructure developers in coal-producing regions by allowing them to reduce their severance tax liability. The credit covers costs for labor, materials, and real property improvements tied to certified road projects or coal facilities, with applications required through the Transportation Secretary. Unused credits can be carried forward, and the credit may be transferred to successors. This policy aims to incentivize private investment in infrastructure and coal sector capital projects.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✗ Energy ✗ Environment ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Business Taxes Tax Credits Tax Incentives Coal Roads & Highways Transportation Funding Tags Economic Development

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 12, 2026

HB 4426: Ensure State Road Construction Account funds are in addition to general highways funds provided to the DOT districts

HB 4426 creates a special State Road Construction Account within the State Road Fund to provide dedicated highway construction and maintenance funding for 10 specific West Virginia counties: Raleigh, Fayette, Wyoming, Mercer, Kanawha, Greenbrier, Monroe, Summers, McDowell, and Nicholas. The bill explicitly requires that funds from this new account must be in addition to, not reduce, existing highway funding those counties receive from the general State Road Fund. It ensures counties listed in the bill will not lose their regular highway funding simply because they receive money from this new account. The account will be used for highway projects in these counties as defined in specific transportation plans from 2017.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Roads & Highways Transportation Funding

introduced · West Virginia · Senate Jan 16, 2026

SB 447: Relating to Industrial Access Road Grant Program

SB 447 amends West Virginia's Industrial Access Road Fund to clarify spending rules and raise monetary limits. It increases the annual county allocation cap for unmatched funds from $400,000 to $800,000 and sets a $300,000 cap for matched funds. The fund can only finance roads to existing or planned industrial sites (e.g., manufacturing, distribution, or West Virginia Business Ready Sites Program locations), not schools, shopping centers, or private property. Counties must provide surety bonds if sites aren't built on time, and projects require Division of Highways approval within 90 days.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Airports Roads & Highways Transportation Funding

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 30, 2026

HB 4431: Requiring the approval of the Legislature and the Governor before additional bonds may be issued by the Parkways Authority

HB 4431 requires West Virginia's Parkways Authority to obtain approval from both the Legislature and Governor before issuing new bonds for parkway projects. It also mandates that tolls on parkways must be removed six months after the bonds used for construction are fully paid off. The bill restricts bond proceeds to only parkway projects (not economic development or tourism initiatives) and clarifies that bonds can be issued for highways using Appalachian Regional Commission funds. This ensures legislative oversight of bond issuances and creates a clear timeline for toll removal.

Topics ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Transportation Funding

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

HB 4040: Non-State Owned Roads Improvement Act

HB 4040, the Non-State Owned Roads Improvement Act, grants West Virginia municipalities (cities, towns, and counties) authority to repair and improve roads not owned or maintained by state or federal governments. It allows municipalities to pave, fix potholes, install signage, and enhance drainage on these roads while providing legal protection from lawsuits if improvements are done in good faith and follow safety standards, excluding cases of serious negligence. Municipalities must notify the public through notices, media, or meetings before starting projects and publish details like timelines and funding sources online. The bill permits using existing municipal funds, state/federal infrastructure grants, or private partnerships to cover costs, with immediate effective date upon passage.

Topics ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Roads & Highways

signed · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jun 29, 2026

HB 4007: Relating to industrial access roads

HB 4007 amends West Virginia's Industrial Access Road Fund rules to clarify how state funds can be used for constructing or maintaining access roads to industrial sites. The bill directly affects counties and municipalities seeking funding for roads leading to approved manufacturing, distribution, or processing facilities (including West Virginia Business Ready Sites), while restricting the fund from covering roads to schools, hospitals, shopping centers, or private property. Key changes include raising the annual funding cap to $6 million per fiscal year, setting a $800,000 maximum for unmatched funds per county, and requiring counties to certify site construction or provide surety before funds are allocated. The bill also clarifies that funds cannot be used for utility adjustments or roads on private property, and mandates the Division of Highways must review location requests within 90 days.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Roads & Highways

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 19, 2026

HB 4151: Establishing the West Virginia Aviation Access and Tourism Growth Act

HB 4151 establishes the West Virginia Aviation Access and Tourism Growth Act to improve air travel infrastructure and boost tourism. It creates a $15 million state fund (with annual review) to provide matching grants for airport upgrades, revenue guarantees for new flight routes, and tax incentives like sales tax exemptions on jet fuel and property tax breaks for aviation facilities. The bill directly affects regional airports (prioritizing Yeager, North Central WV, Greenbrier Valley, and Eastern WV airports), tourism businesses through co-branded marketing programs, and aviation workers via new workforce training at community colleges. Key provisions include funding for airport modernization, tax credits for aviation employers creating jobs, and a 13-member task force to develop a 10-year aviation access plan. The act aims to enhance air connectivity to tourism destinations like national parks and rural communities.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Property Tax Sales Tax Airports

introduced · West Virginia · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SB 8: Requiring DOH Commissioner to develop formula for allocating road funds among districts

This bill requires West Virginia's Commissioner of Highways to create a formula for distributing state and federal road funds among the state's 10 road districts by 2027. The formula must consider specific factors like county population (from census data), road mileage, traffic volume, heavy truck usage, and bridge conditions to ensure funds are allocated based on actual needs. Before finalizing the formula, the Commissioner must gather public input through a six-week comment period and publish all feedback online. The proposed formula must be submitted to the Legislature for approval as a rule, guaranteeing districts cannot receive less funding than their highest previous five-year allocation unless the overall highway budget decreases.

Topics ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Bridges Roads & Highways Transportation Funding

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 30, 2026

HB 4363: Establishing a program for camera assisted speed enforcement in active work zones on public highways

HB 4363 allows the use of camera systems to enforce speed limits in active road construction zones on West Virginia public highways. It authorizes the state highway commissioner to set work zone speed limits and permits "work zone speed control systems" (cameras) as an exception to general bans on photo enforcement devices. The bill requires drivers to obey speed limits in work zones and specifies that cameras can only be used to assist law enforcement with speed enforcement, not for general traffic monitoring. It also sets rules for camera operation, including machine function restrictions and lawful use conditions. This directly affects drivers traveling through active highway construction sites and highway authorities managing work zone safety.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Roads & Highways Traffic Safety

All transportation bills