SB 697 West Virginia Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Relating to state road system

SB 697 regulates access points to West Virginia state highways for commercial, industrial, and agricultural properties. It requires new access points to get approval from the Commissioner of Highways before opening, while automatically treating existing entrances (established before July 1, 2016) as legally valid unless safety hazards are identified. The bill mandates safety reviews for existing entrances if accident reports or traffic surveys show significant risks, allowing the Commissioner to order changes at state expense. It also requires "no parking" signage or yellow markings for wide entrances (>50 feet) on highways with speed limits over 45 mph, applying to both pre-2016 and newer access points. This directly affects landowners, businesses, and rural operations relying on highway access.
Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Feb 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Mar 2026
Vetoed
Apr 2026
Introduced Feb 2, 2026 Vetoed Apr 1, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Committee Substitute Enrolled Committee Substitute · 4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was finalized as the 'Enrolled Version' and expanded the list of sponsoring senators to include Morris. The text of the bill itself remains substantively identical to the previous version, with only minor formatting adjustments (such as changing 'Sarah Nott's Law' to 'Sarah Nott Law' and updating a reference from 'subdivision' to 'subdivision'). The effective date is set for 90 days after passage.
Scope change
No change in scope or applicability; the bill's subject matter and legal requirements remain the same.
TECHNICAL

Added 'Morris' to the list of sponsoring senators in the header.

Changed the phrase 'Sarah Nott's Law' to 'Sarah Nott Law' in the text.

Updated a reference from 'subdivisions' to 'subdivision' in the criteria section.

TIMELINE

Added a specific effective date of June 11, 2026, which is 90 days after the March 13, 2026 passage date.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 26, 2026 · House of Delegates Mar 13, 2026

How they voted

330
Passed
Total votes 33
Feb 26, 2026
D Democratic2
2 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican31
31 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
35
Key actions
4
Committee
7
Apr 1, 2026
Vetoed
Vetoed by Governor 4/1/2026
upper
Mar 14, 2026
Vetoed
Vetoed by Governor 4/1/2026 - House Journal
lower
Mar 14, 2026
Vetoed
Vetoed by Governor 4/1/2026 - Senate Journal
upper
Mar 13, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed House (Roll No. 551)
lower
Mar 10, 2026
Lower · Passed
Do pass
lower
Feb 27, 2026
Committee
To House Energy and Public Works
lower
Feb 27, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
Feb 26, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (Roll No. 239)
upper
Feb 24, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported do pass
upper
Feb 12, 2026
Committee
To Finance
upper
Feb 12, 2026
Committee
Committee substitute reported, but first to Finance
upper
Feb 2, 2026
Committee
To Agriculture
upper
Feb 2, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
Feb 2, 2026
Committee
To Agriculture then Finance
upper
1 primary · 2 co-sponsors

Sponsors