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HB 5618WEST VIRGINIASession 2026State Billdead

Did Not Advance

West Virginia Bill HB 5618 ends moratorium on new opioid treatment facilities on July 1, 2026

Original title: Federal Court Decision Striking Down Certificate of Need Moratorium.

Last action · February 16, 2026: To House Health and Human ResourcesSponsor: Mike Pushkin

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Proposed

West Virginia House Bill 5618 sets an end date of July 1, 2026, for the longstanding on licensing new opioid treatment programs that lack a . The measure responds to a federal court decision finding that such absolute bans violate the Fourteenth Amendment.

Why it matters

The change removes a permanent barrier to market entry for new opioid treatment facilities, allowing new providers to open in West Virginia after July 1, 2026.

Background

A Certificate of Need is a regulatory mechanism used by states to control healthcare costs and prevent duplication of services by requiring providers to prove community need before opening facilities. 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.

Directly affected

opioid treatment programs

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the moratorium on new opioid treatment facilities end?

The is set to cease on July 1, 2026.

Why is the West Virginia Legislature introducing this bill?

The bill is introduced in response to a federal court decision in Slaughter v. Edney, which found that perpetual moratoria on certificates of need for opioid treatment centers violate the Fourteenth Amendment.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

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Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.

Procedural history

4 actions

Feb 16, 2026HouseCommittee
To House Health and Human Resources
Feb 16, 2026HouseIntroduced
Introduced in House
Feb 16, 2026HouseCommittee
To Health and Human Resources
Feb 16, 2026HouseIntroduced
Filed 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.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Response to Federal Court Ruling

The bill explicitly modifies state licensing statutes to align with a federal court ruling regarding Fourteenth Amendment violations by perpetual moratoria.

Slaughter v. Edney

Connected Entities

House Health and Human Resources

OrganizationHouse Health and Human Resources“House committee to which the bill was referred”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.wvlegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance20
Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
Controversy50
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz30
Current news / social attention level

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