To create the felony offense for protestors blocking passage on streets and highways.
HB 3135 creates a new felony offense for protestors who intentionally block public roads, streets, or sidewalks used by the public, making it illegal to obstruct passage. It defines "obstruct" as rendering a path impassable, unreasonably inconvenient, or hazardous. Violations are misdemeanors (fines of $500+ and up to 1 month in jail), but become felonies with harsher penalties ($1,000+ fine and 3-3 years in prison) if the obstruction blocks emergency vehicles, hospitals, or if the person has prior similar convictions. The bill directly affects individuals who protest by physically blocking public thoroughfares, imposing specific criminal penalties for such actions.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Mar 4, 2025
Last action Mar 18, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
Introduced Version
→
Committee Substitute
·
3 edits
MINOR
The bill was amended to add a new subsection (f) clarifying that the law does not prevent lawful assembly and petition for redress of grievances, including activities protected by state and federal constitutions. The bill's text was also reformatted from a traditional legislative document to a web-friendly format with navigation elements and links.
Scope change
The bill's scope was narrowed by adding an explicit exemption for lawful assembly and petition activities, ensuring the obstruction law does not criminalize constitutionally protected protest or grievance activities.
EXEMPTIONS
Added subsection (f) stating the law does not prevent lawful assembly and petition for lawful redress of grievances, including activities protected by the West Virginia and United States Constitutions.
TECHNICAL
Changed document format from traditional legislative text to web-based layout with navigation menus, links, and interactive elements.
Removed page numbers and traditional legislative headers, replacing them with web navigation and footer information.
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
7
Key actions
1
Committee
3
Mar 18, 2025
Committee
To House Judiciary
lower
Mar 18, 2025
Lower · Passed
By substitute, do pass, but first to Judiciary
lower
Mar 4, 2025
Committee
To House Energy and Public Works
lower
Mar 4, 2025
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
1 primary · 1 co-sponsor
Sponsors
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