West Virginia Senate Bill SB363

West Virginia 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/13/25
• Refer: 2/13/25

Caption

Department of Agriculture rule relating to state aid for fairs and festivals

Summary

SB 363 is a rule-authorization bill that allows the West Virginia Department of Agriculture to promulgate a legislative rule governing state aid for fairs and festivals. The bill amends and reenacts a section of the West Virginia Code to specifically authorize the rule filed in the State Register on July 25, 2024, under the Department’s authority in §19-7-11. In practical terms, the bill does not itself create a new aid program or change the underlying policy for fairs and festivals; instead, it gives legal effect to the Department’s administrative rule, 61 CSR 03, so that the rule can be enforced as part of state law. The measure is limited in scope and is focused on the regulatory framework for distributing or administering state support to fairs and festivals.

Impact

The bill would amend §64-9-1 of the West Virginia Code to authorize a specific Department of Agriculture legislative rule on state aid for fairs and festivals. Its effect is to validate the administrative rulemaking process and incorporate the rule into the state’s body of authorized regulations, thereby affecting the Department of Agriculture and any fairs, festivals, or related entities that receive or seek state aid under the rule.

Sentiment

Because the bill is a narrow rule-authorization measure and there are no recorded committee transcripts or votes provided, there is little direct evidence of controversy or support in the available materials. The overall tone of the bill is procedural and administrative rather than policy-driven, suggesting a generally neutral or routine legislative posture.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. If any concerns were raised, they would likely relate to the details of how state aid is administered to fairs and festivals, the scope of the Department of Agriculture’s authority, or the practical effects of the rule on local fair and festival operators, but none of those issues are reflected in the available transcripts or vote history.