HB 5036 West Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

The sovereignty of law and judicial authority in the State of West Virginia.

HB 5036 prohibits West Virginia courts and agencies from enforcing any legal system not created through the state legislature, Congress, or recognized common law. It makes contracts, arbitration agreements, or private adjudication unenforceable if they violate constitutional rights, deny court access, or restrict due process. The bill specifically bars recognition of family law decisions (like custody or inheritance) based on unauthorized legal systems and creates a private legal remedy for people harmed by such enforcement. It explicitly preserves private religious practices and compliant arbitration while targeting "parallel legal systems" that bypass democratic legislative processes.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 2, 2026 Last action Feb 2, 2026
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Total actions
4
Key actions
0
Committee
2
Feb 2, 2026
Committee
To House Judiciary
lower
Feb 2, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
Feb 2, 2026
Committee
To Judiciary
lower
1 primary · 8 co-sponsors

Sponsors