HB 2720 West Virginia House of Delegates · 2025 Regular Session

To create the Southern Coalfield Resiliency and Revitalization Program

HB 2720 establishes the Southern Coalfield Resiliency and Revitalization Program to support communities in Boone, Logan, McDowell, Mingo, and Wyoming counties, which have been significantly impacted by declines in the coal industry. The program creates a Revitalization Council coordinated by the West Virginia Department of Economic Development, including representatives from state agencies, county commissions, and educational institutions, to coordinate existing state resources and technical assistance. It directs the council to develop economic strategies, prioritize support for local industries and natural resources, and report annually - without creating new positions or hiring additional staff. The program is set to operate for five years from its effective date, focusing on revitalizing communities through existing state infrastructure and partnerships.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 21, 2025 Last action Apr 3, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Committee Substitute → Engrossed Committee Substitute · 2 edits · Apr 2, 2025

MINOR

The bill was updated from a 'Committee Substitute' to an 'Engrossed' version, indicating it has passed further legislative review. The substantive text of the bill, which creates the Southern Coalfield Resiliency and Revitalization Program for Boone, Logan, McDowell, Mingo, and Wyoming counties, remains unchanged. The primary modifications involve formatting updates, such as adding a header and removing a summary note, rather than altering the bill's policy or legal requirements.

TECHNICAL

Removed a summary note explaining the bill's purpose and a placeholder link to the previous version.

Added an 'Engrossed' version header and updated the history section to reflect the bill's current status.

Introduced Version → Committee Substitute · 9 edits

MAJOR

The bill was revised from a single section into a new article containing ten distinct sections to provide a more structured legal framework. The legislative purpose was updated to explicitly attribute the coal industry's decline to excessive federal regulations, and the program's duration was clarified to terminate five years after the section takes effect. The Revitalization Council's membership was expanded to include the President of West Virginia University Technical College and the Regional Planning and Development Councils, while the Department of Economic Development was renamed as the primary state body responsible for implementation.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a single section to a multi-section article, and the definition of the 'Department' was updated to the West Virginia Department of Economic Development.

REQUIREMENT

The legislative purpose was modified to explicitly state that federal regulations caused the injury to the coal industry.

The Revitalization Council was required to prioritize West Virginia's natural resources, industries, and reliable forms of energy.

The Revitalization Council's membership was modified to include the President of West Virginia University Technical College and the Regional Planning and Development Councils.

The list of contributing partners was modified to include the Encova Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Davis College Research, Education and Outreach Centers.

Council members were added a requirement that they receive no compensation or expense reimbursement for their services.

The reporting requirement was modified to specify reporting to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance instead of just the Legislature.

TIMELINE

The program duration was clarified to end five years after the section goes into effect, rather than from the effective date of the legislation.

DEFINITION

New definitions were added for 'Department' (West Virginia Department of Economic Development) and 'Southern Coalfield Resiliency and Revitalization Program'.

TECHNICAL

The bill was restructured from a single section into a new article with ten separate sections for better organization.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Apr 2, 2025

How they voted

97–2

Passed · 1 other

Total votes 100

Apr 2, 2025

D Democratic9

9 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican91

88 Yea 2 Nay 1

96% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 3, 2025

Committee

To Economic Development

upper

Apr 3, 2025

Committee

To Economic Development then Government Organization

upper

Apr 3, 2025

Introduced

Introduced in Senate

upper

Apr 2, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed House (Roll No. 347)

lower

Mar 31, 2025

Lower · Passed

By substitute, do pass

lower

Feb 21, 2025

Committee

To House Government Organization

lower

Feb 21, 2025

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

Feb 21, 2025

Committee

To Government Organization

lower

1 primary · 9 co-sponsors