The West Virginia Senate on third reading adopted an amendment that inserts provisions of Senate Bill 937 and adds a surplus appropriation of $41,159,321 from the unappropriated balance of general revenue to a new "site ready projects, vo tech and workforce investment" appropriation in the Department of Economic Development, Office of the Secretary. The Senate passed the amended bill and voted to make it effective from passage.

Why it matters: The amendment directs a specific, large one‑time appropriation to economic development and workforce projects, shifting unappropriated general revenue to site readiness and vocational training programs. Lawmakers said the change is a supplemental appropriation and reassigns funds for targeted workforce and economic development investments.

Key details and floor action

- Motion and amendment: Junior Senator Barrett moved an amendment striking everything after the enacting clause and inserting the provisions of Senate Bill 937, including the appropriation.

- Purpose and amount: Senator Barrett said the amendment would add an appropriation of $41,159,321 from the unappropriated balance of general revenue to the new "site ready projects, vo tech and workforce investment surplus appropriation" within the Department of Economic Development, Office of the Secretary. He also described a related surplus transfer of approximately $56,000,192 (transcript text: "$56,000,192 $192,210"), moving funds from various special revenue accounts into general revenue surplus and appropriating the same amount to a new joint committee on government finance and to the site‑ready/vo‑tech appropriation; the transcript provides the exact string quoted here and did not parse the second figure into a single consolidated amount.

- Passage and effect: The Senate adopted the amendment and passed the bill. Passage recorded: 33 yays, 0 nays, 1 absent/not voting. The Senate then voted to make the bill effective from passage; that motion carried with 33 yays, 0 nays, 1 absent/not voting, and the clerk declared the bill effective from passage.

Floor context and sources

- The amendment's sponsor described the appropriation as coming from the unappropriated balance of general revenue and identified the receiving appropriation as a surplus appropriation to the Department of Economic Development for site‑ready projects, vo‑tech and workforce investment.

- The transcript contains the sponsor’s floor explanation and the clerk’s roll‑call tallies; the bill was read and the amendment adopted without extended debate beyond the sponsor’s explanation.

Attribution and speakers (from the floor record)

- Senator Barrett (junior senator from the 16th) — moved and explained the amendment inserting Senate Bill 937 language and the $41,159,321 appropriation.
- Clerk — recorded roll‑call tallies and communicated results.

What’s next: The clerk communicated the action of the Senate to the House. Because the Senate made the bill effective from passage, the effective date was declared on the Senate floor; further administrative steps and any required House concurrence or enrollment will follow customary legislative procedures.