---
type: "Bill"
title: "Authorizing DEP to promulgate legislative rules"
description: "Authorizing DEP to promulgate legislative rules"
jurisdiction: "us/states/wv"
legislature: "West Virginia Legislature"
session: "2026"
identifier: "SB 256"
citation: "West Virginia SB 256 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Legislature--Rule Making"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Rucker"]
version_count: 6
action_count: 46
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2026-01-15"
last_action: "2026-06-25"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/4d8371bb-fc4e-44b4-9ba1-1078da864eac"
source_url: "https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=256&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill"
source_hash: "146ff55eea362fba003cf80502f1778d7dadf9f01435d96c4fb3badead0602a4"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-wv"]
---

# West Virginia SB 256 (2026) — Authorizing DEP to promulgate legislative rules

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Committee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb256%20sub1.htm&yr=2026&sesstype=RS&i=256)
2. **Enrolled Committee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb256%20sub1%20enr.htm&yr=2026&sesstype=RS&i=256)
3. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb256%20intr.htm&yr=2026&sesstype=RS&i=256)
4. **sb256 hepw am _1 adopted.htm** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/legisdocs/chamber/2026/RS/com_amends/sb256%20hepw%20am%20_1%20adopted.htm)
5. **sb256 hfat anderson 2-20 adopted adopted.htm** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/legisdocs/chamber/2026/RS/floor_amends/sb256%20hfat%20anderson%202-20%20adopted%20adopted.htm)
6. **sb256 hfat anderson 2-20 adopted.htm** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/legisdocs/chamber/2026/RS/floor_amends/sb256%20hfat%20anderson%202-20%20adopted.htm)

## Votes

- EFFECT FROM PASSAGE — **86–10** (pass) · lower
- Passage — **33–0** (pass) · upper
- PASSAGE — **84–12** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Rucker — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2026-01-15** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2026-01-15** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-15** Introduced in Senate `introduction`
- **2026-01-15** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-29** Committee substitute reported
- **2026-01-30** On 1st reading
- **2026-01-30** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2026-02-02** On 2nd reading
- **2026-02-02** Laid over on 2nd reading 2/2/2026
- **2026-02-03** Laid over on 2nd reading 2/3/2026
- **2026-02-04** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2026-02-05** On 3rd reading
- **2026-02-05** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2026-02-05** Passed Senate (Roll No. 45) `passage`
- **2026-02-05** Effective from passage (Roll No. 46)
- **2026-02-05** Ordered to House
- **2026-02-06** House received Senate message
- **2026-02-06** Introduced in House `introduction`
- **2026-02-09** To Energy and Public Works
- **2026-02-06** To House Energy and Public Works `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-17** With amendments, do pass
- **2026-02-18** On 1st reading, Special Calendar
- **2026-02-18** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2026-02-19** On 2nd reading, Special Calendar
- **2026-02-19** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2026-02-19** Amendment reported by the Clerk
- **2026-02-19** Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote)
- **2026-02-19** Amendment reported by the Clerk
- **2026-02-19** Amendment rejected (Voice vote) `amendment-failure`
- **2026-02-20** On 3rd reading, Special Calendar
- **2026-02-20** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2026-02-20** Passed House (Roll No. 137) `passage`
- **2026-02-20** Title amendment adopted (Voice vote)
- **2026-02-20** Effective from passage (Roll No. 138)
- **2026-02-20** Communicated to Senate
- **2026-02-23** House Message received
- **2026-02-23** Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 204)
- **2026-02-23** Effective from passage (Roll No. 205)
- **2026-02-23** Communicated to House
- **2026-02-23** Completed legislative action
- **2026-02-24** House received Senate message
- **2026-02-24** To Governor 2/24/2026 `executive-receipt`
- **2026-02-24** To Governor 2/24/2026 - House Journal `executive-receipt`
- **2026-03-02** Approved by Governor 3/2/2026 - House Journal `executive-signature`
- **2026-03-02** Approved by Governor 3/2/2026 `executive-signature`
- **2026-06-25** Chapter 214, Acts, Regular Session, 2026 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/4d8371bb-fc4e-44b4-9ba1-1078da864eac`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official West Virginia legislature records).