West Virginia 2026 Session Status: Introduced 10 R cosponsors

HB 4573 — Foster Youth Post-Secondary Transition Awareness Act

Last action — Communicated to Senate

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

This bill died with 2026 Session. It reached “Introduced” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there are no live odds of enactment. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Foster Youth Post-Secondary Transition Awareness Act

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

3 added · 1 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendment to HB 4573 added a new section that specifically protects vocational education agriculture programs, ensuring they can only be terminated if they have the lowest enrollment among all vocational programs. Additionally, if a program does close, the school district must report to the Legislative Oversight Commission explaining their reasons. This change matters because it emphasizes the importance of agricultural education and aims to secure its availability for all students, reflecting the state's commitment to enhancing agricultural skills and knowledge.

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HB4573 SFAT TAYLOR #1 3-12Hager  7871 Senator Taylor moved to amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting therefor a new title, to read as follows:Eng.
HB4573 SFA TAYLOR #1 3-12Hager  7871 Senator Taylor moved to amend the bill on page 2, after line 28, by adding a new section 56, to read as follows:
Com.
 §18-5-56.
Sub.
 Protection of vocational education agriculture programs.
for House Bill 4573—A Bill to amend the code of Wes Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding two new sections, designated §18-5-55 and 18-5-56, relating to relating to education generally;
(a) The Legislature finds that agriculture offers many benefits to the state and its individual citizens such as enhanced self-sufficiency, additional food security, contributions to the economy, and the enjoyment and satisfaction that can be experienced from various forms of agriculture.(b) Vocational education agriculture programs shall be offered to all students, and these programs may only be terminated if the enrollment is the lowest enrollment of all vocational education programs.
requiring the Department of Human Services to provide to the West Virginia Department of Education and county boards of education information regarding available post-secondary transition programs and services for students with current or former foster care experience;
If a county school district terminates its program, the county school district shall submit a report to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability explaining the reasoning for terminating its program.  AdoptedRejected
specifying minimum information that can be shared;
allowing the Department of Human Services to continue sharing information directly with students in foster care and their foster families or legal guardians in certain instances;
requiring county boards of education to ensure that information received is shared with appropriate school personnel and used for student informational purposes only;
clarifying that new provisions do not require disclosure of foster care status in violation of state or federal privacy laws requiring vocational education agriculture programs to be offered to all students;
making findings;
allowing termination of a vocational education agriculture program only if enrollment is the lowest enrollment of all vocational education programs;
and requiring if a county school district terminates its vocational education agriculture program that the district submit a report to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability explaining the reasoning for terminating its program.     AdoptedRejected
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Action History

  1. Filed for introduction

  2. To Education

  3. Introduced in House

  4. To House Education

  5. Markup Discussion

  6. By substitute, do pass

  7. On 1st reading, Special Calendar

  8. Read 1st time

  9. On 2nd reading, Special Calendar

  10. Read 2nd time

  11. On 3rd reading, Special Calendar

  12. Read 3rd time

  13. Passed House (Roll No. 104)

  14. Communicated to Senate

  15. Introduced in Senate

  16. To Education

  17. To Education

  18. Reported do pass

  19. Immediate consideration

  20. Read 1st time

  21. On 2nd reading

  22. Read 2nd time

  23. On 3rd reading

  24. Read 3rd time

  25. Deferred until foot of 2nd reading

  26. Unanimous consent to amend on 3rd reading

  27. Amended on 3rd reading (Voice vote)

  28. Passed Senate (Roll No. 520)

  29. Title amendment adopted

  30. Senate requests House to concur

  31. House received Senate message

  32. House refused to concur; requested Senate to recede (Voice)

  33. Communicated to Senate

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 9 co-sponsors · 142 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (9)

Not signed on (142)

142 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"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

Roll Call

Passed 33 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 28001
Democrat 4000
Unaffiliated 1000
Total 33001
% of votes cast 97%0%0%3%
How each member voted (34)
Member Party Vote
MR PRESIDENT — Yea
Anitra Hamilton Democrat Yea
Mike Woelfel Democrat Yea
Mike Woelfel Democrat Yea
Rick Garcia Democrat Yea
Ben Queen Republican Yea
Carl Martin Republican Yea
Chris Phillips Republican Yea
Chris Rose Republican Yea
Chris Rose Republican Yea
Dean Jeffries Republican Yea
Eric Tarr Republican Yea
Eric Tarr Republican Yea
Glenn Jeffries Republican Yea
Jack Woodrum Republican Not Voting
Jack Woodrum Republican Yea
Jay Taylor Republican Yea
Jimmy Willis Republican Yea
Mark R. Maynard Republican Yea
Mike Oliverio Republican Yea
Patricia Rucker Republican Yea
Patricia Rucker Republican Yea
Robbie Morris Republican Yea
Rollan A. Roberts Republican Yea
Rollan A. Roberts Republican Yea
Rupie Phillips Republican Yea
Rupie Phillips Republican Yea
Ryan Weld Republican Yea
Ryan Weld Republican Yea
Tom Takubo Republican Yea
Tom Takubo Republican Yea
Tom Willis Republican Yea
Trenton Barnhart Republican Yea
Trenton Barnhart Republican Yea

Official roll call →

PASSAGE

Passed 95 Yea · 0 Nay · 4 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 84003
Democrat 9000
Unaffiliated 2001
Total 95004
% of votes cast 96%0%0%4%
How each member voted (99)
Member Party Vote
Flanigan — Yea
Linville — Yea
Kump — Not Voting
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 Yea
Sean Hornbuckle Democrat Yea
Shawn Fluharty Democrat Yea
Adam Burkhammer Republican Yea
Adam Vance Republican Yea
Andy Shamblin Republican Yea
Bill Bell Republican Yea
Bill Ridenour Republican Yea
Bob Fehrenbacher Republican Yea
Bryan Smith Republican Not Voting
Bryan Ward Republican Yea
Carl "Bill" Roop Republican Not Voting
Carl Martin Republican Yea
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 Yea
Dana Ferrell Republican Yea
Dave Foggin Republican Yea
David Cannon Republican Yea
David Green Republican Yea
David McCormick Republican Yea
Dean Jeffries Republican Yea
Doug Smith Republican Yea
Elias Coop-Gonzalez Republican Yea
Eric Brooks Republican Yea
Erica Moore Republican Yea
Evan Worrell Republican Yea
Gary G. Howell Republican Yea
Geno Chiarelli Republican Yea
George Miller Republican Yea
George Street Republican Yea
Gregory A. Watt Republican Yea
Guy Ward Republican Yea
Henry Dillon Republican Yea
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 Yea
Joe Parsons Republican Not Voting
Joe Statler Republican Yea
John Jordan Republican Yea
John Paul Hott Republican Yea
Jonathan Kyle Republican Yea
Jonathan Pinson Republican Yea
Jordan Bridges Republican Yea
Jordan Maynor Republican Yea
Josh Holstein Republican Yea
Kathie Hess Crouse Republican Yea
Keith Marple Republican Yea
Laura Kimble Republican Yea
Lisa White Republican Yea
Lori Dittman Republican Yea
Margitta Mazzocchi Republican Yea
Mark Dean Republican Yea
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 Yea
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 Yea
S. Chris Anders Republican Yea
Sarah Drennan Republican Yea
Scot C. Heckert Republican Yea
Stanley Adkins Republican Yea
Tresa Howell Republican Yea
Tristan Leavitt Republican Yea
Vacant1 Republican Yea
Vernon Criss Republican Yea
Walter Hall Republican Yea
Wayne Clark Republican Yea
William Anderson Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

education
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Frequently asked questions

What does HB 4573 do?
Foster Youth Post-Secondary Transition Awareness Act
Who sponsors HB 4573?
HB 4573 is sponsored by Lori Dittman (Republican), Jonathan Pinson (Republican), Erica Moore (Republican), Sarah Drennan (Republican), Dave Foggin (Republican), John Paul Hott (Republican), Jeff Campbell (Republican), Christopher W. Toney (Republican), Joe Ellington (Republican), and Joe Statler (Republican).
What is the current status of HB 4573?
This bill died with 2026 Session. It reached “Introduced” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track HB 4573?
Track HB 4573 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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