Introduced by Democrat delegate Linda Longstreth, the resolution declaring the date "Miner's Day" was unanimously approved by the House of Delegates.
The date chosen is the anniversary of the 1907 Monongah mine disaster in which as many as 362 miners lost their lives.
Fairmont artist and educator Creed P Holden came up with the idea several years ago but was spurred into action following the January Sago disaster.
Holden and Longstreth, former instructors at the International Academy of Design and Technology, both had relatives involved in coal mining.
Holden's grandfather, Creedie Shepherd, was a coal miner in Harrison County while Longstreth's father, the late Thomas Longstreth, was a blocklayer at the old Rachel Mine.
To gather support for the idea Holden collected 10,000 electronic signatures on the Internet after the site went live January 16.
