Supplementing and amending appropriations to Department of Economic Development
Summary
SB937 is a supplemental appropriations bill that adds a new fiscal year 2025 appropriation to the West Virginia Department of Economic Development, Office of the Secretary. The bill allocates $41,159,321 from the state’s General Revenue surplus to a new line item labeled “Site-Ready Projects, SEED, Vo-Tech and Workforce Investments – Surplus.” It is an executive-request bill and is framed as using available unappropriated surplus funds identified in the Governor’s budget materials.
The bill also provides that any unexpended balance remaining in this appropriation at the close of fiscal year 2025 is reappropriated for expenditure during fiscal year 2026. In practical terms, the measure authorizes one-time spending from surplus revenue for economic development-related projects, including site preparation, SEED-related initiatives, vocational-technical education, and workforce investments.
Impact
SB937 amends the state’s fiscal year 2025 appropriations law by creating a new appropriation within the Department of Economic Development’s Office of the Secretary and directing General Revenue surplus dollars to that account. It does not create a new program or permanently change substantive law, but it does authorize a significant transfer of surplus funds for economic development and workforce-related purposes and allows any unused balance to carry forward into the next fiscal year.
Sentiment
The available voting history shows strong support for the bill: it passed the Senate 32-0 and was made effective from passage by the same margin. There were no committee transcripts provided showing debate or opposition, and the unanimous vote suggests broad agreement with the use of surplus funds for economic development and workforce investment priorities.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Based on the bill text, any potential concerns would likely center on the size of the appropriation, the use of surplus General Revenue, and the policy choice to direct funds toward site-ready projects, SEED, vocational-technical education, and workforce investments rather than other state needs. However, the recorded vote indicates no visible opposition in the Senate.