Clarifying powers and duties of Commissioner of Agriculture over state-owned land
SB 1033 clarifies the West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture's authority to manage state-owned land, including leasing it for farming or recreation (with restrictions on toxic use) and developing it for agriculture, forestry, or mining (requiring environmental restoration). It specifies that the Commissioner must sell institutional farm products to state institutions at market rates, allows inmate labor for farm operations under Corrections Department oversight, and mandates that all funds from land sales, leases, or mineral rights go into a special revenue account - excess over $1 million annually transfers to a capital improvements fund. This bill directly affects the Commissioner of Agriculture, state institutions (like prisons and health facilities), the Corrections Department, and public land management. The changes aim to streamline land use while ensuring taxpayer savings and environmental compliance.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Jun 2026
Introduced Feb 20, 2026
Signed Jun 24, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons
What changed between versions
sb1033 h go am _1 adopted.htm
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sb1033 sfa rucker _1 3-2 adopted.htm
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2 edits
MINOR
The amendment process for Bill SB 1033 shifted from a committee action to remove an entire section to a specific senator's motion to refine the language within that section. The change narrows the definition of assets by replacing the exclusion 'other than' with the inclusion 'including', thereby expanding the scope of assets subject to the bill's provisions. This modification ensures that previously excluded items are now explicitly covered under the legislation.
Scope change
The bill's scope was expanded by changing an exclusionary clause to an inclusive one regarding asset definitions.
DEFINITION
Replaced the phrase 'other than' with 'including' after the word 'assets' to broaden the definition of assets covered by the bill.
REQUIREMENT
Added a comma after 'assets' to improve the grammatical structure of the amendment.
Floor votes · Senate Mar 3, 2026 · House of Delegates Mar 14, 2026
How they voted
33–0
Passed
Total votes 33
Mar 3, 2026
D
Democratic2
100% Yea
R
Republican31
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
44
Key actions
9
Committee
6
Amendments
1
Apr 1, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 4/1/2026
upper
Mar 14, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - House Journal
lower
Mar 14, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - Senate Journal
upper
Mar 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
House receded and passed (Roll No. 687)
lower
Mar 14, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed House (Roll No. 621)
lower
Mar 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote)
lower
Mar 12, 2026
Introduced
Amendment reported by the Clerk
lower
Mar 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
With amendment, do pass
lower
Mar 5, 2026
Committee
To House Government Organization
lower
Mar 5, 2026
Committee
To Government Organization
lower
Mar 5, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
Mar 3, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (Roll No. 304)
upper
Feb 26, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported do pass
upper
Feb 20, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
Feb 20, 2026
Committee
To Government Organization
upper
1 primary · 3 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Darren Thorne
RRepublican
Co
Patricia Rucker
RRepublican
Co
Randy Smith
RRepublican
Co
Vince Deeds
RRepublican
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