West Virginia 2026 Session Status: Enacted 1 R cosponsors

SB 772 — Declaring certain claims against WV to be moral obligations

Last action — Chapter 73, 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 05, 2026. Enacted.

Odds of enactment

High chance

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

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

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

Prognosis

Likely to advance 72% · moderate confidence

  • 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.

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 declares certain claims against West Virginia as moral obligations.

This legislation identifies specific claims against the state of West Virginia as moral obligations. It signifies the state's recognition of these claims, although it does not imply legal liability.

Summary

Declaring certain claims against WV to be moral obligations

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

1 added · 19 removed

Plain-language change summary

In the latest amendment to Senate Bill 772, a section that included specific claims against various state departments was removed, simplifying the bill's language. This change means that instead of detailing particular claims, the bill will focus more broadly on declaring certain claims against the state as moral obligations. This matters because it streamlines the legislative process, potentially allowing for quicker passage and payment of these obligations without getting bogged down in specifics.

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Previous
Latest
SB772 SFA Barrett #1 2-11Childs  7949 Senator Barrett moved to amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
SB772 HFA Canterbury & Mazzocchi 3-11 #1Chakmakian 3260 Delegates Canterbury and Mazzocchi moved to amend the amendment on page 1, line 4, following the word “Neal”, by inserting a period, and striking the remainder of the amendment in its entirety.   AdoptedRejected 
§1.
Finding and declaring certain claims against the Department of Education;
Department of Health and Human Resources;
Department of Health Facilities;
Division of Corrections;
Division of Highways;
Division of Motor Vehicles;
and West Virginia Army National Guard, to be moral obligations of the state and directing payment thereof.
The Legislature has considered the findings of fact and recommendations reported to it by the Legislative Claims Commission concerning various claims against the state and agencies thereof and, in respect to each of the following claims, the Legislature adopts those findings of fact as its own and in respect of the claims herein, the Legislature has independently made findings of fact and determinations of award and hereby declares it to be the moral obligation of the state to pay each such claim in the amount specified below and directs the Auditor to issue warrants for the payment thereof out of any fund appropriated and available for the purpose.(a) Claim against the Department of Education:
(TO BE PAID FROM General REVENUE FUND) Sorenson ……………………$513.08 (b) Claim against the Department of Health and Human Resources:
(TO BE PAID FROM General REVENUE FUND) FEI.com, Inc.
dba FEI Systems.........................................................$34,403.81 (c) Claim against Department of Health Facilities:(TO BE PAID FROM GENERAL REVENUE FUND)(1) Athena Consulting LLC…………………………………………….………..$571.98(d) Claim against the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation:
(TO BE PAID FROM GeNERAL REVENUE FUND) John Michael Dignazio, Jr.
$240.00 (e) Claims against Department of Transportation, Division of Highways:
(TO BE PAID FROM STATE ROAD FUND)  Ra'ed J.
Abdel-Hadi $500.00Addie Adkins & Eric Hardman $1,000.00David Arnold & Samantha Pillo $475.94Holly Bailey on behalf of John Kennedy Bailey $20,000.00Holly Bailey as Mother and Guardian of B.
B., a minor child $30,000.00Josh Bruce & Ashley Bruce $250.00Burns Motor Freight, Inc.
& Doug Burns $9,000.00John Carter & Collision Appraisal Reinspection Service $500.00Meghan Chill $1,500.00Patrick Troy Clagett $587.62Evelyn M.
Clark $5,000.00Tiffany Comer $252.16Alexander Cruzzavala $3,000.00Gary Davis & Lisa Davis $500.00Russell Driskel, Administrator of the Estate of Raymond M.
Driskel $5,000.00Kaitlin Fields $1,000.00Kala Ford & Alec Donaldson $991.89Kathy S.
Gibson $274.42Brian Hawes $1,620.00Hoffman Grain Farms LLC & Joe Hoffman $5,000.00Kyara Keiffer $82.00Deborah Klimek $1,000.00Jacquelyn Klingshirn $500.00David E.
Kurp & Paula J.
Kurp $900.00Lori Leber $621.01Michele Lemon $337.00Charles W.
Malone $500.00Nicholas Marsh $434.30Paul David Martin & Penny Lee Martin $10,412.04Davien McCarty $500.00Wesley McDonald $24,328.41Maggie V.
McDowell & Steven L.
Buser $28,750.00David F.
Moore $1,078.14Gary L.
Morris & Shelley R.
Morris $12,000.00Craig W.
Neal $449.56Valerie Nicholas-Littles $2,000.00James A.
Norman & Bobba P.
Norman $6,525.00William O'Neal & Regina O'Neal $1,000.00Kimberly Page $1,256.78Jake Parker $158.17Essie P.
Parsons $472.59Jessica B.
Perkins $265.00Paul Phillips $500.00Everett Randolph $106.20David A.
Rapp $2,500.00Pierce D.
Reesman $174.13Charles R.
Smith & Mary Wagner $4,876.00Mason Scott Stark $7,500.00Ethan Taylor & Chad Taylor $1,000.00Stephanie Taylor $1,000.00Jennifer Tucker $1,000.00Edward Ross Tuckwiller, II $688.58Richard L.
Turley $4,732.36Waldron S.
Whitfield $500.00Tabitha Young $634.10Mary E.
Show all 42 changed rows (2 more)
Previous
Latest
Youngblood $172.12 (f) Claim against the Division of Motor Vehicles:(TO BE PAID FROM STATE ROAD FUND) Ensono, LLC $49,407.70  (g) Claims against WV Army National Guard (TO BE PAID FROM GENERAL REVENUE FUND)(1) Devon MD, LLC $32,561.20       DMD Medical Group Inc  $92,365.00 The Legislature finds that the above moral obligations and the appropriations made in satisfaction thereof shall be the full compensation for all claimants and that prior to the payments to any claimant provided in this bill, the Legislative Claims Commission shall receive a release from said claimant releasing any and all claims for moral obligations arising from the matters considered by the Legislature in the finding of the moral obligations and the making of the appropriations for said claimant.
The Legislative Claims Commission shall deliver all releases obtained from claimants to the department against which the claim was allowed. AdoptedRejected
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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. Floor amendment adopted (Voice vote)

  11. On 3rd reading

  12. Read 3rd time

  13. Passed Senate (Roll No. 81)

  14. Effective from passage (Roll No. 82)

  15. Ordered to House

  16. House received Senate message

  17. Introduced in House

  18. To Finance

  19. To House Finance

  20. With amendment, do pass

  21. On 1st reading, Special Calendar

  22. Read 1st time

  23. On 2nd reading, Special Calendar

  24. Read 2nd time

  25. Amendment reported by the Clerk

  26. Amendment adopted (Voice vote)

  27. Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote)

  28. On 3rd reading, Special Calendar

  29. Read 3rd time

  30. Passed House (Roll No. 556)

  31. Effective from passage (Roll No. 557)

  32. Communicated to Senate

  33. House Message received

  34. Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 628)

  35. Effective from passage (Roll No. 629)

  36. Communicated to House

  37. Completed legislative action

  38. To Governor 3/18/2026

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

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

  41. Approved by Governor 3/27/2026

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

  43. Chapter 73, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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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

Roll Call

Passed 34 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 29000
Democrat 4000
Unaffiliated 1000
Total 34000
% of votes cast 100%0%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 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 Yea
Tom Takubo Republican Yea
Tom Takubo Republican Yea
Tom Willis Republican Yea
Trenton Barnhart Republican Yea
Trenton Barnhart Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Roll Call

Passed 32 Yea · 0 Nay · 2 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 28001
Democrat 4000
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

public-safety finance civil-rights
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 772 do?
Declaring certain claims against WV to be moral obligations
Who sponsors SB 772?
SB 772 is sponsored by Jason Barrett (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 772?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 05, 2026. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 772?
Track SB 772 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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Last checked for changes 7 days ago · updated continuously

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