Del. Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio, speaks to his colleagues in the House of Representatives during a discussion on House Bill 4951 on Tuesday, February 3, 2026. The bill passed with a vote of 58 to 35. (Photo by Perry Bennett/West Virginia Legislative Photography)
The West Virginia House of Representatives approved two bills Tuesday to support the state with the application process for the five-year, $50 billion federal Rural Health Transformation Program.
The delegates passed House Bill 4740 with a 92 votes to 1. House Bill 4951which requires doctors to complete further training in nutrition was approved by a majority 58 to 35.
Gov. Patrick Morrisey called for both bills. The Trump administration announced overdue last year that it had awarded West Virginia $199 million for 2026 as part of the Rural Health Transformation Program, a program aimed at “helping states strengthen rural areas.” “We must improve health infrastructure and build sustained delivery systems,” according to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.
Curtis Capehart, Morrisey’s policy director, told the health board last week that West Virginia will be reassessed over the next five years of the program to determine whether it is meeting the program’s goals and whether the federal government has the option to claw back the money or provide more. Implementing the legislative changes would support the state perform better in future assessments.
The Rural Health Transformation Fund was included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which made historic cuts to Medicaid. The $50 billion rural health fund was added to federal law to address concerns that cuts in the Republican megabill would lead to rural hospital closures.
The program will distribute a $50 billion fund to approved states over the next five years, with $10 billion distributed each year beginning in fiscal year 2026.
Under HB 4951, the State Board of Medicine and Board of Osteopathic Medicine would add continuing education requirements as part of the licensure process.
For doctors, further training of 50 hours is required every two years and for doctors of osteopathic medicine, further training of 32 hours is required. The bill provides for two hours of continuing education on nutrition as part of these requirements.
Del. Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio, noted that the medical and osteopathic medicine boards could implement their own changes to licensing rules without the Legislature having to change the law.
“This is a government mandate,” Fluharty said. “This means big government getting into the Board of Medicine instead of allowing the professionals to make decisions about the continuing education aspect and what is stopped.” [lawmakers] in the future from politicizing this and codifying things that are currently hotly debated politically and are not medically necessary? I think we let the medical profession decide what is medically necessary, rather than the government mandating something for educational purposes.”
Under HB 4740The West Virginia Department of Health could operate its own purchasing department for federal funds without having to go through the state’s purchasing department. The program would still have to follow purchasing department rules.
Del. Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, who was the only person to vote “no” on HB 4740, expressed concerns that the state’s share of federal funding could be fraudulently spent if the Department of Health does not operate the state purchasing department to spend the money.
House Health Chairman Del. Evan Worrell, R-Cabell, said the Department of Health must continue to follow its own rules and guidelines for funding. Worrell said he has no concerns about the possibility of fraud because the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid has guidelines for the program and has made it clear that the agency will track how the state uses the funds.
Both bills will next head to the Senate for consideration.
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