The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill HB 5008 establishes underground water reporting requirements for commercial extractions in growth counties
Last action · January 30, 2026: To House Energy and Public WorksSponsors: Joe Funkhouser and 2 others
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What This Bill Proposed
West Virginia HB 5008 requires commercial users extracting underground water in certain growth counties to report their extractions under a new plan established by the state's environmental secretary. The measure prioritizes local resident, farmer, and land-owner water use while targeting commercial withdrawals that risk drying out residential or agricultural wells.
Commercial water extractors in designated growth counties face new reporting mandates and extraction limits, while local residents and farmers receive prioritized access to protect their well water supplies from depletion.
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.
commercial users
Commercial water extractors in growth counties must comply with new reporting requirements and extraction limitations.
residents who have wells
Individual residents with wells receive prioritized groundwater use protections against commercial depletion.
farmers who have wells
Farmers with wells receive prioritized groundwater use protections against commercial depletion.
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
Who is required to report water extractions under this bill?
How does the bill protect local well owners?
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 30, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Energy and Public Works
- Jan 30, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
- Jan 30, 2026HouseCommitteeTo Energy and Public Works
- Jan 30, 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.
Targeted Groundwater Regulation in Growth Counties
The bill amends the existing Water Resources Protection Act to add specific oversight and reporting requirements for commercial underground water extractions specifically within growth counties featuring karst terrain.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy45Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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