West Virginia Senate Bill SB789

West Virginia 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 3/17/25
• Refer: 3/17/25

Caption

Supplemental appropriation to Department of Commerce

Summary

SB789 is a supplemental appropriation bill that amends the fiscal year 2025 budget to add a new appropriation for the West Virginia Department of Commerce, Office of the Secretary. It allocates a total of $2,977,755 from General Revenue for personal services and employee benefits, the cabinet secretary and agency heads, unclassified expenses, current expenses, and a $1,000,000 directed transfer. The bill also reappropriates any unexpended balance from the prior year’s Jobs for WV Graduates – Surplus appropriation for use in fiscal year 2025. The bill further directs that the $1,000,000 transfer be moved to the Marketing and Communications Operating Fund. As a budget amendment, it does not create a new program or change substantive regulatory law; instead, it authorizes additional spending authority for the Department of Commerce within the existing budget framework for fiscal year 2025.

Impact

SB789 would modify the state’s fiscal year 2025 budget law by increasing appropriations for the Department of Commerce, Office of the Secretary, and by authorizing a specific transfer to the Marketing and Communications Operating Fund. It affects the use of General Revenue funds and preserves unused prior-year funds for Jobs for WV Graduates – Surplus by reappropriating them into the current fiscal year. The bill primarily impacts the Department of Commerce and the state treasury’s allocation of unappropriated General Revenue, rather than changing duties or rights under the West Virginia Code.

Sentiment

The available record shows no committee transcripts, recorded votes, or formal opposition, so there is no documented debate or vote-based sentiment to assess. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears routine and administrative in nature, consistent with a supplemental appropriation requested by the executive branch. The absence of recorded controversy suggests it was presented as a standard budget adjustment rather than a disputed policy proposal.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. The only potentially notable issue is the $1,000,000 directed transfer to the Marketing and Communications Operating Fund, which may draw attention because it shifts money within the commerce budget for communications-related purposes. Otherwise, the bill is a straightforward supplemental appropriation, and no legislators, committees, or stakeholders are identified as objecting to or supporting particular provisions in the available record.