HB 4696 West Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Authorize the Department of Environmental Protection to deposit funds granted pursuant to federal programs

HB 4696 authorizes West Virginia's Department of Environmental Protection to deposit federal grant funds - specifically from programs like the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Safeguarding Treatment for the Restoration of Ecosystems from Abandoned Mines Act - into the state's existing Abandoned Land Reclamation Fund. This bill modifies state law to allow these federal funds to be added to the fund, which is used for cleaning up environmental damage from past coal mining, including restoring land, treating water pollution from mine drainage, and sealing abandoned mine sites. The bill does not change how the funds are spent but clarifies where they must be deposited. It directly affects communities impacted by historical mining, particularly those dealing with water quality and land degradation.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
Signed into Law
Jun 2026
Introduced Jan 21, 2026 Signed Jun 29, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

hb4696 hfat anderson 2-3 adopted.htm Enrolled Version · 2 edits · Feb 25, 2026
MINOR
The bill text was updated from a draft version containing amendment motion language to the final Enrolled Version, which includes the official legislative title, certification by clerks, and signatures for the Governor. No substantive policy changes, funding amounts, eligibility criteria, or legal requirements were altered; the differences are purely procedural formatting and finalization steps.
TECHNICAL

Removed draft amendment motion language and original header metadata indicating the bill was under consideration.

Added final Enrolled Version formatting, including official legislative title, certification of enrollment by clerks, and signature lines for the Governor and legislative leaders.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 19, 2026 · House of Delegates Feb 5, 2026

How they voted

320
Passed · 1 other
Total votes 33
Feb 19, 2026
D Democratic2
2 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican31
30 Yea 1
96% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
37
Key actions
7
Committee
3
Feb 25, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 2/25/2026 - Senate Journal
upper
Feb 25, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 2/25/2026
lower
Feb 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (Roll No. 155)
upper
Feb 16, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported do pass
upper
Feb 6, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
Feb 5, 2026
Lower · Passed
Title amendment adopted (Voice vote)
lower
Feb 5, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed House (Roll No. 51)
lower
Feb 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
Do pass
lower
Jan 21, 2026
Committee
To House Energy and Public Works
lower
Jan 21, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
1 primary · 8 co-sponsors

Sponsors