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HB 5200WEST VIRGINIASession 2026State Billdead

Did Not Advance

West Virginia creates Office of Entrepreneurship within Secretary of State's office and appropriates $175,000 annually

Original title: Creating Office of entrepreneurship

Last action · February 5, 2026: To House Government OrganizationSponsors: Gary Howell and 10 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Proposed

West Virginia House Bill 5200 creates an Office of Entrepreneurship within the Office of the Secretary of State to assist startups and s, establishes a dedicated special revenue fund with an annual of $175,000 starting July 1, 2026, and requires annual reports to the Legislature.

Why it matters

The measure establishes a dedicated state liaison office to coordinate government requirements and provide free guidance for entrepreneurs, backed by recurring state funding and mandatory agency cooperation timelines.

Background

The West Virginia Legislature convenes annually for regular sessions, during which bills are introduced, referred to committees, and considered for enactment into state law. context
House Bill 5200 was introduced during the 2026 Regular Session and referred to the House Committee on Government Organization then Finance. 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

Entrepreneurs, Startups, and Scale-ups

Receive free liaison services, streamlined state agency coordination, and guaranteed 48-hour response times for inquiries.

Directly affected

State Agencies

Must provide data, information, records, and a designated point of contact to the Office of Entrepreneurship within specified timelines.

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

How is the Office of Entrepreneurship funded?

The office is funded through an annual of $175,000 from the state's General Revenue Fund on July 1, 2026, and July 1, 2027, deposited into the West Virginia Office of Entrepreneurship Fund, as well as potential revenue generated from fee-based events, publications, and programs.

When must the office report on its activities?

The office must provide an annual report to the Joint Standing Committee on Economic Development on or before November 1 of each year, beginning two years after the office is created.

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 5, 2026HouseCommittee
To House Government Organization
Feb 5, 2026HouseIntroduced
Introduced in House
Feb 5, 2026HouseCommittee
To Government Organization then Finance
Feb 5, 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

Centralized Business Liaison

The legislation establishes a formal coordination hub within the Secretary of State's office specifically tasked with linking startups to various state and non-state support entities.

Secretary of State West Virginia Office of Entrepreneurship Fund

Connected Entities

West Virginia Office of Entrepreneurship Fund, West Virginia One Stop Business Center, Economic Development Authority and 4 more

OrganizationWest Virginia Office of Entrepreneurship Fund“Special revenue account created in the State Treasury”Map →

OrganizationWest Virginia One Stop Business Center“Assists in developing the first-year implementation plan”Map →

OrganizationEconomic Development Authority“Collaborates to establish a growth-positive foundation for business”Map →

OrganizationJoint Standing Committee on Economic Development“Receives annual reports from the Office of Entrepreneurship”Map →

OrganizationDepartment of Commerce“Collaborates to foster working relationships for business growth”Map →

OrganizationSmall Business Development Center“Collaborates with the Office of Entrepreneurship to establish working relationsh”Map →

OrganizationSecretary of State“Administers the Office of Entrepreneurship and the West Virginia Office of Entre”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.wvlegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance20
Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 45)
Controversy10
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz25
Current news / social attention level

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