The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides vital food assistance to more than 147,000 households throughout West Virginia, with research showing it improves health and boosts household economic security. People participating in SNAP spend about 25 percent less on health care annually than similar non-participating adults, report better health, and are less likely to stay…
Fact Sheets
Introduction Elon Musk and the Trump administration are illegally firing federal employees who serve West Virginian veterans, seniors, farmers, and small businesses; keep our food, water, national parks, and workplaces safe; and carry out critical medical research, emergency response, and disaster relief missions. Federal employees and their families are also our neighbors who live, work,…
Federal policymakers are considering enacting work reporting requirements and other spending reductions for Medicaid in the new Congress.[1] Cuts to Medicaid and other federal programs would have a disproportionately harmful impact in West Virginia, which funds a larger share of its budget through federal dollars than most states. Proposals to reduce federal funding for programs…
Overview The public school system is an essential resource for West Virginians. The majority of children in our state, about 90 percent, are served through the public school system. This resource is guaranteed to West Virginians through our state constitution which promises a thorough and efficient system of free schools. Every child in our state…
West Virginia families deserve healthy and safe birthing outcomes, but moms and babies are currently facing significant health challenges. While much discussion is rightly focused on mortality rates, deaths are only the tip of the iceberg of infant and maternal health and well-being. Birthing complications, including pre-term births and caesarian sections, incur a significant cost…
Overview Read the full fact sheet. Federal policymakers are reportedly considering enacting work reporting requirements for Medicaid in the new Congress. Similar state-level policy led to disastrous consequences in Arkansas in 2018-19 until a federal judge blocked the program. Enacting an Arkansas-style work reporting requirement at the federal level would result in West Virginia’s health…
Overview Read the full fact sheet. In 2022, more than eight in ten schools surveyed nationwide reported increased behavioral and socioemotional challenges in their students following the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to behavioral issues and classroom disruptions, there has been a trend toward stricter student discipline policies in recent years across the country, including in…
Overview In 2021, the West Virginia Legislature established the Hope Scholarship Program, which proponents refer to as an “education savings account” (ESA), but is more accurately described as an expanded school voucher. Recipients of the scholarship can apply the funds toward a variety of costs including but not limited to tuition, fees, tutoring services, transportation,…
Overview West Virginia lawmakers have considered sweeping, punitive school discipline measures over the last two years in response to an increase in disruptive student behaviors. This issue is not unique to West Virginia—87 percent of public schools nationwide report that the pandemic has negatively impacted student socioemotional development. While teachers and schools certainly need more…
In July 2023, West Virginia reimplemented pre-pandemic time limits for some adults receiving food assistance via the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The time limits apply to adults between 18 and 52 (up to 54 in September 2024) without a documented disability and without children under 18 in the household, often referred to as "able-bodied…