WEST virginia legislature
2025 regular session
engrossed
Committee Substitute
for
House Bill 2718
By Delegates McGeehan, Hanshaw (Mr. Speaker), Masters, Worrell, Horst, Funkhouser, J. Cannon, Hornby, and Leavitt
[Originating in the Committee on Government Organization; Reported on March 13, 2025]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §18B-1D-12, relating to creating a State Advisory Council on Establishing a Military College; creating a state advisory council; providing the council’s purpose; providing for the council’s membership; providing for the council’s meetings and business; creating a special fund; requiring the council to designate an executive director; providing for reimbursement of expenses; requiring biannual reports; providing a termination date for the council.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
## ARTICLE 1D. HIGHER EDUCATION ACCOUNTABILITY.
(a) There is created the State Advisory Council on Establishing a Military College. The council’s purpose is to study the viability and potential benefits of creating an accredited educational institution offering baccalaureate degrees that is patterned, to the extent practicable, after one or more of the six senior military colleges. The military college is intended to cultivate and produce excellent leaders of good character to serve our state. The council shall study issues related to the council’s purpose, including the following:
(1) The social and civic impact of a military college upon this state;
(2) Possible sites at which the military college could be located;
(3) The fiscal impact of a military college upon this state;
(4) Possible sources of funding the establishment and operation of a military college;
(5) The development of a robust Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program patterned after the Reserved Officers’ Training Corps program at one or more of the six senior military colleges;
(6) Issues relating to potential admission standards, codes of conduct, curricula, and degrees and programs offered; and
(7) Any other issues that the council determines to be reasonably related to the council’s purpose.
(b) The State Advisory Council on Establishing a Military College consists of seven voting members, all of whom are knowledgeable about and interested in issues relating to the council’s purpose.
(c) Voting members shall be appointed by the Governor. Appointments shall be made not later than 30 days after the effective date of this act. Vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as original appointments.
(d) The following three members shall be considered nonvoting members:
(1) The Adjutant General of the West Virginia National Guard, or his or her designee;
(2) The Secretary of the Department of Commerce, or his or her designee; and
(3) The Chancellor of the Higher Education Policy Commission, or his or her designee.
(e) The members of the council shall select the chairperson and vice chairperson, who may not be employees of the state. The council shall hold its first meeting not later than 30 days after the appointment of its members. For purposes of the first meeting, the Adjutant General or his or her designee shall call and preside over the first meeting until a chair is selected. Thereafter, the council shall meet at the call of the chairperson or at least once per quarter.
(f) There is hereby created a special revenue fund in the State Treasury designated the Military College Advisory Council Fund, which consists of any appropriations to the fund, all interest earned from investment of the fund, and any gifts, grants, or contributions received by the fund. Expenditures from the fund shall be for the purposes set forth in this section. The board retains the amount in the special revenue fund from year to year. No compensation or expense incurred under this section is a charge against the General Revenue Fund. The special revenue fund shall expire on June 30, 2028, and all such remaining funds shall transfer to the General Revenue Fund.
(g) Not later than 60 days after its first meeting, the council shall employ an executive director, who serves at the council’s will and pleasure. The council shall set the qualifications for and salary of the position of executive director. The council may not select one of its own members to serve as executive director.
(h) The executive director and members of the council are entitled to reimbursement for all reasonable and necessary expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties. Members are not entitled to compensation for services performed as members.
(i) The council shall report biannually to the Legislative Joint Committee on Government and Finance on the activities of the council. The first report shall be filed on or before the second Wednesday in January, 2026.
(j) The State Advisory Council on Establishing a Military College terminates on June 30, 2028.