HB 5209 West Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Create a registry of persons convicted of animal abuse

HB 5209 creates a state registry for individuals convicted of animal abuse (misdemeanor or felony) in West Virginia. It requires these individuals to register with the West Virginia State Police and pay an annual $125 fee, which funds mental health services for state police employees. The registry is integrated into an existing "Central Abuse Registry" that already includes records for child abuse, elder abuse, and sex offenses. This bill directly affects only those with final convictions for animal abuse crimes, not suspected abusers or general animal cruelty cases.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 5, 2026 Last action Feb 5, 2026
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Full legislative history

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Total actions
4
Key actions
0
Committee
2
Feb 5, 2026
Committee
To House Judiciary
lower
Feb 5, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
Feb 5, 2026
Committee
To Judiciary
lower
1 primary · 10 co-sponsors

Sponsors