West Virginia House Bill HB3515

West Virginia 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/28/25
• Engrossed: 4/2/25
• Refer: 4/3/25
• Report Pass: 4/8/25
• Enrolled: 4/10/25
• Passed: 4/25/25

Caption

Relating to appointment of officers of the West Virginia State Police

Summary

HB3515 amends the West Virginia State Police statute governing appointments and temporary ranks within the agency. The bill authorizes the superintendent to appoint 20 principal supervisors from among State Police members, who may hold the temporary rank of lieutenant colonel, major, or captain at the superintendent’s discretion. It also preserves the superintendent’s authority to appoint two additional supervisors from the executive protection section, who may hold the temporary rank of first lieutenant, subject to a minimum two years of service in that section before becoming eligible. The bill keeps these temporary appointments outside the career progression system’s eligibility requirements, while preserving a member’s ability to continue advancing or reclassifying if their permanent rank is below first lieutenant. It also provides that when a temporary appointment ends, the member cannot be reduced below their permanent rank or classification unless the reduction is disciplinary. The act takes effect 90 days after passage, on July 9, 2025, and amends West Virginia Code §15-2-4.

Impact

HB3515 directly changes West Virginia Code §15-2-4 by increasing the number of principal supervisors the State Police superintendent may appoint from the membership of the agency, from the prior lower limit to 20. It affects internal command structure, temporary rank assignments, and promotion practices within the State Police, especially for supervisory and executive protection personnel. The bill does not create new criminal penalties or public-facing regulatory duties, but it expands administrative flexibility for agency leadership and may affect staffing, compensation, and rank management within the department.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the House unanimously 97-0 and the Senate unanimously 32-0, with no committee transcript material indicating opposition or extended debate. The voting record suggests consensus that the change was a routine personnel and organizational adjustment for the State Police rather than a disputed policy shift.

Contention

No notable contention is reflected in the available record. The only substantive policy choice in the bill is whether to authorize more principal supervisors and preserve the superintendent’s discretion over temporary appointments and rank assignments. Because the bill passed both chambers unanimously and there are no committee transcripts, there is no evidence of disagreement over the number of supervisors, the executive protection exception, or the interaction with the career progression system.