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Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill 4896 requires election of Public Service Commission members starting in 2026
Last action · January 28, 2026: To House JudiciarySponsor: Pritt
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What This Bill Proposed
House Bill 4896 transitions the three commissioners of the West Virginia from gubernatorial appointees to elected officials beginning with the 2026 general election. The measure establishes a four-year term for elected commissioners, updates ballot order requirements, and outlines procedures for filling mid-term vacancies through gubernatorial appointment from a party-submitted list.
The measure shifts utility regulation oversight from gubernatorial appointment to direct voter choice, altering how the state's three primary utility commissioners gain office and how vacancies are filled.
- The West Virginia Public Service Commission is the state agency responsible for regulating public utilities, including gas, electricity, water, and telecommunications. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
West Virginia Voters
Voters gain the authority to directly elect members of the Public Service Commission on the state ballot.
Public Service Commission Candidates
Individuals seeking to serve on the commission must run in public elections rather than seek gubernatorial appointment.
Political Party Executive Committees
Committees must submit a list of three qualified persons to the Governor within 15 days if a commissioner vacancy occurs.
Key Facts
- Beginning at the general election in 2026, and every fourth year thereafter, three commissioners shall be elected to the Public Service Commission.
- Commissioners of the Public Service Commission are added to the State Ticket section of election ballots.
- Vacancies in the office of commissioner shall be filled by the Governor from a list of three legally qualified persons submitted by the political party executive committee of the preceding officeholder.
- The Governor must make an appointment to fill a vacancy within five days after receiving the list of qualified persons, or appoint a qualified person of the same party if the list is not submitted within 15 days.
Show all 8 facts
- Commissioners must be citizens and residents of West Virginia.
- No more than two commissioners may be members of the same political party.
- A commissioner who becomes a candidate for any public office or a member of any political committee must be removed from office by the Governor.
- The chairman of the commission shall receive an additional $5,000 per annum from the Public Service Commission Fund.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a vacancy occurs in the office of a commissioner?
Are there limits on party affiliation for the commissioners?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Jan 28, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Judiciary
- Jan 28, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
- Jan 28, 2026HouseCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Jan 28, 2026HouseIntroducedFiled for introduction
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Transition from Appointed to Elected Utility Regulators
The legislation removes the Governor's authority to directly appoint Public Service Commission members, replacing it with direct voter elections every four years starting in 2026.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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