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Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill Terminates Health Care Authority and Certificate of Need Program by 2027
Last action · January 29, 2026: To House Health and Human ResourcesSponsors: Chris Anders and 3 others
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What This Bill Proposed
West Virginia House Bill 4917 abolishes the West Virginia Health Care Authority, ends the state's program, and terminates the review process effective January 1, 2027. Remaining powers, records, assets, and employees are transferred to the Secretary of the Department of Health, and fund balances are redirected to the General Revenue Fund.
Eliminates state regulatory review and authorization requirements for healthcare facility expansions, new services, and s exceeding $100 million, while dissolving the state agency responsible for overseeing healthcare costs and market competition.
- The West Virginia Health Care Authority has historically regulated healthcare costs, cooperative agreements, and facility expansions through the certificate of need program. 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 Health Care Authority
The agency is completely terminated, its employment positions are abolished, and its assets and records are transferred to the Department of Health.
Health care facilities and providers
Secretary of the Department of Health
Assumes the remaining powers, assets, records, and employees of the terminated Health Care Authority.
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
What happens to the employees and assets of the Health Care Authority?
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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 29, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Health and Human Resources
- Jan 29, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
- Jan 29, 2026HouseCommitteeTo Health and Human Resources
- Jan 29, 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.
Complete Deregulation of Healthcare Facility Expansion
The legislation removes the requirement for healthcare facilities to obtain a certificate of need, effectively deregulating facility expansion and major service additions in West Virginia.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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