Technology

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Mar 2, 2026

HB 5688: Relating to the creation of the West Virginia Task Force on Election Integrity

This bill creates a new West Virginia Task Force on Election Integrity within the Secretary of State's office to study and recommend improvements for election security and management. The task force will include members from the State Election Commission, state legislators, cybersecurity experts, citizens, and county clerks, with a designated chair appointed by the Governor. Its main duties involve researching secure voting technologies, reviewing federal security reports, assessing equipment for foreign ownership risks, and evaluating current laws against threats like cyberattacks and ballot manipulation. The group will also examine whether existing election standards adequately prevent vote tampering and determine if its work overlaps with the State Election Commission.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill establishes task force to study secure voting technologies and election security, indicating support for enhancing cybersecurity in technology systems.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Cybersecurity Tags Elections

Track

signed · West Virginia · Senate Jun 25, 2026

SB 506: Permitting certain use of county-owned wireless tower

This bill authorizes West Virginia county commissions to lease or permit the use of county-owned wireless towers to private entities, provided those entities meet specific security and compliance requirements. The legislation mandates that any lessee must not be associated with foreign adversaries, terrorist organizations, or entities linked to countries supporting terrorism, and must use secure cellular and cyber defense measures that do not threaten critical infrastructure like voting systems. County commissions are required to conduct due diligence before approving any tower use and are granted immunity from liability if they perform this review in good faith. Additionally, the bill prohibits counties from charging fees for tower use by public safety agencies, state departments of transportation, and other state agencies, though counties may recover actual costs for installation and maintenance.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill enhances cybersecurity by mandating secure cellular and cyber defense measures and restricting foreign adversaries from using county wireless infrastructure.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Telecommunications

signed · West Virginia · House of Delegates Aug 13, 2026

HB 5694: Supplemental appropriation to Department of Education, fund 0313.

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.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill provides additional funding to Department of Education for fiscal year 2026, directly advancing budget appropriations and strengthening public education services.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill provides additional funding to Department of Education for teacher retirement, child nutrition, technology modernization, and scholarship programs.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill allocates funding for technology modernization programs within the Department of Education, indicating support for advancing technology infrastructure.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations Revenue State Budget Special Education Student Financial Aid Teachers

signed · West Virginia · House of Delegates Aug 13, 2026

HB 5689: Supplemental appropriation, Department of Homeland Security

This bill directs the West Virginia Legislature to allocate surplus state funds to the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2026. The appropriation specifically supports the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation within the department, funding information technology services and special services for correctional units. The legislation uses existing unappropriated surplus money from the State Fund's General Revenue rather than creating new revenue sources. This action increases the available budget for these specific correctional facility operations during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates surplus state funds to Department of Homeland Security for corrections IT services, increasing funding for public services without creating new revenue.90% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill allocates surplus funds to Department of Homeland Security's Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation for IT and special services, strengthening correctional operations.75% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill allocates surplus funds to DHS for IT services in correctional facilities, directly funding technology infrastructure and services.75% confidence

Sub-Topics Appropriations Revenue Corrections

in committee · West Virginia · Senate Feb 11, 2026

SB 909: Modernizing educational programs and technologies

This bill, titled the Future-Ready Education Act, aims to modernize educational programs and technologies in West Virginia to better prepare students for future workforce needs. It allows local school districts to enter multi-year contracts for educational materials that include technology licensing, provided these contracts offer significant fiscal savings and include a cancellation clause. The legislation extends the Mountain State Digital Literacy Project to include grades 9-12 and adds support for reading, mathematics, science, and career-technical education. Additionally, it authorizes the state to retain $7.1 million from the 2026-2027 school year budget to fund high-quality professional training in the science of reading for kindergarten through fifth-grade teachers, with voluntary participation allowed for public charter school educators.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill promotes fiscal savings through multi-year contracts and extends digital literacy program, indicating support for efficient budget management and funding educational technology.75% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill modernizes educational programs and technology, expands digital literacy to grades 9-12, and allows multi-year contracts for educational materials to improve student preparation for workforce needs.85% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill modernizes educational technology programs, expands digital literacy to grades 9-12, and enables technology licensing contracts to prepare students for future workforce needs.85% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Choice

Track

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 2, 2026

HB 5032: Prevention of data center collection of citizen data

HB 5032, titled "Prevention of data center collection of citizen data," creates the Citizens' Data Center Transparency Act. It prohibits West Virginia data centers from facilitating warrantless collection of personal data by federal agencies (like the NSA) or others in ways violating the Fourth Amendment or West Virginia’s Constitution. The bill requires data center operators to annually report to the Joint Standing Committee on Technology and Infrastructure the types and amounts of data collected, how it’s used, and who the data is shared with (including government agencies or nonprofits). This law directly affects data center operators in West Virginia and aims to increase transparency around data handling practices.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill prohibits warrantless data collection violating Fourth Amendment, protecting constitutional privacy rights central to criminal justice procedures and civil liberties in law enforcement contexts.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyProhibits warrantless data collection violating Fourth Amendment/privacy rights, directly advancing data privacy protections under consumer protection subjects.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Consumer Data Protection Data Privacy

Track

passed · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 26, 2026

HB 5454: Relating to the select committee for the West Virginia Fusion Center

HB 5454 creates a legislative select committee to oversee West Virginia's Fusion Center, which collects and shares law enforcement intelligence. The committee - composed of balanced House and Senate members with security clearances - gains access to Fusion Center operations for review, but cannot view classified federal information or personal details like addresses or identities. The bill mandates annual audits of the Fusion Center, establishes privacy safeguards for handling sensitive data, and requires committee meetings to remain confidential under state law. This directly affects the Fusion Center's oversight structure and its interactions with state legislators.

Topics ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates privacy safeguards for sensitive data handling, aligning with data privacy protections under technology policies.80% confidence

Track

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 13, 2026

HB 5495: Creating certain requirements and accountability procedures regarding a student’s use of software in a public school.

HB 5495 requires West Virginia public schools to use only software that is "academically effective" and complies with a statewide digital privacy agreement. The bill mandates that all school software must be verified by independent third parties for educational value, aligns with curriculum standards, avoids "addictive design features" (like excessive gamification tied to time spent), and prohibits data collection for non-educational purposes. It directly affects schools (via County Boards of Education), software vendors (who must sign the privacy agreement), and parents (who will receive annual notices about software used). Key mechanisms include creating a master list of approved software, requiring periodic audits for compliance, and establishing a process for parental complaints about software. The bill aims to ensure school technology supports learning while protecting student privacy and data.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires academically effective, privacy-compliant school software with third-party verification, aligning with curriculum standards and protecting student data to enhance educational quality.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates third-party privacy verification, prohibits non-educational data collection, and requires compliance with digital privacy agreements for school software, directly protecting student data privacy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum Data Privacy

Track

in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 2, 2026

HB 5028: To create the Small-Town Main Street Recovery Act.

HB 5028 creates the Small-Town Main Street Recovery Act, providing grants to West Virginia municipalities with fewer than 25,000 residents. The bill directs the Department of Economic Development to fund storefront upgrades, small business support, and broadband improvements in these communities. Municipalities must coordinate applications with county commissions or regional development authorities to receive priority consideration. The program aims to support economic revitalization in smaller towns through direct financial assistance for key infrastructure and business needs.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesDirectly allocates state budget funds via grants for economic development programs, advancing fiscal management of public spending.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill explicitly funds broadband improvements for small-town internet access, directly advancing internet access as a core technology policy area.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Broadband Access Tags Economic Development Small Business

Track

signed · West Virginia · Senate Jun 25, 2026

SB 1053: Authorizing Unemployment Automation and Administration Fund to modernize and enhance WorkForce West Virginia

SB 1053 creates a new "Unemployment Automation and Administration Fund" to modernize West Virginia's unemployment system. It requires employers to pay 7% of their quarterly unemployment tax contributions into this fund, with limits: deposits stop if the fund reaches $18 million in a year or if the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund falls below $300 million. The fund will cover costs for upgrading the unemployment claims system, improving the job search platform, administrative expenses, and workforce development initiatives. This directly affects employers who pay unemployment taxes in West Virginia, redirecting a portion of their payments toward system improvements.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesMandates 7% of unemployment tax to fund system modernization, creating dedicated tax revenue for essential program upgrades.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentCreates fund to modernize unemployment system, improving claims processing and job search tools, directly supporting unemployed workers' access to benefits.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill creates fund specifically for modernizing unemployment system tech, including upgrading claims platform and job search tools, directly advancing technology infrastructure for government services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Unemployment Workforce Development