HB 5563 West Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

To create the West Virginia Timely Transplant Referral and Coordination Act

HB 5563 requires licensed healthcare providers in West Virginia to refer patients meeting organ transplant criteria to a transplant center within three calendar days of documenting that need in the medical record. It exempts referrals only when a specific medical contraindication is documented. The Department of Health must collect and report annual data on referral timelines, including average wait times, compliance rates, and rural disparities. This law directly affects hospitals, transplant centers, and patients awaiting organ transplants by standardizing referral processes. The bill does not alter federal organ allocation policies or clinical eligibility standards.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Mar 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Mar 2026

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Feb 16, 2026 Last action Mar 5, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossed Committee Substitute → hb5563 hfa burkhammer 3-3 _1 adopted.htm · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was replaced with a record of a procedural amendment rather than the full legislation. A specific change was proposed to shorten the mandatory transplant referral timeline from 'thirty-day' to 'three day' after a patient meets medical criteria. The original bill text, which included requirements for data collection and reporting, was removed.

Scope change

The document no longer contains the full scope of the original bill; it now reflects a specific amendment to the referral timeline.

TIMELINE

The proposed amendment changes the required time to refer a patient for a transplant from thirty days to three days.

REQUIREMENT

The full text of the bill, including specific data collection mandates and reporting requirements, was removed and replaced with amendment notes.

PROCEDURAL

A record of a motion by Delegate Burkhammer and Worrell to amend the bill was added.

Floor votes · House of Delegates Mar 4, 2026

How they voted

86–1

Passed · 12 other

Total votes 99

Mar 4, 2026

D Democratic9

8 Yea 1

88% Yea

R Republican90

78 Yea 1 Nay 11

86% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Mar 5, 2026

Committee

To Health and Human Resources

upper

Mar 5, 2026

Committee

To Health and Human Resources then Judiciary

upper

Mar 5, 2026

Introduced

Introduced in Senate

upper

Mar 4, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed House (Roll No. 331)

lower

Mar 3, 2026

Lower · Passed

Amendment adopted (Voice vote)

lower

Mar 3, 2026

Introduced

Amendment reported by the Clerk

lower

Feb 27, 2026

Lower · Passed

By substitute, do pass

lower

Feb 16, 2026

Committee

To House Health and Human Resources

lower

Feb 16, 2026

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

Feb 16, 2026

Committee

To Health and Human Resources

lower

1 primary · 2 co-sponsors