SB 646 West Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Increasing non-traditional instruction days for WV teachers

SB 646 increases the number of days West Virginia county school boards can use alternative instruction methods (like remote assignments) during weather-related or emergency closures from five to ten days per school year. These days count as full instructional days toward the state’s 180-day requirement, directly affecting county boards (which must get state approval for their plans), teachers (who assign work), and students (who receive instruction during closures). The bill also prohibits using non-instructional "out-of-calendar" days to make up for lost instructional time. This change aims to ensure schools meet minimum instructional requirements without requiring in-person attendance on closure days.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Mar 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Governor

Introduced Mar 3, 2025 Last action Apr 2, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Committee Substitute → Committee Substitute for the Committee Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill update clarifies and expands school scheduling rules in West Virginia by adding new definitions for instructional days, co-curricular activities, and out-of-calendar days. It also updates references to align with current legal codes and adjusts some formatting and numbering conventions throughout the document.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on school calendar requirements but adds clearer definitions and technical corrections to improve clarity and consistency with other state laws.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'Instructional day', 'Co-curricular activities', and 'Out-of-calendar day' to clarify what counts toward the 180-day requirement.

TECHNICAL

Changed references from 'Code of West Virginia, 1931' to 'code of West Virginia, 1931' and updated chapter references from spelled-out numbers to numeric format (e.g., '18A-5-2' instead of 'section two, article five, chapter eighteen-a').

Corrected formatting issues including changing 'cocurricular' to 'co-curricular' and adjusting punctuation in several sections for clarity.

REQUIREMENT

Updated the number of noninstructional days from 'twenty' to '20' and changed 'one hundred eighty' to '180' for consistency throughout the document.

TIMELINE

Updated the report date from March 7, 2025 to March 24, 2025 and changed the committee from Education to Finance.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 26, 2025

How they voted

32–1

Passed

Total votes 33

Mar 26, 2025

D Democratic2

2 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican31

30 Yea 1 Nay

96% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 26, 2025

Committee

To House Education

lower

Mar 26, 2025

Committee

To Education then Finance

lower

Mar 26, 2025

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

Mar 26, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed Senate (Roll No. 185)

upper

Mar 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee substitute for committee substitute reported

upper

Mar 7, 2025

Committee

To Finance

upper

Mar 7, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee substitute reported, but first to Finance

upper

Mar 3, 2025

Committee

To Education

upper

Mar 3, 2025

Introduced

Introduced in Senate

upper

Mar 3, 2025

Committee

To Education then Finance

upper

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor