WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2026 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 5282

By Delegates Hanshaw (Mr. Speaker) and Hornbuckle

(By Request of the Executive)

[Introduced February 06, 2026; referred to the Committee on Finance]

A BILL supplementing and amending the appropriations of public moneys out of the Treasury from the balance of moneys remaining as an unappropriated surplus balance in the State Fund, General Revenue, to the Department of Administration, Public Defender Services, fund 0226, fiscal year 2026, organization 0221, by adding new items of appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.

WHEREAS, The Governor submitted the Executive Budget Document to the Legislature on January 14, 2026, containing a statement of the State Fund, General Revenue, setting forth therein the cash balance as of July 1, 2025, and further included the estimate of revenue for the fiscal year 2026, less net appropriation balances forwarded and regular and surplus appropriations for the fiscal year 2026, and further included recommended expirations to the unappropriated surplus balance of the State Fund, General Revenue; and

WHEREAS, It appears from the Governor’s Statement of the State Fund, General Revenue, there now remains an unappropriated surplus balance in the Treasury which is available for appropriation during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026; therefore

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the total appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, to fund 0226, fiscal year 2026, organization 0221, be supplemented and amended by adding new items of appropriation as follows:

Title II – Appropriations.

Section 1. Appropriations from general revenue.

DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION

27 - Public Defender Services

(W.V. Code Chapter 29)

Fund 0226 FY 2026 Org 0221

       General

Appro- Revenue

priation Fund

6a Public Defender Corporations – Surplus (R) 35299 2,600,000

7a Appointed Counsel Fees – Surplus (R) 43500 15,000,000

NOTE: purpose of this supplemental appropriation bill is to add new items of appropriation in the aforesaid account for the designated spending unit for expenditure during the fiscal year 2026.

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