HB 4842 clarifies and strengthens civil remedies for individuals whose intimate images are disclosed without consent in West Virginia. The bill amends §55-20-3 to explicitly apply to cases involving sexual extortion (as defined in §61-8B-6), establish joint and several liability for all liable parties, and create civil penalties. It directly affects people who suffer harm from intentional or reckless disclosure of private intimate images they did not consent to share. The law ensures victims can pursue legal action against perpetrators who knew the image was private, the victim didn’t consent, and the victim was identifiable.
HB 4850 requires West Virginia executors and administrators of estates to complete free online training provided by the Supreme Court of Appeals, starting January 1, 2027. The training focuses on fiduciary duties and executor responsibilities, covering key legal requirements for managing estates. The video must be accessible online, for sight-impaired users, and available at all county commissions and sheriff's offices for those without internet access. This bill directly affects individuals serving as estate administrators by adding a mandatory educational requirement before they assume full authority.
HB 4335 requires West Virginia's Medicaid program to process provider enrollment applications within 5 business days of receipt and mandates managed care organizations to complete provider credentialing within 60 days. The bill establishes a unified electronic platform for all Medicaid provider applications, renewals, and documentation, eliminating paper submissions starting July 1, 2026. It also sets penalties for managed care organizations that miss deadlines, including monetary sanctions or "credentialing-by-default" by the Department of Human Services. This bill directly affects Medicaid providers (like doctors and clinics), managed care organizations, and the Department of Human Services.
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.
HB 4005, "Skills to Work," creates a state-funded Youth Apprenticeship Program for West Virginia students aged 16 or older in 11th or 12th grade. It allows these students to earn high school credit and job skills certifications through structured apprenticeships in fields like manufacturing, healthcare, and office technology, requiring 135 classroom hours and 400 on-the-job training hours per program. The bill mandates schools to partner with employers to develop approved apprenticeships, with standards including progressive wages, performance evaluations, and school approval. It also clarifies that apprenticeships cannot include hazardous occupations prohibited for minors under federal and state child labor laws. The program must be fully implemented across all school systems by the 2025-2026 school year.
HB 4463 amends West Virginia's sanitarian licensing laws to modernize training requirements and clarify licensing authority. It authorizes the Board of Sanitarians to offer online training as an alternative to in-person sessions, allowing applicants to complete training anytime during the year and finish within six months of hire (excluding on-the-job training). The bill also clarifies that Registered Sanitarians may license applicants who complete approved training and on-the-job experience. Additionally, it requires the Board to establish reciprocity standards for out-of-state licensure by May 1, 2026. These changes directly affect sanitarian applicants, current license holders, and the Board's regulatory processes.
HB 4546 changes West Virginia's reporting requirements for limited liability companies (LLCs) and foreign LLCs from annual to biennial (every two years). It mandates that these businesses submit a report to the Secretary of State containing their name, addresses, agent for service, and an email for notices, due between January 1 and July 1 of every other calendar year. The bill applies directly to all LLCs operating in West Virginia, including foreign entities authorized to do business here, and takes effect July 1, 2026. This change does not alter existing fees or forgive prior annual filing failures.
HB 4196 requires licensed medication-assisted treatment (MAT) programs in West Virginia to offer long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), such as IUDs or implants, to patients receiving methadone or suboxone for substance use treatment. This applies to all facilities providing these services under the state's licensing framework, adding it as a standard requirement to existing operational rules. The bill directly affects MAT facilities, which must now integrate LARC options into their care protocols, and patients using methadone or suboxone at these locations. It creates a concrete policy change by mandating access to these contraceptive methods without requiring additional patient steps.
HB 4433 amends West Virginia law to create new criminal offenses for human smuggling (transporting undocumented people to evade enforcement) and human trafficking (recruiting or moving people for forced labor or sexual exploitation). It specifically targets individuals who transport adults or minors for these purposes, defining key terms like "coercion" and "forced labor" to clarify illegal conduct. The bill establishes penalties for these crimes, allows asset forfeiture of property used in trafficking, and requires restitution for victims. It also includes an exemption permitting medical, mental health, and legal services for undocumented individuals without criminal liability.
HB 4865 creates a program allowing high school juniors and seniors (with a 3.0 GPA or higher) to serve as election officials in West Virginia. To qualify, students must meet standard election official requirements (like being a registered voter and completing training), get written approval from their school principal and parent, and agree to one political party affiliation per precinct. The bill ensures these student officials are not marked absent from school on election days and limits appointments to one per political party per precinct. This change directly affects eligible high school students and county election officials who would appoint them.
HB 4464 creates an Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Board to enforce rules preventing damage to underground infrastructure like gas pipelines, water mains, and telecom lines during excavation work. It defines key terms (such as "damage," "excavator," and "underground facility") and requires excavators to notify operators before digging. The bill specifies that civil penalties collected by the Board for violations must stay with the Board for its operations, rather than returning to the state general fund. This directly affects contractors, utility operators, and anyone performing excavation work in West Virginia.
HB 4784 extends West Virginia's Qualified Opportunity Zones (QOZ) tax incentive program until July 1, 2032. This bill modifies the tax code to allow new businesses in designated opportunity zones to continue receiving a tax reduction on income derived from their operations. Specifically, it permits corporate taxpayers to subtract from federal taxable income an amount equal to net income earned by a qualified opportunity zone business (QOZB) located in West Virginia, provided the business was newly registered between January 1, 2019, and July 1, 2032. The tax benefit applies for a 10-year period starting from the business's first qualifying year, and existing businesses that registered before July 1, 2032, retain their full entitlement.
