In Review
Under the Dome delivers a review of issues being considered by the West Virginia Legislature. It provides information on matters that affect WVU and higher education, as well as other hot topics being addressed that affect the Mountain State and its citizens. This edition includes a rundown of higher education issues considered during the September 30 to October 8 Special Session.
Funding Formula
During the 2022 session, the Legislature passed a funding formula law that requires
public institutions of higher education to meet certain performance metrics. It
funds a portion of a state college or university’s appropriation based on certain
benchmarks, including student success, mission achievement, research and enrollment.
The funding formula went into effect on July 1, 2023, and the first set of data showed
that the WVU System performed the best in the state. The policy also included an
inflation adjustment to help institutions with the rising cost of goods and services.
Governor Justice included the issue on his Special Session agenda announced
on October 8, and House Bill 242 and Senate Bill 2036 were introduced to provide
one-time surplus funding to a certain number of schools. The bill passed unanimously
in the Senate and 86-9 in the House.
It now goes to the Governor for his signature. WVU will receive $5.1 million from the funding formula adjustment; other schools that will receive additional resources are Marshall, Shepherd, Concord and New River CTC.
RNI
On his special session call for September 30, Governor Justice included $2 million for the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute. The bill passed both chambers, and it is on the Governor’s desk for his signature. It will be used by RNI to conduct clinical trials and develop ultrasound therapies for eating disorders, obesity, PTSD and other conditions.Deferred Maintenance
Senate Bill 2039 appropriates $15 million more to state colleges and universities for current deferred maintenance needs. During the 2023 session, the Legislature and Governor set aside more than $200 million for projects on campuses across the state. Since that time, WVU has secured almost $50 million to support much-needed repairs to sidewalks, roofs, heating and cooling systems and other concerns in Morgantown, Keyser and Beckley.Interim Meetings
The Legislature will meet in interim sessions on the following dates:• November 10-12, 2024
• December 8-10, 2024
More Information
To learn more about the Legislature, including district maps, committee assignments, bill tracking and a summary of daily activities, please visit wvlegislature.gov .To learn more about WVU’s government relations and legislative initiatives, please visit governmentrelations.wvu.edu or contact Travis Mollohan, associate vice president for government relations, at tmolloh1@mail.wvu.edu or Dan Kimble, director of state relations, at dkimble3@mail.wvu.edu.