Removing annual report requirement for WV Research Trust Fund
Summary
SB913 is a narrow, administrative bill that repeals West Virginia Code §18B-18A-12, the section requiring an annual report for the West Virginia Research Trust Fund. The bill does not create a new program or change the underlying structure of the trust fund; instead, it removes a specific statutory reporting obligation tied to that fund.
By repealing the annual reporting requirement, the bill reduces one recurring compliance and disclosure duty associated with the West Virginia Research Trust Fund. The practical effect is to eliminate the need for the responsible entity to prepare and submit the annual report previously required by law, while leaving the rest of the directed research endowments article intact unless otherwise amended in the future.
Impact
The bill directly amends state law by repealing §18B-18A-12 of the West Virginia Code, which means the annual report requirement for the West Virginia Research Trust Fund is removed from statute. This affects the administrators of the fund and any state higher-education or research-related entities that previously relied on or prepared the report, but it does not otherwise alter the fund’s existence or core purpose.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests the bill was broadly noncontroversial and received strong support. It passed the Senate unanimously, 31-0, and the House by a wide margin, 90-2. No committee transcripts are available, and the vote totals indicate general agreement with removing the reporting requirement.
Contention
There is little evidence of substantive contention in the available record. The only likely point of concern would be whether eliminating the annual report reduces transparency or oversight of the West Virginia Research Trust Fund, but the overwhelming vote margins suggest that any such concern was limited and did not generate significant opposition.