West Virginia Senate Bill SB845

West Virginia 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/9/26
• Refer: 2/9/26
• Report Pass: 3/6/26
• Engrossed: 3/11/26
• Enrolled: 3/14/26
• Passed: 3/19/26

Caption

Supplemental Appropriation to Governor's Office Civil Contingent Fund, fund 0105

Summary

SB845 is a supplemental appropriations and fund-expiration bill for the Governor’s Office – Civil Contingent Fund. It moves a total of $25,000,000 from prior-year balances in that fund—$14,143,707.56 from fiscal year 2023 and $10,856,292.44 from fiscal year 2024—back into the State Fund, General Revenue as unappropriated surplus. The bill then adds a new fiscal year 2026 appropriation of $25,000,000 to the same Civil Contingent Fund, effectively reauthorizing that amount for use in the current fiscal year. In practical terms, the bill adjusts West Virginia’s general revenue accounting and the spending authority for the Governor’s Civil Contingent Fund under Chapter 5 of the West Virginia Code. It does not create a new program or change eligibility rules for outside parties; instead, it reallocates existing state funds and supplements the FY 2026 budget for executive contingency purposes. Because it is effective from passage, the appropriation became available immediately upon enactment. The overall sentiment around the bill appears strongly favorable and routine. It passed both chambers with large margins and no recorded committee controversy, suggesting broad agreement on the need to refresh the contingent fund and manage surplus balances. The final Senate concurrence was unanimous, indicating the bill was treated as a straightforward budget measure rather than a policy dispute. There is little visible contention in the available record. The only notable opposition appears in the House vote, where three members voted no, but no committee transcripts or debate excerpts are available to explain their concerns. Based on the bill text, any disagreement likely centered on the size or use of the Governor’s contingent fund, rather than on the mechanics of the appropriation itself.

Impact

SB845 amends the state’s FY 2026 appropriations by expiring unused balances from the Governor’s Office – Civil Contingent Fund for FY 2023 and FY 2024 into general revenue surplus, then restoring $25 million to that fund for FY 2026. It affects state budget law and appropriations administration, specifically the Governor’s Office budget line in the general revenue fund, but does not alter substantive law governing private parties or program eligibility.

Sentiment

The bill’s sentiment was generally positive and noncontroversial. It moved quickly through both chambers, passed with overwhelming majorities, and received unanimous final Senate concurrence. The voting pattern suggests the Legislature viewed it as a standard fiscal housekeeping measure and a necessary supplemental appropriation rather than a contentious policy initiative.

Contention

There was minimal recorded contention. The only visible dissent was three no votes in the House, with no accompanying transcript to identify the objection. Any concerns likely related to the size of the $25 million contingent fund appropriation or broader skepticism about executive discretion over contingency spending, but the available record does not show organized opposition or substantive debate.