A couple of points to notice: This is the initial list of proposed bills. This list will grow for a few weeks as new bills are introduced. I track bills that might involve our 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. Bills originating in the House of Delegates are designated by the prefix HB, Senate bills by SB. (*) Indicates additional comments of the WVCEA Legislative Liaison. As of today, the House has introduced 800 bills and 599 have been introduced in the Senate

Christian Education Bills:

HB 4065 (Crouse) - The purpose of this bill relates generally to the composition of the HopeScholarship Board. Referred to House Education Committee, 1/14/26.

HB 4073 (Crouse) - The purpose of this bill is to permit a religious exemption to compulsoryschool immunizations. Referred to House Health and Human Resources then House JudiciaryCommittee, 1/14/26.

HB 4077 (Crouse) - The purpose of this bill is to eliminate standardized testing requirements in West Virginia public and private schools. Referred to House EducationCommittee, 1/14/26.

HB 4189 (Hornbuckle) - The purpose of this bill is to help preserve Hope Scholarshipfunding resources by placing family income eligibility limitations for Hope scholarships,and providing the county schools be reimbursed for services provided to Hope scholarshiprecipients. Referred to House Education then House Finance Committee, 1/14/26. *At present,defeating this bill will be the priority of the WVCEA during the 2026 legislative session.

HB 4372 (Smith) - The purpose of this bill is to authorize teachers in elementary orsecondary schools to carry concealed firearms and be designated as a school protectionofficer (SPO). Referred to House Education then Judiciary Committee, 1/15/26.

HB 4402 (Foggin) - The purpose of this bill is to authorize the appointment, qualifications,certification, authority, compensation, and training of school protection officers by asheriff, and to provide for limitations on the civil liability of school protection officers incertain circumstances. Referred to House Education then House Judiciary Committee, 1/16/26.

HB 4425 (Gearheart) - The purpose of this bill is to authorize the appointment,qualifications, certification, authority, compensation, and training of school protectionofficers by a sheriff, and to provide for limitations on the civil liability of school protectionofficers in certain circumstances. Referred to House Education Committee, 1/16/26.

HB 4593 (Hornby) - Allow for PE classes to be optional for students who can demonstrate 5or more weekly hours of outside physical activity. Referred to House Education Committee,1/20/26.

HB 4611 (Dillon) - The purpose of this bill is to provide for the creation of the Hope to HelpCommunity Schools Act of 2026. Referred to House Education then House Finance Committee,1/20/26. *Essentially, small public schools could use Hope Scholarship funding to hireteachers to form a microschool. The WVCEA will oppose this bill as this was not theintended use of Hope funding.

HB 4645 (Brooks) - All property, real and personal, owned and used by a day care facility,shall be assessed at full value, and the tax imposed on the property shall be reduced by 50percent. Referred to House Finance Committee, 1/21/26.

HB 4697 (Holstein) - The purpose of this bill is to is to require that any student in the 11thor 12th grade, who has been placed in a "free" or "teacher-assistant" period or class, beinformed of online college course opportunities available for them. Referred to House
ducation Committee, 1/21/26.

HB 4794 (Pinson) - The purpose of this bill is to require each high school student to pass a test on the United States Constitution as a requirement to graduation from high school.Referred to House Education Committee, 1/23/26.

HB 4798 (Pinson) - The purpose of this bill is to implement a wearable panic alert system, to be known as Alyssa's Law, in all schools in the state. Referred to House Education then House Finance Committee, 1/23/26.

SB 46 (Rucker) - The purpose of this bill is to provide for a moment of silence at thebeginning of each school day. The bill prevents teachers from being able to discuss the substance of what children engage in during the moment of silence. Finally, the billprovides that the Attorney General shall enforce the provisions of this section. Referred toSenate Education Committee then Senate Judiciary Committee, 1/14/26.

SB 69 (Rucker) - The purpose of this bill is to require higher education institutions to accept
the Classic Learning Test. Referred to Senate Education Committee, 1/14/26.

SB 133 (Rucker) - The purpose of this bill is to allow any teaching experience requirementimposed by code or state board rule to be met through teaching at a public school or anynonpublic school. Referred to Senate Education Committee, 1/14/26.

SB 176 (Fuller) - The purpose of this bill is to clarify the amount of non-traditional instruction days for teachers. Referred to Senate Education Committee, 1/14/26. *Increases non-traditional instructional days.

SB 388 (Grady) - The purpose of this bill is to require that a public elementary orsecondary school make the Aitken Bible available to all fourth grade, eighth grade, and 10th grade social studies classrooms; specifying funds that can and cannot be used for thispurpose; and clarify that the requirement applies to charter schools. Referred to SenateEducation Committee, 1/15/26.

SB 489 (Rucker) - The purpose of this bill is to create a course-specific teaching permitsystem allowing certified educators to teach high-quality academic or career-technicalcourses outside their formal endorsement areas once they complete approved professionallearning tied to that course. Referred to Senate Education then Senate Finance Committee,1/19/26.

Other Conservative Christian Issues:

HB 4017 (Hanshaw) - The purpose of this bill is to provide the Secretary of the Departmentof Human Services with the authority to enter into contracts and partnerships with childwelfare providers, including faith-based organizations, to carry out the statutory responsibilities imposed upon the Department of Human Services under Chapter 49. Referred to House Committee on Health and Himan Resources, 1/14/26.

HB 4034 (Mallow) - The purpose of this bill is to require public elementary schools and secondary schools to display in a conspicuous place in each classroom of the school a durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments that meets certainrequirements. Referred to House Education then House Judiciary Committee, 1/14/26. *Same as HB 4103.

HB 4356 (Burkhammer) - The purpose of this bill is to prohibit the requiring of theperformance or assistance of an irreversible gender reassignment surgery. Referred toHouse Committee on Health and Human Resources, 1/15/26.

HB 4680 (Anders) - The purpose of this bill is to ensure that protections are in place to protect religious services during a declared state of emergency by the Governor or other declarations by the executive branch that would impose restrictions upon such houses of worship. Referred to House Judiciary Committee, 1/21/26.

SB 43 (Rucker) - The purpose of this bill is to remove exceptions for rape and incest for thecurrent abortion law in West Virginia. Referred to Senate Health and Human ResourcesCommittee, 1/14/26.

SB 498 (Rucker) - The purpose of this bill is to prohibit the distribution and display of pornographic material to minors through online platforms, to establish strict age verification protocols, and to impose severe penalties on entities that fail to comply. Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee, 1/19/26.

SB 507 (Helton) - The purpose of this bill is to extend the statute of limitations for bringing actions for gender reassignment surgeries, provide for additional damages in actions filed against surgeons for medical injuries from gender reassignment surgeries and the prescribing of medications related to gender reassignment procedures and therapies. Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee, 1/19/26.

SB 533 (Morris) - The purpose of this bill is to relates to disaffiliation from religious denominations and generally relates to property of religious organizations; requires a two- thirds vote of the membership for disaffiliation; establishes classes of property for purposes of disaffiliation; treats each separately deeded parcel of real property as a distinct unit for Class A purposes; provides that a local religious organization that disaffiliates from a parent religious denomination or conference may retain ownership of each parcel of real property (Class A) if more than 50 percent of the costs for acquiring and improving that specific parcel were raised locally by or from the organization, subject to reimbursement of investments made by the parent religious denomination or conference; provides for ownership of chattel and personal property (Class B) based on the purchaser; provides for pro rata ownership of intangible property (Class C) based on sources of funds over a two-year lookback period; provides a catch-all provision for classification of property by a court, mediator, or arbitrator; establishes a burden of proof on the parent religious denomination or conference; requires the parent religious denomination or conference to provide accounting within a specified timeline; and provides for severability and application to affiliations entered into or reaffirmed on or after the effective date. Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee, 1/20/26. *Similar to SB 561 (Azinger).

SB 567 (Rucker) - The purpose of this bill is to prohibit a county board or charter school governing board from charging any fees to a Hope Scholarship student for any extracurricular program related services; and modify the academic achievement requirement for Hope Scholarship students choosing an individualized instructional program and choosing to be assessed through a review of the student’s academic work. Referred to Senate Select Committee on School Choice, 1/21/26.

SB 591 (Azinger) - Prohibiting teaching of divisive acts and critical race theory in public schools. Referred to Senate Education Committee, 1/23/26.

SB 599 (Rucker) - The purpose of this bill is to prohibit the abortifacients and to enact criminal penalties and permit private causes of action for supplying abortifacients and also requiring informed consent. Referred to Senate Committee on Health and Human Resourcesthe Senate Judiciary Committee, 1/23/26.