Budget & Taxes

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 14, 2026

HB 4042: To eliminate property taxes on the farm structures of any farmer producing at least 40% of their income from their farm

HB 4042 would exempt farm real property (including land and structures) used for agricultural purposes from property taxes in West Virginia, provided the owner-farmer resides on the property and earns at least 40% of their income from farming. The bill amends West Virginia Code §11-3-9 to add this specific tax exemption to the state's existing list of property tax exemptions. This policy change directly affects qualifying farmers who meet both the income threshold (40% from farming) and residency requirement (living on the farm property). The exemption applies only to property actively used for farming operations, not to other personal or investment properties.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExempts qualifying farmers' farm structures from property taxes, providing tax relief under specific income and residency criteria.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Sales Tax Tax Incentives Tags Agriculture

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 14, 2026

HJR 1: To increase the homestead exemption to $50,000.

HJR 1 proposes a constitutional amendment to increase West Virginia's homestead exemption from $20,000 to $50,000. This exemption currently protects the first $20,000 of assessed value on a primary residence (or mobile home) from property taxes for homeowners aged 65 or older, or permanently disabled residents. The change would reduce property taxes for qualifying homeowners by exempting an additional $30,000 of their home's assessed value. As a constitutional amendment, it requires voter approval in the 2026 general election to take effect.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases homestead exemption, reducing property taxes for seniors/disabled homeowners, providing direct tax relief for qualifying residents.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax

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introduced · West Virginia · Senate Jan 27, 2026

SB 605: Providing tax credit for homeschool students

SB 605 would provide a tax credit to West Virginia resident parents or legal guardians who homeschool or enroll their children in private schools meeting state education standards. The credit equals the amount a student eligible for the HOPE Scholarship would receive, covering kindergarten through 12th grade. Families already receiving the HOPE Scholarship are excluded from this credit. The State Tax Commissioner will establish rules for claiming the credit, but the State Board of Education cannot impose additional regulations on homeschooled children.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides tax credit for education expenses, reducing taxable income for eligible families, aligning with tax relief indicators for middle/lower income.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides tax credit for homeschool/private school education, expanding access to K-12 educational options beyond public schools.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits K-12 Education School Choice Student Financial Aid

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 28, 2026

HB 4895: Relating to establishing an unborn child tax credit

HB 4895 would create a $2,000 state income tax exemption for each unborn child carried by a West Virginia resident individual, effective for tax years beginning January 1, 2027. The exemption applies to any pregnancy at any stage of development that is not aborted, as defined in the bill. This policy reduces taxable income for qualifying residents rather than providing direct cash payments. The bill directly affects West Virginia taxpayers who are pregnant and filing state income taxes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates a $2,000 tax exemption reducing taxable income for pregnant residents, providing direct tax relief under state taxation policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Income Tax Tax Credits Tax Incentives

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 14, 2026

SB 148: Relating to distributions from funds collected from premium tax on certain insurance policies

SB 148 imposes a 1% tax on fire and casualty insurance premiums in West Virginia. The funds collected are allocated as follows: 10% now goes to the Municipal Pensions Security Fund (previously directed to the Teachers Retirement System), 25% supports volunteer fire companies, and 65% funds municipal police/firefighter pension systems. The bill requires municipalities to report pension fund compliance annually and allows the Municipal Pensions Oversight Board to redirect funds to pension systems with actuarial deficiencies. It also shortens the timeframe for pension funds to comply with investment rules before losing tax-funded support. This affects municipal pension funds, volunteer fire departments, and the Teachers Retirement System.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesImposes 1% insurance tax to fund municipal pensions/firefighter systems, directly allocating revenue to essential public safety programs per bill's allocation structure.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Pensions

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 20, 2026

HJR 21: Senior Citizen Homestead Valuation Amendment

HJR 21 proposes a constitutional amendment to lock the property tax valuation for West Virginia homeowners aged 65 or older (or permanently disabled) at the assessed value when they turned 65 or purchased their home - whichever occurred later. This would prevent their taxable value from increasing due to rising market prices, potentially reducing annual property tax bills over time. The amendment must be approved by voters in the 2028 general election to take effect. It directly affects senior homeowners who occupy their primary residence as their principal dwelling.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides permanent property tax relief for seniors by freezing valuation at 65+ age, reducing their tax burden per bill summary.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingProtects senior homeowners' property rights by freezing tax valuation, aligning with housing topic's property rights focus85% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Property Taxes

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 21, 2026

HB 4633: Enrollment Stabilizer for Budget Planning

HB 4633, titled "Enrollment Stabilizer for Budget Planning," adds §18-9A-29 to West Virginia law to stabilize school funding calculations. The bill requires county school boards to use the highest of three enrollment measures when calculating state aid: actual enrollment, 98% of the prior year’s enrollment, or a three-year rolling average. This mechanism aims to reduce budget volatility caused by annual enrollment fluctuations for public schools. The change directly affects all West Virginia county school boards and their budget planning under the Public School Support Program.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesStabilizes school funding by preventing budget cuts from enrollment drops, promoting fiscal responsibility in public education spending through consistent state aid calculations.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationStabilizes school funding by preventing cuts from enrollment fluctuations, directly protecting education budget stability.90% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget School Funding

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 14, 2026

HB 4082: Require the West Virginia Department of Education to provide a complete and in-depth budget for review to the Legislature.

HB 4082 requires the West Virginia State Board of Education to submit a complete, annual budget to the Legislature for review. This budget must detail all funds received and spent by the Board, including all educational spending. The bill directly affects the State Board of Education, mandating greater transparency in how education funds are allocated. It does not change funding levels or education programs, but ensures the Legislature receives comprehensive budget information each year. This procedural requirement aims to improve legislative oversight of education spending.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates detailed annual budget transparency for legislative review, promoting fiscal accountability without altering funding levels or tax policies.90% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 14, 2026

HJR 15: Increase Homestead exemption

HJR 15 proposes a constitutional amendment to allow West Virginia to increase the homestead property tax exemption for qualifying homeowners. Currently, the exemption covers the first $20,000 of assessed value for owners aged 65+ or permanently disabled. This amendment would let the legislature set a higher exemption amount (without specifying a new dollar figure) for homeowners with annual income under $20,000. It requires voter approval in the 2028 general election to take effect. If approved, it would enable future legislative action to expand property tax relief for low-income seniors and disabled residents.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases property tax exemption for low-income homeowners ($20k income cap), providing direct tax relief under state tax policy.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingIncreases homestead exemption for low-income homeowners ($20k income cap), reducing property tax burden and enhancing housing affordability for vulnerable residents.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Property Tax Tax Incentives Property Taxes

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Feb 23, 2026

SB 23: Relating to taxation of wind power projects

Senate Bill 23 (SB 23) clarifies that wind power projects in West Virginia are not classified as "pollution control facilities" for tax purposes and instead must be taxed as real property. This change directly affects wind energy developers and local tax assessors, as it removes the previous allowance for wind turbines and towers to be treated as personal property with reduced valuation. The bill specifies that wind turbines and their towers (including foundations) will be taxed as real property if permanently affixed to the ground, ending prior tax treatment that allowed them to be considered pollution control facilities. This adjustment aligns wind power projects with standard real property taxation, eliminating a prior distinction that impacted how these facilities were valued for local taxes.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRemoves tax exemption for wind projects, increasing state revenue via real property taxation as clarified in bill summary.90% confidence ✗ EnergyOpposes EnergyBill increases tax burden on wind projects by removing favorable personal property classification, raising costs for developers and discouraging renewable energy development.90% confidence ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill removes tax exemptions for wind energy (previously classified as pollution control), increasing costs for clean energy projects and discouraging development, weakening environmental progress.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Wind

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