West Virginia 2026 Session Status: Enacted 1 R cosponsors

SB 726 — Removing cap for municipalities on their stabilization fund

Last action — Chapter 242, 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 February 03, 2026. Enacted.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 76% · 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.

  • 3 sponsors

    1 primary, 2 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 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.

In plain language

The bill removes the cap on stabilization funds for municipalities.

This legislation allows municipalities to exceed the current cap on their stabilization funds. By doing so, it aims to give local governments more financial flexibility.

Summary

Removing cap for municipalities on their stabilization fund

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

25 added · 12 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent amendment to Bill SB 726 removes a limit on the amount municipalities can hold in their budget stabilization funds, which was set at 30% of their most recent general fund budget. This change allows local governments to maintain larger reserves, giving them more financial flexibility during economic downturns. By eliminating the cap, municipalities can better prepare for unexpected expenses or emergencies, which is especially important for maintaining services and stability in the community.

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WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION Introduced Senate Bill 726 BYSENATORSBARNHART, WOODRUM,ANDDEEDS [Introduced February 3, 2026;
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION Enrolled Senate Bill 726 BYSENATORSBARNHART, WOODRUM,ANDDEEDS [Passed March 12, 2026;
referred to the Committee on Government Organization] Intr SB 726 A BILL to amend and reenact §8-37-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to removing the 30 percent cap on municipal stabilization funds.
in effect 90 days from passage (June 10, 2026)] Enr SB 726 AN ACT to amend and reenact §8-37-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to removing the 30 percent cap on municipal stabilization funds.
appropriation;
appropriation.
maximum.
(c) The amount of money in the fund may not exceed thirty percent of the municipality's most recent general fund budget, as originally adopted.
Enr SB 726 The Clerk of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Delegates hereby certify that the foregoing bill is correctly enrolled.
When the fund exceeds the thirty percent, the governing body shall transfer the excess to any fund it considers appropriate.
...............................................................
NOTE:
Clerk of the Senate ...............................................................
The purpose of this bill is to remove the 30% cap on municipal stabilization funds.
Clerk of the House of Delegates Originated in the Senate.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
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 3
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Action History

  1. Filed for introduction

  2. To Government Organization

  3. Introduced in Senate

  4. To Government Organization

  5. Reported do pass

  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. 97)

  13. Ordered to House

  14. House received Senate message

  15. Introduced in House

  16. To Finance

  17. To House Finance

  18. Do pass

  19. Immediate consideration

  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. 442)

  26. Communicated to Senate

  27. Completed legislative action

  28. House Message received

  29. To Governor 3/18/2026

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

  31. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026

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

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

  34. Chapter 242, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

Sponsors

  • Barnhart · Primary
  • Woodrum · Cosponsor
  • Vince Deeds · Cosponsor

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 2 co-sponsors · 149 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

  • Barnhart

Co-sponsors (2)

Not signed on (149)

149 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 149 →

"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 32 Yea · 0 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democrat 4000
Republican 28001
Unaffiliated 0001
Total 32002
% of votes cast 94%0%0%6%
How each member voted (34)
Member Party Vote
MR PRESIDENT — Not Voting
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 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 Not Voting
Tom Takubo Republican Yea
Tom Takubo Republican Yea
Tom Willis Republican Yea
Trenton Barnhart Republican Yea
Trenton Barnhart Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

finance housing
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 726 do?
Removing cap for municipalities on their stabilization fund
Who sponsors SB 726?
SB 726 is sponsored by Barnhart, Woodrum, and Vince Deeds (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 726?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 03, 2026. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 726?
Track SB 726 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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Last checked for changes 8 days ago · updated continuously

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