To require all West Virginia high school students to pass a Civics examination and the United States Naturalization Examination
HB 4953 requires all West Virginia high school students to pass a civics examination and the U.S. Naturalization Examination as a prerequisite for graduation. This bill directly affects all public, private, parochial, and denominational high school students in West Virginia who are nearing graduation. Key provisions mandate that schools teach U.S. government history, civics, and the Constitution (as outlined in §18-2-9), provide standardized tests aligned with these standards, and make the two exams mandatory for graduation. The bill does not change existing curriculum requirements but adds the passing of these specific exams as a new graduation requirement.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 29, 2026
Last action Jan 29, 2026
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
4
Key actions
0
Committee
2
Jan 29, 2026
Committee
To House Education
lower
Jan 29, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
Jan 29, 2026
Committee
To Education
lower
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor
Sponsors
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