Gov. Morrisey Signs Bills on Critical Minerals and School Athletics

West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey signed legislation related to critical minerals in April 2026 and separate legislation concerning school athletics in March 2026. These were reported as two distinct bill-signing events occurring in West Virginia. According to West Virginia Daily News, Morrisey signed Senate Bill 648, the Strategic and Critical Resources Act, on April 10, 2026, which would create a statewide regulatory framework for the extraction and collection of critical minerals; the outlet also reported Morrisey's claim that the state had secured more than $7 billion in new energy projects expected to create 8,000 jobs since the initiative was announced. According to WVVA, Morrisey signed House Bill 4425 on or around March 31, 2026, authorizing the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission to adopt a new student-athlete transfer rule. Because each bill-signing was reported by only one outlet, none of the specific details—including the dollar figures, job-creation estimates, or the exact provisions of either bill—could be independently verified against a second, non-syndicated source. The practical effects of the critical minerals framework and the specifics of the new athletic transfer rule remain unclear from available reporting, and no further legislative or implementation steps have been confirmed.