SB 84 West Virginia Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Prohibiting law enforcement from placing surveillance cameras on private property

SB 84 prohibits West Virginia law enforcement officers from installing surveillance cameras on private property without either the property owner's consent or a valid search warrant. This directly affects police departments and private landowners by requiring legal authorization before placing cameras on fenced, posted, or cultivated land owned by non-government entities. Exceptions allow installation in areas visible to the public without authorization or during emergencies where obtaining consent/warrant isn't feasible. The bill defines "surveillance camera" to exclude police vehicle dash or body cameras but explicitly covers devices like game cameras used for observation. It applies to all law enforcement officers, including state natural resources agents, under West Virginia law.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Feb 2026

Signed into Law

Jun 2026

Introduced Jan 14, 2026 Signed Jun 25, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

sb84 h jud am _1 adopted.htm → sb84 hfat akers 2-25 adopted.htm · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill's title was updated to reflect a new amendment by Delegate Akers, replacing the previous Judiciary Committee amendment. The new title clarifies that the bill adds a specific section prohibiting law enforcement from installing surveillance cameras on private land without consent or a warrant, while defining key terms and listing exceptions.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on restricting law enforcement surveillance on private property, but the new title explicitly details the creation of a new section (§62-1A-12) and its specific provisions, including definitions and exceptions for exigent circumstances.

SCOPE

The amendment text was replaced with a new motion by Delegate Akers to add a new section (§62-1A-12) instead of the previous Judiciary Committee amendment.

DEFINITION

The new title explicitly mentions the creation of definitions for terms like 'private land' and 'surveillance camera' within the bill.

REQUIREMENT

The new title specifies that the bill will create exceptions for situations where an owner consents or a valid search warrant is obtained.

The new title notes that the prohibition does not apply to cameras placed in areas where officers have a right to be or in exigent circumstances.

Floor votes · Senate Jan 29, 2026 · House of Delegates Feb 26, 2026

How they voted

33–0

Passed

Total votes 33

Jan 29, 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

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Mar 14, 2026

Signed into law

Approved by Governor 3/14/2026

upper

Mar 6, 2026

Upper · Passed

Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 360)

upper

Feb 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

Title amendment adopted (Voice vote)

lower

Feb 26, 2026

Lower · Passed

Passed House (Roll No. 196)

lower

Feb 25, 2026

Lower · Passed

Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote)

lower

Feb 25, 2026

Amended

Amendment rejected (Roll No. 195)

lower

Feb 25, 2026

Introduced

Amendment reported by the Clerk

lower

Feb 23, 2026

Lower · Passed

With amendment, do pass

lower

Jan 30, 2026

Committee

To House Judiciary

lower

Jan 30, 2026

Committee

To Judiciary

lower

Jan 30, 2026

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

Jan 29, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed Senate (Roll No. 18)

upper

Jan 23, 2026

Upper · Passed

Committee substitute reported

upper

Jan 14, 2026

Introduced

Introduced in Senate

upper

Jan 14, 2026

Committee

To Judiciary

upper

1 primary · 3 co-sponsors