West Virginia 2026 Session Status: Enacted 6 R cosponsors

SB 592 — WV Short Line Railroad Modernization Act

Last action — Chapter 286, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

  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 January 23, 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% · moderate confidence

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 12 sponsors

    1 primary, 11 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (6 R).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 2 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 addresses modernization efforts for short line railroads in West Virginia.

The WV Short Line Railroad Modernization Act focuses on the modernization of short line railroads in West Virginia. It aims to improve the infrastructure and operations of these railroads.

Summary

WV Short Line Railroad Modernization Act

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

31 added · 11 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of Bill SB 592 reflects changes in the sponsorship and status of the bill. It now lists only the senators who officially supported the bill when it was passed on March 9, 2026, and mentions that it is set to take effect 90 days after passage. These changes are significant because they clarify which lawmakers backed the final version and provide a timeline for when the new measures will come into effect, ensuring transparency and allowing citizens to understand when the laws will be implemented.

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WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 592 BYS ENATORS THORNE, CHARNOCK, LEMENTS , RADY, HELTON, EFFRIES, ORRIS, OBERTS , OSE, W OODRUM , UEEN ,ANDH AMILTON [Reported February 4, 2026, from the Committee on Finance] CS for SB 592 A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new article, designated §11-13NN-1, §11-13NN-2, §11-13NN-3, §11-13NN-4, §11-13NN-5, §11- 13NN-6, §11-13NN-7, and §11-13NN-8, relating to creating the West Virginia Short Line Railroad Modernization Act;
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION Enrolled Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 592 BYS ENATORST HORNE, HARNOCK , LEMENTS, GRADY, HELTON, EFFRIE, MORRIS, OBERTS, ROSE, W OODRUM , UEEN,AND HAMILTON [Passed March 9, 2026;
in effect 90 days from passage (June 7, 2026)] Enr CS for SB 592 AN ACT to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new article, designated §11-13NN-1, §11-13NN-2, §11-13NN-3, §11-13NN-4, §11-13NN-5, §11- 13NN-6, §11-13NN-7, and §11-13NN-8, relating to creating the West Virginia Short Line Railroad Modernization Act;
"Qualified short line railroad maintenance expenditures" means gross expenditures for CS for SB 592 railroad infrastructure maintenance and capital improvements, including, but not limited to, rail, tie plates, joint bars, fasteners, switches, ballast, subgrade, roadbed, bridges, industrial leads, sidings, signs, safety barriers, crossing signals and gates, and related track structures owned or leased by a Class II or Class III railroad.
Enr CS for SB 592 "Qualified short line railroad maintenance expenditures" means gross expenditures for railroad infrastructure maintenance and capital improvements, including, but not limited to, rail, tie plates, joint bars, fasteners, switches, ballast, subgrade, roadbed, bridges, industrial leads, sidings, signs, safety barriers, crossing signals and gates, and related track structures owned or leased by a Class II or Class III railroad.
(2) For qualified new rail infrastructure expenditures, tax credits shall not exceed $2 million for an individual project and the total amount of tax credits allowed in the aggregate for each CS for SB 592 taxable year may not exceed $5 million.
Enr CS for SB 592 (2) For qualified new rail infrastructure expenditures, tax credits shall not exceed $2 million for an individual project and the total amount of tax credits allowed in the aggregate for each taxable year may not exceed $5 million.
(b) To the extent not used, the tax credit authorized under this article may be carried over, in order, to each of the five subsequent taxable years.
Enr CS for SB 592 (b) To the extent not used, the tax credit authorized under this article may be carried over, in order, to each of the five subsequent taxable years.
CS for SB 592 (c) The tax credits authorized under this article may be transferred or sold to a taxpayer by written agreement at any time during the taxable year in which the credit is earned by the eligible taxpayer or in the subsequent years as allowed under this section.
(c) The tax credits authorized under this article may be transferred or sold to a taxpayer by written agreement at any time during the taxable year in which the credit is earned by the eligible taxpayer or in the subsequent years as allowed under this section.
and (5) The cost of the credit.
and Enr CS for SB 592 (5) The cost of the credit.
CS for SB 592 §11-13NN-8.
§11-13NN-8.
Enr CS for SB 592 The Clerk of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Delegates hereby certify that the foregoing bill is correctly enrolled.
...............................................................
Clerk of the Senate ...............................................................
Clerk of the House of Delegates Originated in the Senate.
In effect 90 days from passage.
...............................................................
President of the Senate ...............................................................
Speaker of the House of Delegates __________ The within is ................................................
this the...........................................
Day of ..........................................................................................................., 2026.
.............................................................
Governor 7
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Action History

  1. Filed for introduction

  2. To Finance

  3. Introduced in Senate

  4. To Finance

  5. Committee substitute reported

  6. On 1st reading

  7. Read 1st time

  8. On 2nd reading

  9. Read 2nd time

  10. On 3rd reading

  11. Read 3rd time

  12. Passed Senate (Roll No. 54)

  13. Ordered to House

  14. House received Senate message

  15. Introduced in House

  16. To Finance

  17. To House Finance

  18. Do pass

  19. On 1st reading, Special Calendar

  20. Read 1st time

  21. On 2nd reading, Special Calendar

  22. Read 2nd time

  23. On 3rd reading, Special Calendar

  24. Read 3rd time

  25. Passed House (Roll No. 364)

  26. Communicated to Senate

  27. Completed legislative action

  28. House Message received

  29. To Governor 3/11/2026

  30. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - House Journal

  31. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026

  32. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - Senate Journal

  33. Chapter 286, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 11 co-sponsors · 140 not signed on · 1 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (11)

Not signed on (140)

140 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 140 →

"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 · 1 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 28100
Unaffiliated 1000
Democrat 4000
Total 33100
% of votes cast 97%3%0%0%
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 Nay
Glenn Jeffries Republican Yea
Jack Woodrum Republican Yea
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 →

Subjects

transportation
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 SB 592 do?
WV Short Line Railroad Modernization Act
Who sponsors SB 592?
SB 592 is sponsored by Jeffries, Morris, Roberts, Rose, Woodrum, Queen, Darren Thorne (Republican), Anne B. Charnock (Republican), Charles H. Clements (Republican), Amy Grady (Republican), Brian Helton (Republican), and Bill Hamilton (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 592?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 23, 2026. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 592?
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Last checked for changes 7 days ago · updated continuously

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