2026 Regular Session

HB 5441

Reforming State Personnel System

Law

Jurisdiction

West Virginia

Session

2026 Regular Session

Official source

Chamber

House of Delegates

Session

2026 Regular Session

Jurisdiction

West Virginia

Bill overview

This bill significantly reforms West Virginia’s state personnel system by streamlining operations, eliminating special merit-based systems for the Department of Transportation and certain other divisions, and exempting new hires and promotions within those departments from the classified civil service system. It consolidates personnel duties into the Division of Personnel, terminates the State Personnel Board, and clarifies definitions related to state personnel. The bill also includes technical updates and modernizes hiring processes.

Key provisions

Eliminates special merit-based personnel systems for the Department of Transportation, State Tax Division, and Bureau for Social Services, transferring their duties to the Division of Personnel.
Exempts new hires and promoted employees within the Department of Transportation from the classified civil service system and state grievance procedures starting July 1, 2026.
Consolidates personnel functions into the Division of Personnel, terminating the State Personnel Board.
Clarifies definitions of classified and classified-exempt service.
Shortens time frames for classified job openings and appointments.
Shifts the leave donation program to a rulemaking-based program.
Modernizes job opening posting processes in the classified service.
Removes outdated provisions and performs technical cleanup throughout the personnel code.

Who is affected

State Employees
Department of Transportation

Positions across the state

No public positions recorded for this legislation.

Arguments in favor

Reasons to support this legislation.

No arguments in favor have been submitted.

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Arguments opposed

Reasons to oppose this legislation.

No arguments opposed have been submitted.

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Legislative history

2026-02-11House

Filed for introduction

2026-02-11House

To Government Organization

2026-02-11House

Introduced in House

2026-02-11House

To House Government Organization

Passage without roll call

The official record shows passage by unanimous consent or voice vote where no roll call was taken. No member-level tally is available for these steps, and the district map does not apply.

3/13/2026SenateVoice vote
Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote)
No roll-call vote on record for this action.

Vote map

House districts

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0 districts with vote data

Nay

Yea

Floor votes and chamber actions

Recorded roll calls list how each member voted. Unanimous consent or voice vote appears in the official action history without a roll call; no member-level tally is available for those steps.

Passage without roll call

3/13/2026SenateVoice vote
Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote)
No roll-call vote on record for this action.

Recorded roll calls

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HB 5441

Bill overview

Key provisions

Who is affected

Sponsors

Primary sponsor

Positions across the state

Arguments in favor

Arguments opposed

Passage without roll call

Vote map

Floor votes and chamber actions

Passage without roll call

Recorded roll calls

Bill text

Notable changes

Positions across the state

Passage without roll call

Vote map

Floor votes and chamber actions

Passage without roll call

Recorded roll calls