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Research & Outreach
2026 LEGISLATIVE
UPDATE
A key component of the Education Alliance’s mission is to foster dialogue between policy makers and stakeholders on the issues effecting public education. The Education Alliance believes that public education is strongest when input from all stakeholders is valued and partners feel welcomed into the process. Our students and our state deserve an active and engaged public. To support this goal throughout the 2026 Legislative Session, we will focus exclusively on education-related bills that are actively moving through the legislative process and are under formal consideration by the legislature and will update this site each Friday.
2026 Updates
Week of January 12, 2026
On the first day of the 2026 West Virginia Legislature (January 14, 2026), a total of 565 bills were introduced: 316 in the House of Delegates and 249 in the Senate, marking a busy start to the 60-day session focused on education, economic development, taxes, and public sector issues. The Education Alliance will be posting the bills we’re watching every Friday. Some of what we’ll be following include the school funding formula, the school vaccination policy, and the Hope Scholarship. Our policy priority, West Virginia Senate Bill 911 (SB911) from the 2025 session created a pathway for an Adjunct Teaching Permit, aiming to address teacher shortages by allowing experienced professionals (with 4+ years or a relevant degree) to teach in public schools. This bill passed, but ran out of time. Below are the bills introduced this week:
HB 4087 - To create a West Virginia-Ireland Education Alliance with the goal of the partnership to strengthen academic, cultural, and workforce connections between West Virginia and Ireland, while creating opportunities for shared learning and international engagement; providing that the West Virginia-Ireland Education Alliance Partnership consist of partnering institutions between West Virginia and Ireland, with five members from four-year universities and five members from two-year colleges.
Watching House Org 4005 - To clarify the categories of employment that are prohibited or authorized for West Virginians under the age of 18 and to clarify youth apprenticeships in the “Workforce Development Act 2026.”
Comments or Questions?
If you have questions or wish to be added to our listserve, please contact us at info@educationalliance.org.