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West VirginiaHB 40052026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

Skills to work

Sponsored By: Ryan Browning (Republican)

Signed by Governor

§18-2-7G§21-6-2

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Youth apprenticeships for 16+ students

The law creates a statewide Youth Apprenticeship Program across fields like manufacturing, engineering tech, office tech, and health care. Students in 11th or 12th grade, or age 16+, in public, private, or home school can enroll. Jobs banned for children under 16 still stay off-limits. The Department of Education runs the program, sets standards, allows release time from public schools, and guides counties to approve employers and promote apprenticeships. Apprenticeships can count for high school credit and connect to postsecondary skill certificates when approved and compliant with Division of Labor rules. Pilot projects run in the 2024–2025 school year. All school systems offer the program by the start of 2025–2026.

Stronger training rules for apprentices

Each approved apprenticeship must have a written training plan between the employer and the student. It requires at least 135 classroom hours and at least 400 hours of on-the-job training. Employers must set a progressive wage schedule, evaluate students on site, and support school-based remediation when needed. These rules raise training quality for students and add planning and supervision duties for participating employers.

More hands-on work for student apprentices

Students enrolled in the Youth Apprenticeship Program may work on machines tied to jobs that state child-labor rules allow. Students age 16 or older can train on roofing above ground level when in a cooperative vocational program, with parent consent and a written, supervised safety plan. The Department of Education can also allow other limited nonagricultural work for minors when it follows federal Fair Labor Standards Act child-labor rules. Bans in state law still apply where an occupation or machine is prohibited.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Ryan Browning

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

  • Bill Bell

    Republican • House

  • Mark Dean

    Republican • House

  • John Paul Hott

    Republican • House

  • Carl Martin

    Republican • House

  • David McCormick

    Republican • House

  • Jonathan Pinson

    Republican • House

  • Pritt

    Affiliation unavailable

  • Jeffrey Stephens

    Republican • House

  • Gregory A. Watt

    Republican • House

  • Evan Worrell

    Republican • House

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 202 • No: 13

House vote • 3/10/2026

House concurred in Senate amendment and passed bill (Roll No. 373)

Yes: 92 • No: 1

Senate vote • 3/9/2026

Passed Senate (Roll No. 368)

Yes: 27 • No: 7

House vote • 1/27/2026

Passed House (Roll No. 16)

Yes: 83 • No: 5

Actions Timeline

  1. Chapter 120, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

    6/29/2026House

  2. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026

    4/1/2026House

  3. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - Senate Journal

    3/14/2026Senate

  4. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - House Journal

    3/14/2026House

  5. House Message received

    3/11/2026Senate

  6. To Governor 3/11/2026

    3/11/2026House

  7. To Governor 3/11/2026 - Senate Journal

    3/11/2026Senate

  8. House received Senate message

    3/10/2026House

  9. House concurred in Senate amendment and passed bill (Roll No. 373)

    3/10/2026House

  10. Communicated to Senate

    3/10/2026House

  11. Completed legislative action

    3/10/2026House

  12. On 3rd reading

    3/9/2026Senate

  13. Read 3rd time

    3/9/2026Senate

  14. Passed Senate (Roll No. 368)

    3/9/2026Senate

  15. Senate requests House to concur

    3/9/2026Senate

  16. On 2nd reading

    3/6/2026Senate

  17. Read 2nd time

    3/6/2026Senate

  18. Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote)

    3/6/2026Senate

  19. On 1st reading

    3/5/2026Senate

  20. Read 1st time

    3/5/2026Senate

  21. Reported do pass, with amendment

    3/4/2026Senate

  22. Introduced in Senate

    1/28/2026Senate

  23. To Government Organization

    1/28/2026Senate

  24. To Government Organization

    1/28/2026Senate

  25. On 3rd reading, Special Calendar

    1/27/2026House

Bill Text

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