ELKINS, WV — Today, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey hosted a ceremonial signing celebrating key workforce legislation enacted during the 2026 legislative session, including House Bill 4009, landmark legislation modeled after the Voluntary Portable Benefits Act.
HB 4009 builds on years of work by Independent Women and other groups to modernize workforce policy for today’s economy through voluntary portable benefits that preserve independent worker status and flexibility.
Patrice Onwuka, vice president for economic policy at Independent Women and director of Independent Women’s Center for Economic Opportunity, joined Governor Morrisey for today’s bill signing in Elkins.
“We applaud Governor Morrisey for his commitment to modernizing the state’s workforce, in particular for the over 95,000 independent contractors,” said Onwuka. “Many people cannot work in a traditional 9-to-5 but thrive working for themselves, such as moms and caregivers. They enjoy the flexibility to work on their schedules, but may desire workplace benefits. Now, this law clears the way for small businesses and companies to offer benefits to their independent workforce without risking their misclassification. This law is a win for freelancers and a win for companies.”
“West Virginia’s economy depends on hardworking people who build businesses, support their families, and strengthen their communities,” said Governor Patrick Morrisey. “The Portable Benefit Account Act gives independent workers greater flexibility while making West Virginia an even better place to live, work, and invest. I want to thank the Independent Women’s Forum for its leadership on this effort. This is a big win for West Virginia’s economy.”
West Virginia is one of ten states to enact portable benefits legislation through broad bipartisan support. Governor Morrisey became the first governor to make portable benefits legislation a key priority of his administration, highlighting the proposal during his State of the State Address and including it as part of his broader workforce agenda. His leadership propelled West Virginia to the forefront of a growing national movement to modernize workforce policy and better serve the state’s 95,000+ independent workers.
HB 4009 creates a voluntary framework allowing businesses to contribute to portable benefits for independent workers while ensuring those benefits remain fully owned and controlled by the worker.
Benefits for independent workers may include:
- Retirement savings
- Health insurance
- Disability coverage
- Life insurance
Independent Women unveiled its Voluntary Portable Benefits Act model legislation last year as part of a multi-state initiative to modernize workforce policy and safeguard independent worker choice. Working alongside a coalition of policy and grassroots organizations, this bipartisan policy is spreading to states aiming to be responsive to their workforces’ needs.
Independent Women continues to amplify the voices of independent workers through Independent Women’s Features (IW Features), a grassroots storytelling initiative—highlighting the need to expand access to portable benefits while preserving worker choice.
To date, West Virginia, Georgia, Louisiana, Idaho, Kansas, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Utah, Alabama, and Wyoming have enacted portable benefits legislation.
For the 605 members of Independent Women’s Network in West Virginia, this victory is especially meaningful. It represents not just a policy change, but a shift in how leaders think about work, opportunity, and economic empowerment.
See more from Independent Women’s Center for Economic Opportunity on supporting freedom and flexibility for independent contractors:
- Washington Post | An innovative approach to expanding health coverage is gaining steam
- Trump Administration Launches New Freelancer-Friendly Rule
- Independent Women Applauds New Department of Labor Independent Contractor Rule to Expand Opportunity and Freedom for America’s Workforce
- Trump Department of Labor Gives Independent Contractors Big Win
- Independent Women’s Gabby Hoffman Testifies Before Congress On Benefits for Independent Contractors
- Biden’s new rule on independent contractors wages war on workers, women and entrepreneurs
- Independent Women’s Forum Applauds the Department of Labor’s Rule Protecting Independent Contractors Nationwide
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