West Virginia legislation · 2026 Regular Session
West Virginia HB5539: West Virginia Coal Miners Employment Act
Status: Introduced, February 16, 2026
What the bill says
To amend and reenact §16b-17-9a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to granting employment preference to certain unemployed coal miners. ARTICLE 17. human rights commission. §16B-17-9a. Veterans, and military spouses and unemployed coal miners preference not a violation of equal employment opportunity under certain circumstances. (a) An employer may grant preference in hiring to a veteran or disabled veteran who has been honorably discharged from the United States Armed Services, or to a military spouse, or an unemployed coal miner provided that the person granted t.
From the introduced text, February 16, 2026:
A BILL to amend and reenact §16b-17-9a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to granting employment preference to certain unemployed coal miners. ARTICLE 17. human rights commission. §16B-17-9a. Veterans, and military spouses and unemployed coal miners preference not a violation of equal employment opportunity under certain circumstances. (a) An employer may grant preference in hiring to a veteran or disabled veteran who has been honorably discharged from the United States Armed Services, or to a military spouse, or an unemployed coal miner provided that the person granted the hiring preference meets all of the knowledge, skills, and eligibility requirements of the job to be filled. Such hiring preference may be granted without violating the provisions of this article or any other state equal employment opportunity law. (b) For purposes of this section: (1) "Military spouse" means the husband or wife of a member of the Armed Forces who, as determined by the United States Secretary of Defense, is performing active duty pursuant to orders that authorize a permanent change of station move, if such husband or wife relocates to the member's new permanent duty station. (2) "Unemployed coal miner" means an individual who has been employed for an aggregate period of not less than five years in coal mining employment performed at a mine site, who …