West Virginia 2026 Session Status: Enacted 1 R cosponsors

HB 4983 — Authorizing the Department of Commerce to promulgate a legislative rule relating to certification of a microgrid district or certification as a high impact data center

Last action — Chapter 221, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

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

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 30, 2026. Enacted.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 72% · 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.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 R).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 3 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.

In plain language

This bill allows the Department of Commerce to create rules for certifying microgrid districts and high impact data centers.

The bill gives the Department of Commerce the authority to establish certification rules for microgrid districts and high impact data centers. This certification process aims to set standards and protocols for these entities.

Summary

Authorizing the Department of Commerce to promulgate a legislative rule relating to certification of a microgrid district or certification as a high impact data center

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

44 added · 16 removed

Plain-language change summary

The revised bill HB 4983 now includes an additional provision allowing the Department of Commerce to create rules related to "Tourism Development Districts." Furthermore, it updates the certification rules for microgrid districts and high-impact data centers to include "use or access of water." These changes are important because they expand the regulatory framework to foster both tourism and sustainable energy initiatives, potentially leading to economic growth and better resource management in West Virginia.

→
Previous
Latest
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION ENGROSSED House Bill 4983 BY Delegate D.
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION ENROLLED House Bill 4983 BYDELEGATD.
Smith [Introduced January 30;
MITH [March 13, 2026;
referred to the Committee on Energy and Public Works] Eng HB 4983 A BILL to amend and reenact §64-10-1 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to authorizing the Department of Commerce to promulgate a legislative rule relating to certification of a microgrid district or certification as a high impact data center.
in effect from passage] Enr HB 4983 AN ACT to amend and reenact §64-10-1 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to authorizing certain agencies of the Department of Commerce to promulgate legislative rules;
authorizing the rules as filed and as modified by the Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee and as amended by the Legislature;
authorizing the Department of Economic Development to promulgate a legislative rule relating to Tourism Development Districts;
and authorizing the Department of Commerce to promulgate a legislative rule relating to certification of a microgrid district or certification as a high impact data center.
The legislative rule filed in the State Register on January 12, 2026, authorized under the authority of §5B-2-21 of this code, modified by the Department of Commerce to meet the objections of the Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee and refiled in the State Register on January 29, 2026, relating to the Department of Commerce (certification of a microgrid district or certification as a high impact data center, 145 CSR 20), is authorized.
(a) The legislative rule filed in the State Register on October 8, 2024, authorized under the authority of §5B-1-9 of this code, relating to the Division of Economic Development (Tourism Development Districts, 145 CSR 16), is authorized.
(b) The legislative rule filed in the State Register on January 12, 2026, authorized under the authority of §5B-2-21 of this code, modified by the Department of Commerce to meet the objections of the Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee and refiled in the State Register on January 29, 2026, relating to the Department of Commerce (certification of a microgrid district or certification as a high impact data center, 145 CSR 20), is authorized with the following amendment:
On page 1, subsection 2.4., after the word “use” by inserting the words “or access of water”.
Enr HB 4983 The Clerk of the House of Delegates and the Clerk of the Senate hereby certify that the foregoing bill is correctly enrolled.
...............................................................
Clerk of the House of Delegates ...............................................................
Clerk of the Senate Originated in the House of Delegates.
In effect from passage.
...............................................................
Speaker of the House of Delegates ...............................................................
President of the Senate __________ The within is ................................................
this the...........................................
Day of ..........................................................................................................., 2026.
.............................................................
Governor 3
⬇ Download PDF
View plain text versions (5)

Action History

  1. Filed for introduction

  2. To Energy and Public Works

  3. Introduced in House

  4. To House Energy and Public Works

  5. Markup Discussion

  6. Do pass

  7. On 1st reading, Special Calendar

  8. Read 1st time

  9. On 2nd reading, Special Calendar

  10. Read 2nd time

  11. Amendment reported by the Clerk

  12. Amendment rejected (Roll No. 99)

  13. Amendment reported by the Clerk

  14. Amendment rejected (Roll No. 100)

  15. On 3rd reading, Special Calendar

  16. Read 3rd time

  17. Passed House (Roll No. 108)

  18. Rule suspension to make bill effective from passage (Roll No. 113)

  19. Effective from passage (Roll No. 114)

  20. Communicated to Senate

  21. Introduced in Senate

  22. To Judiciary

  23. To Judiciary

  24. Reported do pass, with amendment and title amendment

  25. Immediate consideration

  26. Read 1st time

  27. On 2nd reading

  28. Laid over on 2nd reading 3/9/2026

  29. Read 2nd time

  30. Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote)

  31. On 3rd reading

  32. Read 3rd time

  33. Passed Senate with amended title (Roll No. 464)

  34. Effective from passage (Roll No. 465)

  35. Senate requests House to concur

  36. House received Senate message

  37. House concurred in Senate amendment and passed bill (Roll No. 500)

  38. Effective from passage (Roll No. 501)

  39. Communicated to Senate

  40. Completed legislative action

  41. House Message received

  42. To Governor 3/18/2026 - Senate Journal

  43. To Governor 3/18/2026

  44. Approved by Governor 3/27/2026

  45. Approved by Governor 3/27/2026 - House Journal

  46. Approved by Governor 3/27/2026 - Senate Journal

  47. Chapter 221, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 151 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (151)

151 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 151 →

"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

Subjects

technology energy
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HB 4983 do?
Authorizing the Department of Commerce to promulgate a legislative rule relating to certification of a microgrid district or certification as a high impact data center
Who sponsors HB 4983?
HB 4983 is sponsored by Doug Smith (Republican).
What is the current status of HB 4983?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 30, 2026. Enacted.
Where can I track HB 4983?
Track HB 4983 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on HB 4983

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of HB 4983

Last checked for changes about 1 month ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →