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2025 Bill Descriptions

What is in Bill Descriptions?

Content:

  • Bill number, with link to legislative history

  • Bill title

  • Status (date bill became law)

  • Effective date

  • LWVWV position, color-coded — support (green) or oppose (pink)

  • Explanation — extended description, not from WV Legislature website

  • More info — external source of information on selected bills

Bill Summaries – Strengthening Democracy – 2025

Legend:
Support
Oppose
BillTitleStatusEffective DateLWVWV PositionExplanationMore Info
HB 2008Executive Branch ReorganizationApproved by Governor 4/25/2025 – Senate JournalEffective July 1, 2025OpposeThe bill reorganizes departments within the executive branch of state government. Also, it eliminates civil service protections for new hires and employees changing positions within these departments, exempting them from state grievance procedures. HB 2008 is bad for workers, but also bad for the stability and quality of the state workforce. WV Gazette Mail
HB 2009Relating to the merging and reorganizing of the executive branchApproved by Governor 4/25/2025 – Senate JournalEffective July 1, 2025OpposeThe bill reorganizes departments within the executive branch of state government. It also eliminates civil service protections for new hires and employees changing positions within these departments, exempting them from state grievance procedures. HB 2009 is bad for workers, but also bad for the stability and quality of the state workforce. WV Gazette Mail
HB 2709Permitting a voter with a change of address to vote in his or her new precinct without having to cast a provisional ballotApproved by Governor 4/25/2025 – Senate JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (July 6, 2025)OpposeAllows voters who have changed their address within the same county to vote in their new precinct without casting a provisional ballot, provided they show proof of their new address and the change is updated in the statewide voter registration system by the county clerk before canvass. The bill has limited applicability and is only an option for voters who cast their ballot during early voting.
HB 3016Photo voter ID.Approved by Governor 4/30/2025 – House JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (July 11, 2025)OpposeSubstantially limits the state’s list of acceptable voter IDs by eliminating all options without photographs. Not all voters can be certain of having valid photo ID and will be unable to vote as a result.West Virginia Watch
SB 280Displaying official US motto in public schoolsApproved by Governor 4/29/2025 – House JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (July 11, 2025)OpposeRequires public K-12 schools, state colleges and universities to display the U.S. national motto, “In God We Trust,” in a conspicuous location within a common area of their main buildings. Public funds may not be used to purchase such displays.
SB 487Removing ineligible voters from active voter rollsApproved by Governor 3/25/2025 – Senate JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (June 15, 2025)OpposeReduces the period of voting inactivity from four years to two years for moving voters to inactive status and removing them from the voter rolls. Voters who remain on the inactive list through the next two general elections will have their voter registration canceled.News and Sentinel
SB 490Prohibiting ranked-choice voting in elections in West VirginiaApproved by Governor 3/18/2025 – Senate JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (June 5, 2025)OpposeProhibits the use of ranked-choice voting in West Virginia elections. The value of RCV is that it ensures that a candidate who wins an election is actually the choice of the majority who voted. This may or may not be the case under current law in multi-candidate races. No elections in West Virginia currently use RCV.WV Public Broadcasting
SB 50Requiring municipal elections to be held on same day as statewide electionsApproved by Governor 4/24/2025 – Senate JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (July 11, 2025)SupportRequires West Virginia municipalities to hold their elections on the same day as statewide general or primary elections. SB 50 requires cities and towns to change their election dates by 2032. The law may potentially increase voter turnout in local electionsWest Virginia Watch

Bill Summaries – Safeguarding Equal Rights

Legend:
Support
Oppose
BillTitleStatusEffective DateLWVWV PositionExplanationMore Info
SB 154Prohibiting sexual orientation instruction in public schoolsApproved by Governor 4/30/2025 – Senate JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (July 11, 2025)OpposeForces public school personnel to out LGBTQ+ students to their parent or guardian even if they have strong reason to believe that doing so would result in the student experiencing physical or emotional abuse at home. West Virginia Watch
SB 299Modifying WV regulations on pubertal modulation, hormonal therapy, and gender reassignmentApproved by Governor 4/30/2025 – Senate JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (July 11, 2025)OpposeDenies access to necessary healthcare to minors in West Virginians seeking gender-affirming care, including those already receiving such care.WV MetroNews
SB 456Defining “men” and “women”Approved by Governor 3/18/2025 – House JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (June 9, 2025)OpposeDiscriminates against transgender people by barring them from using facilities that match their gender identity.West Virginia Watch
SB 474Ending diversity, equity, and inclusion programsApproved by Governor 4/30/2025 – Senate JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (July 11, 2025)OpposeEliminates diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, trainings, and offices across the executive branch, primary and secondary schools, and institutions of higher education in West Virginia.West Virginia Watch
SB 537Establishing WV Mothers and Babies Pregnancy Support ProgramApproved by Governor 4/30/2025 – Senate JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (July 8, 2025)OpposeExpands the state’s Mothers and Babies Pregnancy Support Program established in 2022. The program diverts state funding to crisis pregancy centers (CPCs) that represent themselves as legitimate reproductive health care clinics providing care for pregnant people, even though their actually aim is to dissuade people from accessing certain types of reproductive health care, including abortion care and even contraceptive options. The legislation allows the program to use state funds to cover new expenditures including new land and buildings for CPCs. West Virginia Watch
SB 837Eliminating WV Office of Equal OpportunityApproved by Governor 4/25/2025 – House JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (July 11, 2025)OpposeEstablished by lawmakers in 2022, the office was tasked with ensuring the state complies with non-discrimination and disability accommodation laws. The Governor’s office claims “responsibilities of the office were moved” elsewhere within the West Virginia Department of Administration.WV Public Broadcasting

Bill Summaries – Protecting Children & Families

Legend:
Support
Oppose
BillTitleStatusEffective DateLWVWV PositionExplanationMore Info
HB 2402Relating to providing access to medical records; providing access to a minor’s medical recordApproved by Governor 4/25/2025 – Senate JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (July 11, 2025)OpposeRequires health care providers to give parents access to their teenager’s medical records related to birth control, STI testing and treatment, mental health treatment, and substance use treatment, regardless of the potential risks to the teen’s wellbeing.
HB 2026Budget BillApproved by Governor with deletions and reductions 4/17/2025 – House JournalEffective from passage – (April 11, 2025)OpposeIn this year’s budget, lawmakers squirreled away millions for future tax cuts and funding a school voucher program while cutting small but impactful projects and programs that serve some of the state’s most vulnerable citizens. The Governor signed the bill but used his line-item veto to decrease funding for a number of programs that help WV babies and children. Mountain State Spotlight
HB 2129Creating the Parents Bill of Rights.Approved by Governor 4/14/2025 – House JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (July 2, 2025)OpposeThe bill outlines specific rights of parents and emphasizes the importance of parental involvement with regard to “the upbringing, education, care and medical care of their minor children.” Parents can use the law as a defense in legal proceedings and to seek injunctive relief in state court.West Virginia Watch
HB 2755To provide that the West Virginia Board of Education may promulgate rules or policies to be submitted to the Legislature for reviewBecame law without Governor’s signature- House JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (July 11, 2025)OpposeGives the WV Legislature ultimate authority over state Board of Education policies despite clear rejection of a similar proposal by voters in 2022, and in direct conflict with prior court rulings.WV News
HB 2880Relating to parent resource navigatorsApproved by Governor 4/30/2025 – House JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (July 11, 2025)SupportHB 2880 folds together several different foster care measures including: mandating that parent resource navigators, who help parents seeking to reunify with their children, be included in key meetings about the child’s case; creates a Critical Incident Review Team that will review a fatality or near fatality of a child in the custody of the state; and adds information about the state’s Child Protective Servie workforce to the online Child Welfare Dashboard.West Virginia Watch
HB 3444Relating to inflammation of the eyes of newborns.Became law without Governor’s signature- House JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (July 9, 2025)OpposeWV law mandates that medical professionals treat newborns’ eyes with an ointment to prevent pink eye or potential blindness if the baby comes into contact with bacteria or a sexually transmitted disease in the birth canal. HB 3444 repeals the mandate, raising concerns it could lead to an increased rate of infant blindness. West Virginia Watch
SB 427Permitting certain teenagers to work without obtaining work permitApproved by Governor 4/24/2025 – House JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (July 11, 2025)OpposeEliminates the requirement that 14- and 15-year-olds obtain a work permit from the local school superintendent, allowing employers to obtain parental or guardian consent and an age certificate instead. Eliminating work permits may lead to children being exploited and research shows that child labor violations are lower in states that require them. West Virginia Watch

Bill Summaries – Creating a Sustainable Future

Legend:
Support
Oppose
BillTitleStatusEffective DateLWVWV PositionExplanationMore Info
HB 2014Certified Microgrid ProgramApproved by Governor 4/30/2025 – House JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (July 11, 2025)OpposeHB 2014 encourages data centers to locate in WV and allows them to generate their own power through the creation of microgrids. HB 2014 allows microgrids to utilize fossil fuels rather than renewable sources, overrides local control, and prevents counties and municipalities from enforcing or enacting restrictive measures related to siting or operation. It also diverts local tax revenue to the state. Country Roads Substack
HB 2233Authorizing the Department of Environmental Protection to promulgate legislative rulesApproved by Governor 4/25/2025 – Senate JournalEffective from passage – (April 4, 2025)OpposeWeakens drinking water protections for certain rivers and streams in WV. Mountain State Spotlight
SB 627Removing prohibition against leasing state-owned pore spaces underlying lands designated as state parksApproved by Governor 4/24/2025 – House JournalEffective Ninety Days from Passage – (July 8, 2025)OpposeAlthough the final version of the bill protects state parks from surface disturbances, the practice of carbon sequestration (underground storage) is expensive, unproven, harmful to our communities, and will do little to reduce climate warming emissions. WV Gazette Mail