Senate 612

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2026 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

Senate Bill 612

By Senators Rucker, Azinger, Bartlett, Deeds, Fuller, Hamilton, Helton, Martin, Morris, Queen, Rose, Thorne, Weld, and Willis

[Introduced January 27, 2026; referred
to the Committee on Education; and then to the Committee on Finance]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new article, designated §18-36-1, relating to establishing November 7 of each year as Victims of Communism Day, to be observed in the public schools of this state; and requiring high school students enrolled in the United States government class required by code must receive at least 45 minutes of instruction on Victims of Communism Day.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

article 36. victims of communism day.

§18-36-1. Establishing November 7 as "Victims of Communism Day; observance and required instruction in public schools.

(a) The Governor shall proclaim November 7 of each year as "Victims of Communism Day," which shall be suitably observed in the public schools of the state as a day honoring the 100 million people who have fallen victim to communist regimes across the world and which shall be suitably observed by public exercise in the State Capitol and elsewhere as the Governor may designate.

(b) If November 7 falls on a day that is not a school day, "Victims of Communism Day" shall be observed in the public schools in the state on the preceding school day or on such school day as may be designated by local school authorities.

(c)(1) Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, high school students enrolled in the United States Government class required by §18-2-9(a)(1) of this code must receive at least 45 minutes of instruction on "Victims of Communism Day" to include topics such as Mao Zedong and the Cultural Revolution, Joseph Stalin and the Soviet System, Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution, Vladimir Lenin and the Russian Revolution, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, and Nicolás Maduro and the Chavismo movement, and how victims suffered under these regimes through poverty, starvation, migration, systemic lethal violence, and suppression of speech.

(2) No later than April 1, 2026, the State Board of Education must adopt revised social studies standards for inclusion in the United States Government class required by §18-2-9(a)(1) of this code which incorporate the requirements of this subsection.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish November 7 of each year as "Victims of Communism Day", to be observed in the public schools of this state.

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