Supplemental appropriation to Department of Agriculture, fund 1401

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Darren Thorne

Reallocates unspent 2026 Agriculture Fees Fund balance to increase West Virginia Department of Agriculture spending for personnel, operations, and assets.

Chapter 39, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

#appropriations

Summary of Senate Bill 1043 (2026) – West Virginia

Purpose and intent

SB 1043 is a supplementary appropriation bill that reallocates unspent funds from the Department of Agriculture’s Agriculture Fees Fund (Fund 1401) for the 2026 fiscal year.

The bill declares that there remains an unappropriated balance in Fund 1401, available for expenditure during the current fiscal year, and authorizes appropriation of that balance to support Department of Agriculture activities.

Key provisions and changes

Legislative action: The bill supplements and amends the FY 2026 appropriation for Fund 1401 (Department of Agriculture – Agriculture Fees Fund, Organization 1400).

Financial increases (Executive, Fund 1401):

Personal Services and Employee Benefits: increase of $200,000
Current Expenses: increase of $2,800,000
Other Assets: increase of $1,000,000

The changes are to be funded from the remaining unappropriated balance in the Agriculture Fees Fund for FY 2026.

Title and section: The action is contained in Title II – Appropriations, Sec. 3 (Appropriations from other funds), for the Executive branch.

Affected entities and fiscal impact

Primary affected entity: West Virginia Department of Agriculture (Agency within the Executive branch).

Source of funds: Agriculture Fees Fund (Fund 1401), a dedicated fund under Chapter 19.

Impacts:

Increases in personnel costs, operating expenses, and asset-related expenditures for the department, funded by the fund’s remaining unappropriated balance for the current fiscal year.
The exact programmatic uses are not detailed in the text provided; the increases are broad budget line items (personal services, current expenses, and other assets).

Procedural and timeline aspects

Enactment: Passed the Senate and House in March 2026 and became effective upon passage (as noted in the enrollment and action history).

Effective date: In effect from passage (immediate implementation).

Enrolled version indicates the Governor’s approval occurred (Governor’s signature) on March 19, 2026; the bill is Chapter 39, Acts, Regular Session, 2026.

Legislative action timeline shows rapid passage within the 2026 session, with multiple readings and messages between the Senate and House.

Who/what is affected

Primary: Department of Agriculture – Agriculture Fees Fund, Fund 1401, Organization 1400.

Beneficiaries: Department of Agriculture programs and operations funded by the Agriculture Fees Fund, and possibly related stakeholders who rely on department services and programs supported by these funds.

Notes

The bill designates that the additional expenditures are drawn from the unappropriated balance remaining in Fund 1401 for FY 2026, not from new revenues.

No specific programmatic programs, projects, or line-item descriptions are identified beyond the broad categories of personal services, current expenses, and other assets.