WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2026 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

Senate Bill 961

By Senator Willis

[Introduced February 17, 2026; referred
to the Committee on the Judiciary; and then to the Committee on Finance]

A BILL to amend and reenact §29A-3-20 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to rule-making policies; and providing that for every new regulation issued, at least two prior regulations be identified for elimination.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 3. RULE MAKING.

§29A-3-20. Executive review of agency rules, guidelines, policies and recommendations.

(a) All executive agencies with rule-making authority shall:

(1) Review and evaluate all state rules, guidelines, policies and recommendations under their jurisdiction that have similar federal rules, guidelines, policies and recommendations;

(2) Determine whether the state rules, guidelines, policies and recommendations are more stringent than federal counterparts;

(3) Provide for a comment period for all rules, guidelines, policies and recommendations; and

(4) Submit a report to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance and the Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee on or before November 1, 2017, which shall include:

(A) A description of the state rules, guidelines, policies and recommendations that are more stringent than federal counterparts; and

(B) Comments received from the comment period provided for in subdivision (3) of this subsection.

(b) Within four years of the enactment of this law, each executive agency with rule-making authority shall review all of its rules and determine whether the rules should be continued without change, modified or repealed. On or before July 1, 2020, each agency shall submit a report to the Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee which includes the following information for each rule under the agency’s jurisdiction:

(1) A description of the rule;

(2) A determination of whether the rule should continue without change, be modified or repealed; and

(3) The reasoning for said determination.

(c) Unless prohibited by law, whenever an executive agency publicly proposes for notice and comment or otherwise promulgates a new regulation, it shall identify at least two existing regulations to be repealed.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is that for every one new regulation issued, at least two prior regulations be identified for elimination.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.