A couple of points to notice: 

This is the initial list of proposed bills as of January 12th. This list will grow for a few weeks as new bills are introduced. We track bills that might involve Christian schools as well as some bills that deal with Christian and family issues. The list will be updated weekly to include new bills and to list changes to the current ones.

Christian Education bills:

HB 4192 (Pinson) – Requiring students to pass a test on the Constitution. Referred to House Education.

HB 4192 (C. Pritt) – Allows for vaccine exemptions for religious reasons. Referred to House Health and Human Resources Committee.

HB 4220 (Statler) – Micro schools tuition and fees covered under Hope Scholarship. Referred to House Health and Human Resources Committee.

HB 4232 (C. Pritt) – Hope Scholarship for all students, eliminating the 45-day public school requirement. Referred to House Education Committee then to House Finance Committee. HB 4322 (Burkhammer) is an identical bill.

HB 4269 (Holstein) – School buses exempt from tolls. Same as HB 4493 (Fluharty) and HB 4639 (Young). Referred to House Technology and Infrastructure then House Finance.

HB 4276 (C. Pritt) The purpose of this bill is to create the transferred right of self-defense to a person who engages an active shooter on school grounds. Referred to House Judiciary.

HB 4282 (Dean) – Allow parents to retain child in school an extra year without losing year of sports eligibility. Referred to House Education Committee.

HB 4299 (Smith) – Authorizing elementary and secondary teachers to carry concealed firearms and be designated as a school protection officer. Referred to House Education and then House Judiciary Committee.

HB 4453 (Crouse) – Eliminates standardized testing in public and private schools. Referred to House Education Committee.

HB 4455 (Crouse) – Cameras placed in all schools in public places where children are present. Referred to House Education Committee then House Finance. I had the opportunity to discuss this bill with Delegate Crouse on 1/11/24. She said her intent was to require this for public schools only although it doesn’t say specifically in the bill; therefore this bill might need to be amended.

Other Conservative Christian Issues:

HB 4325 (C. Pritt) – Houses of worship can’t be shut down in a state of emergency. Referred to House Judiciary Committee.  

SB 152 (Roberts) – Display of U.S. motto in public schools. Referred to Senate Education Committee on 2nd reading.

SB 194 (Azinger, Chapman, and Swope) - The purpose of this bill is to prohibit gender transition surgeries, treatments, and therapies to minors. The bill establishes penalties for practitioners in violation of regulations. The bill safeguards the mental and physical health of minors. The bill prohibits political subdivisions from enacting conflicting policies. The bill creates whistleblower protection. Finally, the bill prohibits taxpayer subsidization of gender transition treatments. Referred to Senate Health and Human Resources Committee then Senate Judiciary.

SB 198 (Azinger) – Prohibiting teaching of divisive acts and Critical Race Theory in public schools. Referred to Senate Education Committee.

SB 224 (Tarr) - Prohibiting certain funding and involvement or attendance of minors to drag shows. Referred to Senate Judiciary then Senate Finance Committee.

SB 246 (Taylor) – Removing rape and incest exceptions to obtain abortion in WV. Referred to Senate Health and Human Resources then Senate Judiciary Committee.

SB 284 (Smith) – Fetal Heartbeat bill. No abortions after detection of a fetal heartbeat. Referred to Senate Health and Human Resources then Senate Judiciary Committee.