House 5575

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2026 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 5575

By Delegate Pritt

[Introduced February 16, 2026; referred to the Committee on Finance]

A BILL to amend and reenact the budget act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, by adding a new appropriation for the West Virginia Special Olympics Program; and to appropriate funds for statewide Special Olympics activities, county-level programming, and headquarters support.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

SECTION 1. Appropriation for West Virginia Special Olympics Program.

(a) There is hereby appropriated from the General Revenue Fund the amount of $3,500,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, to the West Virginia Special Olympics Program, to be administered by the Department of Education, or such agency as may be designated by the Governor.

(b) The funds appropriated under this section shall be distributed as follows:

(1) County-Level Program Support — $2,000,000.

(A) The sum of $2,000,000 shall be allocated equally among the 55 counties of the state to support local Special Olympics programming, events, recruitment, training, volunteer support, and athlete services.

(B) Each county shall receive an equal share of the allocation, equal to approximately $36,363.64 per county.

(C) County programs shall report annually on expenditures, athlete participation, and program outcomes.

(2) State Headquarters Support and Infrastructure — $1,500,000.

(A) The sum of $1,500,000 shall be provided to the West Virginia Special Olympics state headquarters for facility costs, building upgrades, vehicle purchases, equipment acquisition, training materials, office technology, and statewide logistical support for Special Olympics events and operations.

(B) Funds may also be used for statewide games, travel support, coaching certification programs, and initiatives to expand athlete outreach.

(c) All expenditures shall comply with state purchasing requirements and shall be subject to audit by the Legislative Auditor pursuant to §4-2-7 of the Code of West Virginia.

(d) The recipient organization shall provide an annual report to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance detailing expenditures, program growth, athlete participation numbers, and the statewide impact of the funded programs.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to amend and reenact the budget act for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, by adding a new appropriation for the West Virginia Special Olympics Program; and to appropriate funds for statewide Special Olympics activities, county-level programming, and headquarters support

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