The West Virginia legislature concluded its special session this week, completing legislative action on 35 bills. Most of these bills were supplemental appropriations to various state agencies, funded by the $1.8 billion budget surplus the state ended the fiscal year with in June, as well as reappropriated funds from other sources.
More than $451 million of the surplus tax revenue was allocated. Among these was HB 114, which ensures that $71 million in General Revenue is allocated for use by the Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA). According to lawmakers, the measure is technical due to PEIA’s inability to use the current funding in the PEIA Subsidy Account as intended. It reallocates funds to cover increased employer contributions by county boards of education.
Key bills passed during the session include:
– A $150 million appropriation to the Division of Highways, divided into $100 million for road maintenance and $50 million for equipment.
– A vehicle tax credit adjustment that prevents taxpayers from being penalized for paying their vehicle tax in full this fall.
– A six-bill package addressing the State’s Corrections System. Included is a $25 million pay raise bill aimed at reducing employee shortages and high turnover rates in jails and prisons. Another bill in this package prohibits the use of state funds for inmate medical procedures unless deemed medically necessary by the treating medical professional.
– A $12 million funding bill for volunteer fire departments. This allocates $6 million to the Fire Protection Fund for county commissions, $3 million to the County Fire Protection Fund, and $3 million to the state-level Growth Fire Protection Fund.
Most interim legislative meetings were canceled due to the session, except for the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability. The commission heard from the three incoming secretaries of the Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) about their priorities. This is part of the implementation of HB 2006, which reorganizes the DHHR into three departments: Health, Human Resources, and Health Facilities, effective January 1.
