Sen. Randy Smith

Maddy summarySB 843 is a supplemental budget measure that adds $330,000 to the existing appropriation for the Department of Health's Vital Statistics Account (fund 5144) for fiscal year 2026. It specifically increases funding for "Personal Services and Employee Benefits" within this account, using unspent funds identified by the Governor. The bill directly affects the Department of Health's Vital Statistics program, which handles birth, death, and other vital records. This is a procedural budget adjustment to reallocate existing unappropriated funds, not a new policy or program.

Maddy summarySB 868 increases funding for payments to claimants who have filed claims against the State of West Virginia. It amends the existing budget allocation by raising the total amount from $864,750 to $2,314,750 (split as $1.1 million general revenue, $250,000 special revenue, and $964,750 state road funds) to cover a higher volume of claims. This adjustment directly affects individuals and entities seeking compensation for claims against the state, which have risen due to expedited payment processes established by prior legislation. The bill does not create new policies but adjusts existing fiscal provisions to address increased claim volumes.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds $13,099 to the Department of Administration's Office of the Secretary (Fund 0186) for "Current Expenses - Surplus" in fiscal year 2026. It directly affects the Department of Administration by allocating an existing unappropriated surplus balance identified in the Governor's budget. The bill makes a minor procedural budget adjustment to use leftover state funds without creating new programs or impacting citizens or organizations. It is a routine fiscal amendment, not a substantive policy change.

Maddy summarySB 821 is a budget reallocation bill that moves $21 million from the Premium Tax Savings Fund (fund 2367) to the Public Entity Insurance Trust Fund (fund 2363) within the Department of Administration. It uses unspent funds from the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, to supplement the Public Entity Insurance Trust Fund's budget. This bill directly affects state insurance funds and administrative operations, not individual citizens or new policies. The change is purely procedural, transferring existing unappropriated funds between two state insurance trust funds without creating new programs or changing laws.

Maddy summarySB 823 is a procedural budget adjustment that adds $13,000 to the existing appropriation for the West Virginia Department of Revenue's Alcohol Beverage Control Administration (fund 7352) for fiscal year 2026. This supplementary funding covers current operational expenses already allocated within the agency's budget. The bill does not create new policies or affect citizens directly - it simply adjusts an existing budget line item using unspent funds. The measure was introduced at the executive branch's request and refers to the agency's current fiscal year 2026 budget.

Maddy summarySB 830 adds $7.77 million to the Department of Human Services' Adoption program (fund 0488), $19.69 million to Foster Care (fund 0489), and $1 million to Adult Services (fund 0492) for fiscal year 2026. It uses unappropriated surplus funds from the State General Revenue Fund, as identified in the Governor's 2026 budget document. The bill directly affects these three DHS bureaus by providing additional funding for their existing programs without changing eligibility or service requirements. This is a procedural budget adjustment, not a new policy.

Maddy summarySB 817 adds $1,000,000 in supplemental funding to West Virginia’s Northern Regional Juvenile Center (part of the Bureau of Juvenile Services under the Department of Homeland Security) for fiscal year 2026. The funds come from an unappropriated surplus balance in the State Fund, General Revenue, as identified in the Governor’s 2026 budget submission. This allocation specifically supports the existing operations of the Northern Regional Juvenile Center without creating new programs or altering service requirements. The bill does not change eligibility, funding formulas, or policy standards - it simply reallocates unused state funds to a designated facility.

Maddy summarySB 819 redirects $4,906,630 from an unappropriated surplus balance in West Virginia's General Revenue Fund to William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital (fund 0413) for fiscal year 2026. The bill supplements the hospital's existing appropriation by adding a new line item for "Current Expenses - Surplus" to cover operational costs. This procedural budget adjustment directly affects the hospital's funding for the 2026 fiscal year without changing health care policies or creating new obligations. The funds were identified in the Governor's Executive Budget Document as available surplus.

Maddy summarySB 841 adds $30,498 to the State Board of Education's fund 3951 for the Hope Scholarship Program, using an unappropriated surplus from lottery net profits. This supplemental appropriation allocates existing lottery revenue - specifically from the surplus balance not included in the initial budget - to fund the Hope Scholarship Program during fiscal year 2026. The bill does not change the program's eligibility or structure but provides additional funding for student scholarships. The funds are designated for expenditure before June 30, 2026, as part of the state's budget process.

Maddy summarySB 871 allocates $12.66 million from West Virginia's Excess Lottery Fund to the Hope Scholarship Program for fiscal year 2026. This supplemental appropriation adds a new funding line (Fund 3517) to the State Board of Education's budget, directing unappropriated lottery surplus funds toward scholarship payments. The bill does not change program eligibility, rules, or structure - it only provides additional funding for existing scholarship disbursements. It is a procedural budget adjustment, not a new policy.