SB 1044 West Virginia Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Requiring Board of Education to promulgate rule that sets forth common graduation requirements

SB 1044 requires the West Virginia Board of Education to create uniform graduation requirements for all public high school students. It mandates specific pathways - Academic (college-prep), Workforce, Career and Technical Education/Skilled Trades, and Military - and establishes standardized certificates of proficiency detailing each graduate's skills, readiness for employment, or college readiness. The bill directly affects all West Virginia public high schools and students by replacing inconsistent local requirements with state-mandated standards across these four pathways. It also requires schools to issue certificates of proficiency alongside diplomas, specifying the student's completed program of study and relevant skills.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 21, 2026 Last action Mar 3, 2026
Floor votes · Senate Mar 2, 2026

How they voted

310
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 33
Mar 2, 2026
D Democratic2
2 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican31
29 Yea 2
93% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
16
Key actions
2
Committee
4
Mar 3, 2026
Committee
To House Education
lower
Mar 3, 2026
Committee
To Education
lower
Mar 3, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
Mar 2, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (Roll No. 287)
upper
Feb 26, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported do pass
upper
Feb 21, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
Feb 21, 2026
Committee
To Education
upper
1 primary · 3 co-sponsors

Sponsors