Bill
HB 5682
Expands higher education biomedical funding by reallocating $72 million from General Revenue surplus to HEPC and targeted medical schools for FY2026.
HB 5682 (2026) – Supplemental Appropriation to Expire Funds to Surplus Balance
Overview
- Jurisdiction: West Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Bill type: Supplemental appropriation legislation
- Prime sponsors: Delegates Criss and Riley (both co-sponsors)
- Origin: Committee on Finance
- Status (as of action history): Passed both chambers and sent to the Governor; approved by the Governor in March 2026
Purpose and intent
- The bill expiring funds from specific Governor’s Office accounts into the unappropriated surplus of the State Fund, General Revenue (surplus balance), for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.
- It simultaneously supplements a General Revenue appropriation to the Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC) Administration – Control Account for FY 2026, reallocating surplus funds to designated higher education expenditures.
Key provisions and changes
1) Expirations from General Revenue accounts
- Decreases available General Revenue for FY 2026 by:
- Governor’s Office – Civil Contingent Fund (Fund 0105, FY 2023, Org 0100, Appropriation 85700): $37,000,000
- Governor’s Office – Civil Contingent Fund (Fund 0105, FY 2017, Org 0100, Appropriation 26300): $35,000,000
- These amounts are moved to the unappropriated surplus balance in the State Fund, General Revenue to be available for appropriation later in FY 2026.
2) Supplemental appropriation to HEPC Administration – Control Account
- Adds a new item under Fund 0589, FY 2026, Org 0441 (Higher Education Policy Commission – Administration – Control Account), for Current Expenses – Surplus.
- Total current surplus appropriation: $72,000,000
- Specific allocations from the surplus:
- Marshall University School of Medicine: $30,000,000
- West Virginia University Dental School: $5,000,000
- West Virginia University School of Medicine: $32,000,000
- West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (for biomedical sciences research expansion): $5,000,000
3) Purpose of mechanism
- The bill’s principal objective is twofold: (a) to reduce specific legacy Governor’s Office civil contingency fund appropriations by expiring them, thereby replenishing the General Revenue surplus; and (b) to reallocate those surplus funds (via a new appropriation item) to targeted higher education biomedical education and research initiatives for FY 2026.
Affected entities
- General Revenue fund managers and the unappropriated surplus balance within the State Fund, General Revenue.
- Higher Education Policy Commission – Administration – Control Account (Fund 0589, Org 0441).
- Designated higher education institutions and programs:
- Marshall University School of Medicine
- West Virginia University School of Medicine
- West Virginia University Dental School
- West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (biomedical sciences research expansion)
Procedural and timeline details
- Effective: The bill passed through standard legislative steps in February–March 2026 and received gubernatorial approval in March 2026.
- Fiscal year affected: FY 2026 (ending June 30, 2026).
- The reallocation hinges on availability of an unappropriated surplus balance in the General Revenue fund as reported in the Governor’s Executive Budget Document.
Notes
- The bill explicitly references the Governor’s January 14, 2026 Executive Budget, which identified an unappropriated surplus in General Revenue available for appropriation during FY 2026.
- The bill authorizes a total of $72,000,000 in the HEPC Administration – Control Account surplus, with the allocations specified above.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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