Requiring minimum time be served for first degree murder before parole eligibility
This bill changes the parole rules for individuals convicted of first-degree murder who receive a life sentence with parole eligibility ("life with mercy"). It requires them to serve a minimum of 30 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole. The law directly affects those sentenced under West Virginia Code §61-2-2 for first-degree murder, specifically altering their parole timeline. This policy change eliminates early parole consideration for these offenders, mandating a 30-year minimum term before parole review.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 15, 2026
Last action Jan 15, 2026
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
3
Key actions
0
Committee
1
Jan 15, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
Jan 15, 2026
Committee
To Judiciary
upper
1 primary · 3 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Robbie Morris
RRepublican
Co
Bill Hamilton
RRepublican
Co
Mike Woelfel
DDemocratic
Co
Vince Deeds
RRepublican
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