West Virginia

West Virginia

Budget Links

FY2025 (enacted)
FY2025 (proposed)
FY2024 (enacted)
FY2023 (enacted)
FY2022 (enacted)
FY2021 (enacted)
FY2020 (enacted)

Enacted Budget – Fiscal Year 2025

West Virginia Governor Jim Justice signed the fiscal 2025 budget bill into law on March 14 with three objections. Total appropriations from the general, lottery and excess lottery funds are $5.48 billion, an increase of $133.1 million, or 2.5 percent, over fiscal 2024 appropriations. General revenue fund appropriations total $4.99 billion in fiscal 2025, an increase of 2.6 percent over fiscal 2024. The general revenue fund estimate for fiscal 2025 is $5.26 billion, an increase of 7.8 percent compared to fiscal 2024.

Priorities funded in the enacted budget include funds for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and contract nurses at state-owned psychiatric hospitals. The budget also includes a 5.0 percent raise for employees who are paid through general revenue funds. The governor called the legislature back in to special session to consider 15 items, mostly supplemental appropriations. During the special session, the legislature approved provisions restoring more than $5 million for the Department of Health and more than $183 million for the Department of Human Services, along with $50 million for a new agriculture lab. Other items include $150 million for paving projects, $27.3 million for the Hope Scholarship program, and $10 million for an emergency food fund.

Enacted Budget Information
Fiscal Year 2025 Enacted Budget 

Objections Letter 

Legislative Wrap Up

Governor’s Press Release

Special Session Press Release

Press Clip

Proposed Budget - Fiscal Year 2025

On January 10, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice released a budget for fiscal 2025 that proposes spending $5.22 billion in general revenue funds. This is an increase of 7.1 percent over the fiscal 2024 enacted level of $4.87 billion. The all funds budget totals $38.5 billion, a decrease of 8.9 percent compared to the budgeted fiscal 2024 total. The general revenue fund estimate for fiscal 2025 is $5.26 billion, an increase of 7.8 percent compared to fiscal 2024. As of December 31, 2023, the balance in the Rainy Day Fund – Part A was $678.9 million (10.4 percent of fiscal 2024 appropriations to date) and the balance in the Rainy Day Fund – Part B was $521.8 million (8.0 percent of fiscal year 2024 appropriations to date). The estimated unappropriated general revenue fund balance at the close of fiscal 2025 is projected to be $43.4 million. From the appropriated funding sources, the largest categories of spending are human services (34.4 percent), education (22.6 percent), transportation (10.6 percent), homeland security (3.6 percent), and higher education (3.1 percent). 

Proposed Budget Highlights 

The fiscal 2025 proposed budget marks the sixth year of an essentially flat budget. The governor’s priorities, many outlined in his State of the State address, include creating jobs, enhancing schools, and lifting communities. 

Tax Changes

• The budget includes $49.7 million in tax cuts, including exclusion of all Social Security benefits from the state income tax, creation of a child and dependent-care tax credit, and expansion of the senior citizen homestead tax credit.

Investing in Employees and Government

• $123.0 million for across-the-board state employee pay raises of five percent.
• $100.0 million to match federal funds for earmarks and for costs of floods not eligible for FEMA benefits.
• $42.0 million for the Public Employees Insurance Agency.

Health and Human Services

• $50.0 million for contract nursing services at state facilities.
• $21.0 million for Medicaid administrative costs.
• $4.6 million for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Budgetary Adjustments

• $30.0 million for tourism.
• $21.0 million for the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
• Supplemental appropriations, utilizing carryover funds from previous years:
  
  • $200.0 million for the School Building Authority.
  • $53.0 million for state mental health facilities.
  • $30.0 million for the Nursing Workforce Expansion Program.
  • $10.0 million for the Posey Perry Emergency Food Fund.
  • $5.0 million for charter school seed funding.

State of the State Speech Initiatives

• $20.0 million for senior centers.
• $15.0 million for state parks.
• $10.0 million for the EMS Answer the Call program.
• $2.0 million for state veterans homes. 
• $1.6 million additional funding for dual enrollment programs.

Potential Items Contingent on a Fiscal 2025 Surplus

• $100.0 million for rural hospitals.
• $50.0 million for an agricultural laboratory on the campus of West Virginia State University.
• $40.6 million for the Department of Human Services.
• $5.0 million for the Military Ascend program to recruit veterans and military service members and their families to move to the state.
• $1.0 million to establish a state military hall of fame.

Proposed Budget Information
Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Proposal

Budget Report

Operating Detail

State of the State Address

Press Clip