West Virginia 2026 Session Status: Enacted Bipartisan · 6 R · 1 D cosponsors

HB 5686 — Relating to the timing of payments of annually required deposit into an eligible recipient’s Hope Scholarship account

Last action — Chapter 129, 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 February 27, 2026. Enacted.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 82% · high confidence

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 7 sponsors

    1 primary, 6 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (6 R · 1 D) — cross-party backing.

  • Mixed recorded votes

    4 passed, 1 failed in recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

The bill changes when payments are made to Hope Scholarship accounts.

This bill addresses the timing of payments required to be deposited annually into eligible recipients' Hope Scholarship accounts. It aims to specify when these deposits should occur.

Summary

Relating to the timing of payments of annually required deposit into an eligible recipient’s Hope Scholarship account

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

30 added · 11 removed

Plain-language change summary

The bill HB 5686 has been amended to specify that one quarter of the required annual deposits into an eligible recipient's Hope account must be made by specific deadlines: October 15 and January 15 each year, starting July 1, 2026. The original wording was unclear, which has been corrected to ensure consistency in deposit timing. This change is significant because it sets clear expectations for when funds need to be deposited, potentially improving financial planning and assistance for eligible recipients.

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WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION ENGROSSED House Bill 5686 By Criss, Riley, Gearheart, Fehrenbacher, Worrell, Hott, and Hornbuckle [Originating in the Committee on Finance;
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION ENROLLED House Bill 5686 B YC RIS, RILE, GEARHEART, EHRENBACHER , W ORRELL, HOTT,AND HORNBUCKLE [Passed March 14, 2026;
Reported on February 26, 2026] Eng HB 5686 A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section §18-31-6a of this code, relating to the timing of payments of annually required deposit into an eligible recipient’s Hope Scholarship account.
in effect 90 days from passage (June 12, 2026)] Enr HB 5686 AN ACT to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section §18-31-6a of this code, relating to the timing of payments of annually required deposit into an eligible recipient’s Hope Scholarship account.
Nothwithstanding the any provisions of §18-31-6(d) of this code to the contrary, beginning July 1, 2026, one quarter of the total annually required deposit into an eligible recipient’s Hope Scholarship account shall be made no later than August 15 of every year, one quarter of the total annually required deposit shall be made no later than October 15 of every year, one quarter of the total annually required deposit shall be made no later than January 15 of every year, and one quarter of the total annually required deposit shall be made no later than April 15 of every year.
Nothwithstanding the provisions of §18-31-6(d) of this code to the contrary, beginning July 1, 2026, one quarter of the total annually required deposit into an eligible recipient’s Hope Scholarship account shall be made no later than August 15 of every year, one quarter of the total annually required deposit shall be made no later than October 15 of every year, one quarter of the total annually required deposit shall be made no later than January 15 of every year, and one quarter of the total annually required deposit shall be made no later than April 15 of every year.
Enr HB 5686 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 90 days from passage.
...............................................................
Speaker of the House of Delegates ...............................................................
President of the Senate __________ The within is ................................................
this the...........................................
Day of ..........................................................................................................., 2026.
.............................................................
Governor 3
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Action History

  1. Filed for introduction

  2. Introduced in House

  3. Originating in House Finance

  4. Do pass

  5. On 1st reading, Special Calendar

  6. Read 1st time

  7. On 2nd reading, Special Calendar

  8. Read 2nd time

  9. Amendment reported by the Clerk

  10. Amendment rejected (Roll No. 276)

  11. Amendment reported by the Clerk

  12. Amendment ruled not germane

  13. On 3rd reading, Special Calendar

  14. Read 3rd time

  15. Passed House (Roll No. 340)

  16. Communicated to Senate

  17. Introduced in Senate

  18. To Finance

  19. To Finance

  20. Reported do pass, with amendment and title amendment

  21. Immediate consideration

  22. Read 1st time

  23. On 2nd reading

  24. Read 2nd time

  25. Committee amendment withdrawn by unanimous consent

  26. Floor amendment adopted (Voice vote)

  27. On 3rd reading

  28. Read 3rd time

  29. Passed Senate (Roll No. 418)

  30. Comm. title amendment withdrawn by unanimous consent

  31. Senate requests House to concur

  32. House received Senate message

  33. House concurred in Senate amendment and passed bill (Roll No. 700)

  34. Communicated to Senate

  35. Completed legislative action

  36. House Message received

  37. To Governor 3/25/2026 - Senate Journal

  38. To Governor 3/25/26

  39. Approved by Governor 3/27/2026

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

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

  42. Chapter 129, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 6 co-sponsors · 145 not signed on · 1 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (6)

Not signed on (145)

145 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 145 →

"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-SENATE AMENDED HB

Passed 96 Yea · 1 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 86002
Democrat 8100
Unaffiliated 2000
Total 96102
% of votes cast 97%1%0%2%
How each member voted (99)
Member Party Vote
Flanigan — Yea
Linville — Yea
Anitra Hamilton Democrat Yea
Evan Hansen Democrat Yea
Hollis Lewis Democrat Nay
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
Betsy Kelly 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 Yea
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 Yea
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 Not Voting
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

finance education
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 5686 do?
Relating to the timing of payments of annually required deposit into an eligible recipient’s Hope Scholarship account
Who sponsors HB 5686?
HB 5686 is sponsored by Vernon Criss (Republican), Clay Riley (Republican), Marty Gearheart (Republican), Bob Fehrenbacher (Republican), Evan Worrell (Republican), John Paul Hott (Republican), and Sean Hornbuckle (Democrat).
What is the current status of HB 5686?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 27, 2026. Enacted.
Where can I track HB 5686?
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