To create the Southern Coalfield Resiliency and Revitalization Program
HB2720 creates the Southern Coalfield Resiliency and Revitalization Program, a five-year state initiative aimed at supporting economic recovery and community revitalization in Boone, Logan, McDowell, Mingo, and Wyoming counties. The bill states that these counties have been harmed by federal regulation and the decline of the coal industry, and it directs the West Virginia Department of Economic Development to establish a program that inventories local assets, coordinates technical assistance, and helps identify resources for redevelopment and job creation.
The bill also creates a Revitalization Council made up of state agency leaders, county representatives, higher education officials, and local economic development directors. The council is tasked with developing strategies to attract new businesses, repurpose reclaimed mine sites and abandoned industrial properties, and recommend policies to diversify the region’s economy. It must also report annually to the Governor and the Joint Committee on Government and Finance on progress, planning, and results.
If enacted, HB2720 would add a new article to the West Virginia Code establishing a temporary regional economic development program focused on the southern coalfield counties. It would require the Department of Economic Development to coordinate the effort without creating new positions or hiring additional employees, and it would authorize the use of existing state resources, technical assistance, and partnerships with universities, nonprofits, and local governments. The bill also directs state entities to help businesses access existing tax credits and other incentives, and it contemplates reduced-cost transfers of state property and equipment to qualifying businesses investing in the region.
The bill appears to have broad support in the House, passing by a 97-2 vote, suggesting strong bipartisan or near-unanimous agreement on the need to address economic distress in the southern coalfield region. The bill’s framing emphasizes revitalization, workforce and business development, and leveraging existing state and academic resources, which likely contributed to its favorable reception. No committee transcript was provided, so the available record shows little formal opposition in the materials supplied.
The main policy tension in the bill is its explicit reliance on coal, oil, natural gas, and other traditional resource industries as engines of regional recovery, which may draw criticism from those who favor a broader or more transition-oriented economic strategy. Another possible point of contention is the bill’s characterization of federal regulation as a primary cause of harm to the coal industry, which is a political and economic claim rather than a neutral finding. Finally, because the program is limited to five years and must operate without new staff, some may question whether it provides enough capacity or funding to achieve meaningful long-term change.