Update: Bill creating Office of Entrepreneurship becomes law

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WVVA) - UPDATE: The proposal for a statewide Office of Entrepreneurship has now been signed into law.

Gov. Patrick Morrisey approved SB 878 on March 25, 2026. The new law places the Office of Entrepreneurship within the West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office and takes effect July 1, 2026.

Right to Start, a national nonprofit advocating for entrepreneurship, called the measure “landmark legislation.”

It puts West Virginia in the forefront of states committing to advance entrepreneurship.

ORIGINAL REPORTING:

West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner just proposed something that could make starting a business a lot less confusing: a new Office of Entrepreneurship.

Starting a business is hard enough without trying to figure out which government office can actually help you. The new Office of Entrepreneurship would be that one point of contact—your go-to place when you’re launching your company.

What would it do?

The Office wouldn’t try to do everything itself. Instead, it would be a hub that connects you to the right people and agencies that already exist:

• Help you navigate business formation and understand what you actually need to do
• Point you toward business coaching
• Guide you to funding and financing help
• Connect you with workforce assistance
• Help you find the right location for your business

Think of it as the person who cuts through the confusion and points you in the right direction.

Here’s the smart part: every new business owner already has to contact the Secretary of State’s Office to form their business. They usually come back at least once a year after that. So the Office of Entrepreneurship is in the perfect spot to be that friendly first contact.

Secretary Warner told lawmakers it would take about $175,000 per year for two years to get the office staffed and running. After that, the plan is for the office to become self-sufficient.

The office would also report back to the Legislature regularly about how small businesses are doing, what’s working, what’s not, and what changes might be needed.

Warner previously worked as Executive Director of the WV Economic Development Authority under Governor Jim Justice. He knows the landscape and believes West Virginia is ready for this kind of support.

Seven other states already run similar offices. Warner is proposing that West Virginia join them.