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Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill Creates Education Savings Accounts and Strips State Board of Powers
Last action · January 29, 2026: To House EducationSponsors: Chris Anders and 6 others
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What This Bill Proposed
West Virginia House Bill 4914 establishes the Education Freedom and Parental Empowerment Act, creating parent-controlled education savings accounts (ESAs) funded by federal s and stripping the State Board of Education of its regulatory powers.
The measure transfers K-12 education oversight and fund distribution from the State Board of Education to the State Treasurer, while empowering parents to direct state-allocated funds toward private tuition, tutoring, and other approved learning expenses.
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.
K-12 students and parents
Parents gain direct control over education savings account funds to direct their children's education across private, charter, home, or parochial learning environments.
State Treasurer
The State Treasurer is assigned the responsibility of administering the ESA program, overseeing fund distribution, managing the online portal, conducting audits, and reporting annually.
West Virginia State Board of Education
The State Board of Education loses all regulatory, policymaking, and oversight powers over K-12 education, retaining only a pass-through function for federal funds.
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 are education savings accounts used for?
Who manages the education savings account program?
What happens to the State Board of Education under this bill?
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 29, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Education
- Jan 29, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
- Jan 29, 2026HouseCommitteeTo Education then Finance
- 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
Show 2 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Transfer of K-12 Oversight to Fiscal Officer
The legislation shifts operational and regulatory oversight of K-12 education away from the State Board of Education and assigns administration entirely to the State Treasurer.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
- Controversy80Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz65Current news / social attention level
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