AARP West Virginia Outlines 2026 State Advocacy Agenda

AARP West Virginia state leaders have detailed the organization’s legislative agenda for the 2026 West Virginia Legislature.

The organization, which represents a quarter-million older West Virginians, is focused on supporting caregivers, protecting older West Virginians against fraud and financial exploitation, improving financial security for all West Virginians, and supporting continued expansion and development of the state’s broadband infrastructure.

AARP West Virginia staff and volunteers are working closely with state leaders on legislative action affecting West Virginians 50-plus, which includes:

Fraud, Financial Exploitation And Financial Resilience
AARP has a long history of fighting fraud and financial exploitation through advocacy, education, and outreach. Older adults are especially vulnerable to scams that can wipe out life savings or even steal their homes. We will work with state lawmakers to strengthen protections against two fast-growing threats: cryptocurrency ATM fraud and real estate fraud.

Cryptocurrency ATM scams exploit individuals, directing victims to convert cash into cryptocurrency to resolve fake emergencies. In 2024, West Virginians lost more than $7.6 million to crypto scams according to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). AARP will advocate for legislation that will deter criminals from leveraging cryptocurrency kiosks in their schemes.

Deed fraud, where criminals forge property documents or impersonate owners, can result in devastating financial and emotional harm. AARP supports measures to address deed and real estate fraud, helping to eliminate wealth loss that destabilizes communities and erodes generational wealth.

AARP will work with lawmakers, regulators, and community partners to make West Virginia a leader in consumer protection. No one should lose their home or life savings to fraud. Through strong legislation, enforcement, and education, we can safeguard older adults from losing their hard-earned money to criminals.


Caregiving
West Virginia’s 375,000 caregivers provide more than $3 billion of unpaid care annually, helping loved ones remain at home by managing medications, preparing meals, assisting with daily activities, and coordinating medical appointments - all while many balance full-time jobs.

This essential care comes at a steep cost: caregivers spend an average of $7,200 out of pocket each year, creating significant financial, emotional, and physical strain.

AARP is committed to supporting caregivers and strengthening home-based care through these key priorities:

• A tax credit for eligible caregivers, helping offset expenses for aging loved ones and reducing reliance on costly institutional care. Public support is strong, with 84% of West Virginians favoring a caregiver tax credit.
• Work to ensure individuals can be served in their homes, receiving Medicaid-based HCBS instead of costly nursing home services, to protect individual autonomy, strengthen family caregivers, and save taxpayer dollars.

Digital Connections For Our Communities
AARP is committed to ensuring West Virginians have affordable, reliable high-speed internet access and the skills and technology needed to thrive in today’s digital economy.

High-speed internet helps older adults avoid isolation, remain independent, connect with family, and stay engaged through online learning and volunteering.

AARP supports continued state investments to expand broadband infrastructure while advocating for consumer protections that prevent unfair costs for taxpayers or customers.

To strengthen reliability and fairness, AARP urges state lawmakers to adopt measures to protect older adults from service disruptions and unfair billing practices while promoting network reliability and consumer rights.


Protecting Retirement Income
Retirement security in West Virginia doesn’t just matter to individual retirees, but to our state economy as a whole.

West Virginia’s public sector retirees are facing increasing health care and prescription drug costs, along with rising utility bills.

AARP supports a cost-of-living adjustment that helps ensure the benefits earned over a lifetime of hard work do not erode over time due to inflation.


For the latest updates on AARP’s state advocacy work at the West Virginia Legislature, follow AARP West Virginia on Facebook and on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @AARPWV. The 60-day regular session of the West Virginia Legislature concludes on Saturday, March 14.