By Matthew Young
For HDMedia
Gov. Patrick Morrisey expressed frustration with the House Finance Committee on Tuesday over what he perceived as its slow handling of Senate Bill 570, a supplemental appropriations bill which would place all $199.5 million in federal Rural Health Transformation program funding under the control of the West Virginia Department of Health.
During a ceremony at the Capitol for the signing of House Bill 4740, Morrisey told attendees, “I think it’s outrageous that here we are at the end of [the legislative] session, and something that should have happened in the first week hasn’t occurred yet.”
Morrisey referred to the situation as being “terrible on every level,” before adding, “we may very well pay a price, financially, for what’s already happened.”
SB 570 is scheduled for discussion during Wednesday’s 9 a.m. meeting of the House Finance Committee. Morrisey said the committee is “scheduled to move this tomorrow.”
SB 570 timeline
Despite Morrisey’s claims of delays, SB 570 had been consistently ushered through the legislative process from the time of its introduction on Jan. 21. The bill was referred to the Senate Finance Committee on Jan. 21, and was passed by that committee on Feb. 10. The first reading in the Senate Chamber occurred on Feb. 11, with second and third readings following on Feb. 12 and 13, respectively. It passed the Senate unanimously on the third reading.
The bill was received by the House of Delegates on Feb. 16. In the time between then and March 5, daily committee agendas show both the House and Senate have been preoccupied with Morrisey’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal. Assuming SB 570 is passed by the House Finance Committee on Wednesday, the bill still has time to be read on three different days and voted on. If the bill does not pass committee on Wednesday, the House has the option of suspending the rule which requires three separate readings to ensure passage by the full body.
Morrisey did not elaborate on the potential damage he referenced, nor did he specify what type of financial penalty he anticipates. However, in a statement released after the ceremony, West Virginia Health Secretary Arvin Singh said, “Every delay means [health care] providers waiting longer for the tools they need and communities waiting longer for the care they deserve.”
Morrisey took no questions from the media during the bill signing ceremony.
What is HB 4740?
Unanimously passed by the Legislature on Feb. 19 and sent to Morrisey on Feb. 23, HB 4740 removes purchasing restrictions from the Department of Health for the purposes of implementing the Rural Health Transformation program.
In direct reference to West Virginia’s $199.5 million RHT award, the bill states: “The federal Rural Health Transformation Program requires rapid, targeted deployment of the awarded funds.”
The language of the bill would seem to suggest that lawmakers are aware of the time constraints associated with the funding, as well as the need for swift action. The bill became law five days after being received by Morrisey’s office.
Further conflict with lawmakers?
On Monday, Senate Bill 592 — a bill designed to provide $7.4 million worth of tax credits to short line railroads in the state — completed the legislative process. The bill was passed with near-unanimous, bipartisan support in both the Senate and the House of Delegates.
SB 592 is nearly identical to last year’s Senate Bill 722, which Morrisey vetoed in April. According to the veto message Morrisey sent to lawmakers, the Shortline Railroad tax credits created by the legislature were unaffordable.
“West Virginia’s leaders must make sound fiscal decisions if the state is going to reach its full potential,” Morrisey’s veto message added. “That includes long-term and structurally sound budgeting, right-sizing government operations, reducing red-tape and government bureaucracy, and rejecting laws that create costs with no strategy for funding.”
Morrisey Communications Director Lars Dalseide on Tuesday told the Gazette-Mail, “Last year’s veto was based on concerns about the potential fiscal impact of the proposal and the structure of the tax credit program. We are reviewing the revised language carefully to determine whether those issues have been adequately addressed and whether the bill represents a responsible approach for taxpayers.”
The 2026 legislative session is scheduled to conclude at 11:59 p.m. Saturday.
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