West Virginia Senate Bill SB877

West Virginia 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/9/26
• Refer: 2/9/26
• Engrossed: 3/10/26

Caption

Supplemental appropriation to Department of Commerce, fund 0256

Summary

SB877 is a supplemental appropriations bill that allocates additional General Revenue surplus funds to the West Virginia Department of Commerce, Division of Economic Development for fiscal year 2026. It increases the division’s budget and directs money to a range of economic development programs and partners, including local and global economic development partnerships, workforce grants, the Mainstreet Program, Marshall University Research Corporation, the Hatfield McCoy Recreational Trail, and several current-expense line items. The bill also reappropriates certain unspent balances from prior appropriations so they remain available in fiscal year 2026. A significant portion of the bill is a $40 million directed transfer from surplus to the Economic Development Promotion and Closing Fund. The bill also specifies how some of the current-expense money must be used, including support for the Western Potomac Economic Partnership, Advantage Valley, the Robert C. Byrd Institute, West Virginia University, and Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College for the Mine Training and Energy Technologies Academy. For local economic development partnerships, the bill creates a matching-grant structure for county and regional development entities participating in the Certified Development Community Program, with assistance capped at $50,000 per county served.

Impact

The bill amends the fiscal year 2026 appropriations for the Department of Commerce, Division of Economic Development, by adding a new appropriation and increasing the total available funding from General Revenue surplus. It authorizes reappropriation of certain unused balances and directs specific spending and transfers, thereby affecting how state economic development funds are distributed and used. The bill primarily impacts the Division of Economic Development, local and regional development corporations, universities and technical colleges receiving designated support, and the Economic Development Promotion and Closing Fund.

Sentiment

The available voting history shows strong bipartisan or at least unanimous support in the Senate, with the bill passing 32-0 and also passing effective from passage 32-0. No committee transcript is available, but the vote totals suggest the bill was viewed favorably and without recorded opposition. The overall sentiment appears supportive of using surplus revenue for economic development and workforce-related investments.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided committee materials, and the Senate vote was unanimous. Based on the bill text, any potential debate would likely center on the size and targeting of the $40 million directed transfer, the use of surplus funds for economic development incentives, and the earmarking of funds for named institutions and regional partnerships. However, no recorded objections or competing viewpoints are included in the available context.