The Voice of Agriculture in the Mountain State
2025 Legislative Handbook
Would you like to become more involved in the legislative process but don’t know where to start? Well, look no further!
This 12 page guide will help you find your representative’s contact information, the committees upon which they serve, and will even give you tips on how to most effectively communicate with them. A must-have for every civic-minded voter.
Today in the Legislature
Legislative Action Report
Today in the Legislature is a daily synopsis of legislative activities maintained by the West Virginia Legislature’s Office
April 4, 2025
The 2025 West Virginia Legislative Session began in earnest on February 12. Governor Patrick Morrisey, in his first state-of-the-state address, proposed a $5.323 billion budget and announced the establishment of the West Virginia Power Tech Center that will address making West Virginia a supplier of energy to the growing technology industry. He also called for the repeal of certificate of needs requirements for medical services. This has been an ongoing legislative issue for several years, as some legislators believe this change could put rural healthcare facilities out of business. Other major issues of concern include a possible $397 million budget funding gap, PEIA insurance, education/school success, and Medicaid spending.
The West Virginia Senate, under direction of President Randy Smith, began the 87th Legislature session. The House of Delegates was convened by Speaker Roger Hanshaw.
Over 800 bills were submitted for consideration during the opening week. All proposed legislation and committee assignments may be found at www.wvlegislature.gov.
Updates are in bold. All bills not passing one chamber have been deleted.
The following bills were introduced during Week 1 (February 12-14) of the 60-day session. Those of interest to agricultural producers and rural West Virginians included:
SB 10 By Senator Smith (Mr. President). Bill exempts the processing of beef, pork, and lamb by a slaughterhouse for an individual owner from the 6 percent consumer sales and service tax. Sent to Agriculture Committee. Passed. Sent to Finance. Sent to House Calendar. Moved to Special Calendar second reading. (Similar Bill HB 2146.) WVFB supports.
SB 22 By Senator Smith. Bill addresses unpaid royalties due to owners from conventional vertical wells. Sent to Energy. Passed. On third reading Full Senate. Passed. Sent to House Judiciary. On third reading House Calendar. Passed House. Awaits Governor’s decision. WVFB supports.
HB 2054 By Delegate W. Clark. Bill removes the requirement that private farmers’ markets have two unrelated vendors apply for a license. It removes the requirement among all vendors, acknowledging that each vendor is jointly and severally liable to any violation. Sent to Government Organization. Passed as amended. On second reading Full House. On second reading House Calendar. Passed Full House. Sent to Senate Judiciary. WVFB monitoring.
HB 2284 By Delegate Smith. Bill authorizes West Virginia Department of Agriculture to promulgate rules for meat and poultry inspection. Sent to House Government Organization. WVFB supports.
The following bills were introduced during Week 2 (February 17-21):
SB 459 By Senator Thorne. Bill provides three-year residency requirement for West Virginia citizens to serve on planning commissions. Sent to Government Organization. Passed. On third reading Full Senate. Passed Full Senate. Sent to House Government Organization. Passed Full House. Title amendment adopted. Communicated to Senate for confirmation. WVFB supports.
SB 532 By Senator Clements. Bill clarifies the county to which ad valorem taxes should be paid when location of a natural gas well is in a different county. Sent to Finance. Passed Full Senate. Ordered to the House. Sent to House Finance. (Similar bill HB 2706.) WVFB supports.
HB 2043 By Delegate Burkhammer. Bill authorizes use of drones and dogs to track or locate certain wounded game. Committee Sub adds protection as critical infrastructure classification of commercial poultry facilities, licensed slaughter facilities, and stockyards. Sent to Government Organization. On third reading House Calendar. Sent to Rules. Now on first reading Special Calendar. Communicated to Senate. (Similar bill SB 721 passed Full Senate. Sent to House Government Organization. Completed legislation. Sent to Governor for decision.) WVFB monitoring.
HB 2399 By Delegate Hillenbrand. Bill changes the managed timberland certification requirement from one year to every five years for tax assessment purposes. Sent to Finance. Communicated to Senate. On second reading Full Senate. (Similar bill SB 809.) WVFB monitoring.
HB 2551 By Delegate Foggin. Bill allows for increase to criminal penalty for the misdemeanor offense of negligently permitting livestock to run at large and trespass on property of other owners of livestock which then injures another person or destroys property of another. Sent to Judiciary. Passed House. Communicated to Senate. WVFB monitoring.
The following bills were introduced during Week 3 (February 24-28):
SR 18 By Senator Smith. Resolution declares March 3, 2025, as Future Farmers Day. WVFB supports.
HB 2727 By Delegate Canterbury. Bill requires at least one person with agricultural background to be appointed to West Virginia University and West Virginia State University Boards of Governors. Sent to Education. Sent to House Higher Education Subcommittee. (Similar bill HB 3279 sent to House Higher Education. On second reading House Calendar. Passed House. Sent to Senate Government Organization.) WVFB supports.
HB 2992 By Delegate Dillon. Bill defines distributor of commercial feed to exclude persons selling products or commodities exclusively on their own farms. Sent to Government Organization. Passed. Sent to Finance. Similar bill SB 686 passed Full Senate. Sent to House Government Organization. WVFB monitoring.
The following bills were introduced during Week 4 (March 3-7):
SB 581 By Senator Oliverio. Bill provides that 4-H and FFA members may receive excused absences with opportunity to make up any missed schoolwork. Passed Full Senate. Sent to House Education. WVFB supports.
SB 701 By Senator Woodrum. Bill reclassifies forestry equipment as Class 1 to provide tax benefit to forestry businesses in order to classify forestry as part of agriculture under West Virginia Code 11-8-5. Sent to Natural Resources. Passed. Sent to Finance. Passed Senate. Sent to House Finance. WVFB monitoring.
The following bill was introduced during Week 5 (March 10-14):
SJR 14 By Senator Barrett. Resolution sets up general homestead tax exemption if a constitutional amendment is approved by voters. Exemption would be raised from $20,000 to $25,000 and provide for periodic increases until exemption reaches $40,000. If passed, amendment would also grant the Legislature, effective January 1, 2027, the authority to make any other changes to the homestead exemption. Sent to Judiciary. (Similar bills SB 724 and HB 3451.) Similar bill SB 724 on second reading Full Senate. Passed Senate. Sent to House Finance. WVFB monitoring.
The following bills were introduced during Week 6 (March 17-21):
SB 801 By Senator Woodrum. Bill establishes West Virginia Public Waterway Access Act. Bill directs Department of Highways in cooperation with Department of Natural Resources to develop guidelines. If enacted, bill as written would allow DOH to write rules to permit public access to waterways potentially adjacent to private land. Sent to Natural Resources. On second reading Full Senate. Passed Senate. Sent to House Government Organization. WVFB opposes.
SB 844 By Senator Rucker. Bill exempts certain quail possessed for agricultural purposes from game preserve license requirement. Sent to Agriculture. Passed. On third reading Full Senate. Passed Senate. Sent to House Government Organization. WVFB monitoring.
HB 3504 By Delegate Burkhammer. Bill originated in House Rules. Bill classifies licensed stockyards, licensed slaughter facilities, and commercial poultry production and processing facilities as critical infrastructure facilities. On first reading Special Calendar. Passed Full House. Sent to Senate Judiciary. WVFB supports.
The following bills were introduced during Week 7 (March 24-28):
SB 890 By Senator Thorne. Bill updates and adds definitions to West Virginia Auctioneer Law and increases bonding requirements. It also expands the board of review and clarifies fees paid to WVDA. Sent to Government Organization. Passed Senate. Sent to House Government Organization. WVFB monitoring.
SB 899 By Senator Rose. Bill clarifies that deep well injections of carbon may not affect coal or oil/gas mineral owners’ estates. Sent to Energy. Passed. On second reading Full Senate. Passed Full Senate. Sent to House Energy. WVFB supports.
HB 3503 By Delegate Hornby. Bill was started as an organizing bill in committee to eliminate county authority of commercial horticulture under the Water Pollution Control Act. On second reading Full House. Passed House. Sent to Senate Government Organization, then to Judiciary. WVFB monitoring
