House 4587

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2026 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 4587

By Delegates Burkhammer, Crouse, Chiarelli, J. Cannon, Willis, Holstein, Kyle, and Worrell

[Introduced January 20, 2026; referred to the Committee on Education]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding three new sections designated §18B-1D-13, §18B-1D-14, and §18B-1D-15, relating to prohibiting state funds from being used for certain degrees and creating an effective date.  

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 1D. HIGHER EDUCATION ACCOUNTABILITY.

§18B-1D-13. Duties of the Higher Education Policy Council.

The Higher Education Policy Council shall:

(1) Adopt rules to prohibit state funds from being allocated or expended, either directly or indirectly, for low-earning degree programs. These restrictions shall include, but are not limited to, the following categories of higher education funding:

(A) Individual student financial aid;

(B) Base operational or instructional funding;

(C) Separately or specially appropriated aid or grants; and

(D) Capital or facilities funding.

(2) Annually review updated federal determinations of low-earning outcome programs under section 84001 of Public Law No. 119-21 and adopt rules in accordance with subsection (1).

(3) Submit an annual and publicly available report to the legislature documenting:

(A) Programs prohibited from receiving state aid;

(B) Enforcement of such prohibitions; and

(C) The estimated fiscal impact due to the prohibitions.

§18B-1D-14. Limitations on administering higher education aid.

A political subdivision of this state shall not allocate or expend local public funds, either directly or indirectly, for low-earning outcome degree programs as determined under §18B-1D-13 of this code.

§18B-1D-15. Effective date.

This act shall take effect upon passage.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to limit the degrees for which state funds can be used to obtain.

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