House 5057

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2026 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 5057

By Delegates Toney and Roop

[Introduced February 02, 2026; referred to the Committee on Health and Human Resources then Finance]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new article, designated §16-2S-1, relating to the Rural Mobile Health Services Program Act; providing a short title; establishing the program; permitting the Department of Health to award grants; setting out eligible services and expenditures; creating grant preferences; and creating a new fund.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

Article 2S. Rural Mobile Health Services Program Act.

§16-2S-1. Rural Mobile Health Services Program Act.

(a) Short title. – This section may be cited as the "Rural Mobile Health Services Program Act".

(b) Rural Mobile Health Services Program established. –

(1) There is hereby established within the Department of Health the Rural Mobile Health Services Program for the purpose of expanding access to essential health services in rural and underserved areas of the state.

(2) The Department of Health shall administer the program and may propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with §29A-3-1 et seq. of this code as necessary to implement the provisions of this article.

(c) Grant awards; eligible applicants and services. –

(1) The Department of Health shall award grants, subject to available appropriations, to eligible applicants to support the delivery of mobile health services, including but not limited to:

(i) Mobile primary care clinics;

(ii) Mobile mental and behavioral health services; and

(iii) Mobile or school-based health clinics serving students and families.

(2) Eligible applicants may include local health departments, federally qualified health centers, nonprofit health care providers, hospital systems, boards of education, or other entities approved by the department.

(d) Eligible expenditures. – Grant funds awarded under this program may be used for, but are not limited to, the following expenditures:

(1) Acquisition, operation, or expansion of mobile health units and related medical equipment;

(2) Telehealth infrastructure, technology, and equipment, including hardware, software, broadband connectivity, and secure communication platforms, for use in schools and community centers; and

(3) Staffing, training, and administrative costs directly related to the provision of mobile or telehealth services, as determined by the department.

(e) Grant preferences. -- In awarding grants under this program, the Department of Health shall give preference to applications that demonstrate regional or countywide collaboration, including partnerships involving one or more of the following:

(1) Local or regional health departments;

(2) Have an existing mobile health clinic;

(3) County or regional boards of education; and

(4) County commissions or other local governing bodies.

(f) Creation of the Rural Mobile Health Services Program fund. – The Rural Mobile Health Services Program fund is hereby created. The Department of Health shall administer the fund to pay for the Rural Mobile Health Services Program. The Department of Health may seek grants and other funding sources to add to the fund.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create the Rural Mobile Health Services Program Act.

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