This Senate Concurrent Resolution requests the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study how state and local funds are spent by county school boards under the Public School Support Program. The study will examine spending patterns, enrollment changes, and staffing costs to determine if a new School Finance Transparency Commission is needed to improve financial reporting and public understanding of education funding. The committee must submit its findings and recommendations to state leaders by December 31, 2026, with any proposed legislation to be reported to the 2027 legislative session. This measure does not change current funding laws but instead initiates a review process to inform potential future policy adjustments.
This bill provides additional funding to the West Virginia Department of Education for fiscal year 2026 by allocating money from the state's unappropriated surplus revenue. The legislation directly affects the State Board of Education and State Department of Education by supplementing their existing budget appropriations. Key provisions include specific funding allocations for various programs such as teacher retirement, child nutrition, technology modernization, scholarship programs, and special education services. The bill amends the state budget act to formalize these financial transfers from the general revenue fund to the education department's designated fund.
SB 841 adds $30,498 to the State Board of Education's fund 3951 for the Hope Scholarship Program, using an unappropriated surplus from lottery net profits. This supplemental appropriation allocates existing lottery revenue - specifically from the surplus balance not included in the initial budget - to fund the Hope Scholarship Program during fiscal year 2026. The bill does not change the program's eligibility or structure but provides additional funding for student scholarships. The funds are designated for expenditure before June 30, 2026, as part of the state's budget process.
SB 826 is a supplementary appropriation bill that increases funding for the State Parks and Recreation Endowment Fund (fund 3211) within the Division of Natural Resources for fiscal year 2026. It raises current expenses from $13,000 to $25,000 and other assets from $69,000 to $6,500,000. This directly provides additional resources for managing West Virginia's state parks, including operations and facility maintenance during the 2026 fiscal year.
HB 5310 allocates $78,482,003 from West Virginia's unappropriated surplus balance in the General Revenue fund to the Hope Scholarship Program for fiscal year 2026. This supplemental appropriation directly funds the Hope Scholarship Program, which provides state-funded scholarships to students attending private schools. The bill uses leftover state funds identified in the Governor's budget document, adding a new line item to the Department of Education's budget without requiring new taxes. The funds are designated for use during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, as specified in the bill's appropriation table.
SB 819 redirects $4,906,630 from an unappropriated surplus balance in West Virginia's General Revenue Fund to William R. Sharpe Jr. Hospital (fund 0413) for fiscal year 2026. The bill supplements the hospital's existing appropriation by adding a new line item for "Current Expenses - Surplus" to cover operational costs. This procedural budget adjustment directly affects the hospital's funding for the 2026 fiscal year without changing health care policies or creating new obligations. The funds were identified in the Governor's Executive Budget Document as available surplus.
HB 5286 adds $1.5 million in supplemental funding from West Virginia's unappropriated surplus balance to the Department of Homeland Security's Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation for equipment purchases during fiscal year 2026. This new appropriation, designated as "Equipment - Surplus" under Fund 0450, directly supports correctional facilities by providing resources for equipment needs without increasing overall state spending. The bill uses existing surplus funds identified in the Governor's Executive Budget Document, specifically reallocating unappropriated revenue to address immediate equipment requirements for correctional units. It does not create new policies or change eligibility but adjusts budget allocations for operational support.
This bill (SB 814) allocates $70,357,538 in unappropriated surplus funds from the State General Revenue Fund to the Hope Scholarship Program under the State Board of Education. It directly affects the Hope Scholarship Program by providing supplemental funding for fiscal year 2026. The bill does not change program rules or eligibility - it simply reallocates existing surplus funds to cover program costs. This is a routine budget adjustment, not a new policy.
HB 5304 increases funding for payments to individuals and entities filing claims against the West Virginia state government. It amends Section 8 of the 2026 state budget (HB 2026) by raising the total appropriation from $864,750 to $2,314,750, adding $1,100,000 from general revenue funds and $250,000 from special revenue funds to the existing $964,750 from state road funds. This adjustment addresses increased claim volumes resulting from prior legislation (HB 3152 and HB 3157) that expedited claim processing. The bill directly affects claimants who have filed lawsuits against the state seeking compensation. It does not change eligibility rules but ensures sufficient funds are available for payments during fiscal year 2026.
HB 5290 adds $250,000 to "Personal Services and Employee Benefits" and $250,000 to "Equipment" within the Department of Health's Laboratory Services Fund (Fund 5163) for fiscal year 2026. This supplemental appropriation reallocates unspent funds from the current fiscal year to cover specific lab staffing and equipment costs. The bill directly affects the Department of Health’s laboratory services operations by providing additional funding for existing budget categories. It does not create new programs or policies but adjusts spending within an existing fund for the 2026 fiscal year. The bill was introduced on February 6, 2026, and referred to the House Finance Committee.
