West Virginia 2025 Regular Session Status: Enacted 4 R cosponsors

SB 627 — Removing prohibition against leasing state-owned pore spaces underlying lands designated as state parks

Last action — Chapter 155, Acts, Regular Session, 2025

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Senate
  4. ✓
    Passed House of Delegates
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 28, 2025. Enacted.

Signed by Governor Patrick Morrisey (Republican) on August 08, 2025.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 80% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 5 sponsors

    1 primary, 4 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (4 R).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 2 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

1 added · 1 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of Bill SB 627 changes the title and reiterates important details regarding the leasing of pore spaces underneath state parks. It removes the prohibition on such leasing while ensuring that drilling or injection activities do not disturb the surface of state park lands. Additionally, it mandates that the proceeds from any leases are used exclusively for the areas where the leasers are located and requires that wells are set back at least 200 feet from state park boundaries, although this requirement can be waived under certain conditions. These changes are significant because they open up potential revenue sources while aiming to protect the natural integrity and enjoyment of state parks.

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Previous
Latest
SB627 HFA Vance 4-3 #1Akers 3254 Delegate Vance moved to amend the EPW committee amendment on page 1, section 22, line on line 17, after the word “for” by striking the words “the purposes of this chapter” and inserting in lieu thereof the words “improvements and maintenance in the state forests, state parks, natural and scenic areas, wildlife management areas, and other lands under the jurisdiction and control of the director where the leased pore space is located.”   AdoptedRejected 
SB627 HFAT Anderson 4-4Baker 3381Delegate Anderson moved to amend the committee substitute by striking out the title and substituting therefor a new title, to read as follows:Com.
Sub.
for Senate Bill 627 – “A BILL to amend and reenact §20-1-22 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to removing the prohibition against leasing state-owned pore spaces underlying lands designated as state parks;
prohibiting any disturbance of the surface of state park property for any drilling or injection activity;
requiring that the proceeds from any leased state-owned pore spaces underlying state forests, state parks, natural and scenic areas, wildlife management areas, and other lands under the jurisdiction and control of the director be used exclusively where the leased pore space is located;
 and requiring that the center of any well pad leased for pore space underlying state parks may not be located within two hundred feet of a state park boundary, provided, that the Secretary of the Department of Commerce, in consultation with the Director of the Division of Natural Resources, may waive the setback requirement after considering the impact of the lessee’s proposed well-site location on viewshed, noise, and other possible impediments to the public use and enjoyment of the state park property.”     AdoptedRejected 
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How this bill changes current law

1 change Share ↗

Compared against the W. Va. Code as published AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill prohibits leasing state-owned pore spaces underlying state parks.

  • W. Va. Code § 20-1-22

    for underground carbon sequestration: Provided, That the director may not permit the disturbance of the surface of state park property for any drilling or injection activity. → for underground carbon sequestration: Provided, That the director is prohibited from leasing state-owned pore spaces underlying lands that are designated as state parks. Provided, That the director may not permit the disturbance of the surface of state park property for any drilling or injection activity.

    The director is no longer allowed to lease pore spaces under state parks.

Action History

  1. Chapter 155, Acts, Regular Session, 2025

  2. Approved by Governor 4/24/2025

  3. To Governor 4/14/2025

  4. Approved by Governor 4/24/2025 - House Journal

  5. Approved by Governor 4/24/2025 - Senate Journal

  6. To Governor 4/14/2025 - House Journal

  7. To Governor 4/14/2025 - Senate Journal

  8. Completed legislative action

  9. Communicated to House

  10. Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 421)

  11. House Message received

  12. Communicated to Senate

  13. Title amendment adopted (Voice vote)

  14. Passed House (Roll No. 392)

  15. Read 3rd time

  16. On 3rd reading, Special Calendar

  17. Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote)

  18. Amendment adopted (Voice vote)

  19. Amendment reported by the Clerk

  20. Amendment reported by the Clerk

  21. Read 2nd time

  22. On 2nd reading, Special Calendar

  23. Read 1st time

  24. On 1st reading, Special Calendar

  25. With amendment, do pass

  26. To House Energy and Public Works

  27. To Energy and Public Works

  28. Introduced in House

  29. House received Senate message

  30. Ordered to House

  31. Passed Senate (Roll No. 88)

  32. Read 3rd time

  33. On 3rd reading

  34. Read 2nd time

  35. On 2nd reading

  36. Read 1st time

  37. On 1st reading

  38. Committee substitute reported

  39. To Economic Development

  40. Introduced in Senate

  41. To Economic Development

  42. Filed for introduction

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 4 co-sponsors · 147 not signed on · 27 voted No

Sponsors (1)

  • Jeffries

Co-sponsors (4)

Not signed on (147)

147 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 147 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

PASSAGE

Passed 73 Yea · 24 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 612202
Unaffiliated 4101
Democrat 8100
Total 732403
% of votes cast 73%24%0%3%
How each member voted (100)
Member Party Vote
Kump — Yea
Flanigan — Yea
Linville — Yea
Devault — Yea
Steele — Not Voting
Clark, T — Nay
Anitra Hamilton Democrat Yea
Evan Hansen Democrat Yea
Hollis Lewis Democrat Yea
John Williams Democrat Yea
Kayla Young Democrat Yea
Mike Pushkin Democrat Yea
Rick Garcia Democrat Nay
Sean Hornbuckle Democrat Yea
Shawn Fluharty Democrat Yea
Adam Burkhammer Republican Yea
Adam Vance Republican Yea
Andy Shamblin Republican Yea
Betsy Kelly Republican Yea
Bill Ridenour Republican Nay
Bob Fehrenbacher Republican Yea
Bryan Smith Republican Yea
Bryan Ward Republican Nay
Carl "Bill" Roop Republican Yea
Carl Martin Republican Nay
Charles Sheedy Republican Yea
Chris Phillips Republican Yea
Christopher W. Toney Republican Yea
Chuck Horst Republican Yea
Clay Riley Republican Yea
D. Rolland Jennings Republican Nay
Dana Ferrell Republican Yea
Dave Foggin Republican Nay
David Cannon Republican Nay
David Green Republican Not Voting
David McCormick Republican Yea
Dean Jeffries Republican Yea
Doug Smith Republican Not Voting
Elias Coop-Gonzalez Republican Nay
Eric Brooks Republican Nay
Erica Moore Republican Yea
Evan Worrell Republican Yea
Gary G. Howell Republican Yea
Geno Chiarelli Republican Nay
George Miller Republican Yea
George Street Republican Nay
Henry Dillon Republican Nay
Ian T. Masters Republican Yea
James Robert "JB" Akers II Republican Yea
Jarred Cannon Republican Yea
Jeff Campbell Republican Yea
Jeff Eldridge Republican Yea
Jeffrey Stephens Republican Yea
Jim Butler Republican Yea
Jimmy Willis Republican Yea
Joe Ellington Republican Yea
Joe Funkhouser Republican Nay
Joe Parsons Republican Yea
Joe Statler Republican Yea
John Paul Hott Republican Yea
Jonathan Kyle Republican Yea
Jonathan Pinson Republican Yea
Jordan Bridges Republican Nay
Jordan Maynor Republican Yea
Josh Holstein Republican Yea
Kathie Hess Crouse Republican Yea
Keith Marple Republican Yea
Laura Kimble Republican Nay
Lisa White Republican Nay
Lori Dittman Republican Yea
Margitta Mazzocchi Republican Yea
Mark Dean Republican Nay
Mark Zatezalo Republican Yea
Marshall W. Clay Republican Yea
Marty Gearheart Republican Yea
Matthew Rohrbach Republican Yea
Michael Amos Republican Yea
Michael Hite Republican Yea
Michael Hornby Republican Yea
Mickey Petitto Republican Yea
Pat McGeehan Republican Nay
Patrick Lucas Republican Yea
Phil Mallow Republican Yea
Ray Canterbury Republican Yea
Rick Hillenbrand Republican Yea
Roger Hanshaw Republican Yea
Roy Cooper Republican Yea
Ryan Browning Republican Nay
S. Chris Anders Republican Nay
Sarah Drennan Republican Yea
Scot C. Heckert Republican Yea
Stanley Adkins Republican Yea
Trenton Barnhart Republican Yea
Tresa Howell Republican Nay
Tristan Leavitt Republican Yea
Vacant1 Republican Nay
Vernon Criss Republican Yea
Walter Hall Republican Nay
Wayne Clark Republican Yea
William Anderson Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Passage

Passed 29 Yea · 3 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 24302
Unaffiliated 3000
Democrat 2000
Total 29302
% of votes cast 85%9%0%6%
How each member voted (34)
Member Party Vote
STUART — Yea
BOLEY — Yea
MR PRESIDENT — Yea
Joey Garcia Democrat Yea
Mike Woelfel Democrat Yea
Amy Grady Republican Yea
Anne B. Charnock Republican Yea
Ben Queen Republican Yea
Bill Hamilton Republican Yea
Brian Helton Republican Yea
Charles H. Clements Republican Not Voting
Chris Rose Republican Yea
Craig A. Hart Republican Not Voting
Darren Thorne Republican Yea
Eric Tarr Republican Yea
Glenn Jeffries Republican Yea
Jack Woodrum Republican Yea
Jason Barrett Republican Yea
Jay Taylor Republican Yea
Laura Wakim Chapman Republican Nay
Mark R. Maynard Republican Yea
Mike Azinger Republican Nay
Mike Oliverio Republican Yea
Patricia Rucker Republican Nay
Patrick Martin Republican Yea
Robbie Morris Republican Yea
Rollan A. Roberts Republican Yea
Rupie Phillips Republican Yea
Ryan Weld Republican Yea
Scott Fuller Republican Yea
T. Kevan Bartlett Republican Yea
Tom Takubo Republican Yea
Tom Willis Republican Yea
Vince Deeds Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

environment agriculture
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Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 627?
SB 627 is sponsored by Jeffries, Charles H. Clements (Republican), Brian Helton (Republican), Chris Rose (Republican), and Eric Tarr (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 627?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 28, 2025. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 627?
Track SB 627 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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