With 24 yays and 0 nays (6 absent), HB 4575 passed the Senate Saturday morning. The bill was amended in the Senate and differs from the bill as it passed the House. The Senate sent its message to the House that it has passed its version of the bill and requests the House concur. If the House concurs with the language the bill goes to Governor Patrick Morrisey’s desk where he can sign or veto the bill. The bill is effective from passage.
Should the House refuse to concur, the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate appoint a conference committee comprised of either 3-5 delegates and 3-5 senators. The job of the conference committee is to arrive at compromise language and report to both the House and Senate they have come to agreement and recommend the conference committee bill pass. If no agreement is reached, the bill dies.
The language of the bill as it passed the Senate follows:
House Bill 4575
By Delegates McGeehan, Dean, Criss, Riley
[Originating in the Committee on Finance
Reported on January 19, 2026]
A BILL supplementing and amending the appropriations of public moneys out of the Treasury from the balance of moneys remaining as an unappropriated surplus balance in the State Fund, General Revenue, to the State Board of Education – State Department of Education, fund 0313, fiscal year 2026, organization 0402, by supplementing and amending the appropriations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.
WHEREAS, The Governor submitted the Executive Budget Document to the Legislature on January 14, 2026, containing a statement of the State Fund, General Revenue, setting forth therein the cash balance as of July 1, 2025, and further included the estimate of revenue for the fiscal year 2026, less net appropriation balances forwarded and regular and surplus appropriations for the fiscal year 2026, and further included recommended expirations to the unappropriated surplus balance of the State Fund, General Revenue; and
WHEREAS, It appears from the Governor’s Statement of the State Fund, General Revenue, there now remains an unappropriated surplus balance in the Treasury which is available for appropriation during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026; therefore
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the total appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, to fund 0313, fiscal year 2026, organization 0402, be supplemented and amended by adding a new item of appropriation and language as follows:
Title II – Appropriations.
Section 1. Appropriations from general revenue.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
49 – State Board of Education –
State Department of Education
(W.V. Code Chapters 18 and 18A)
Fund 0313 FY 2026 Org 0402
General
Revenue
Appropriation Fund
38a State Board of Education – Surplus xxxxx 8,000,000
The above appropriation for State Board of Education – Surplus (fund 0313, appropriation xxxxx) shall be transferred to the State Board of Education Temporary Shortfall Supplement Fund for County Boards of Education (fund xxxx) for expenditure pursuant to the provisions of W. Va. Code §18-2E-5b as amended and reenacted in the 2026 Regular Session.
