This bill directs the West Virginia Legislature to allocate surplus state funds to the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2026. The appropriation specifically supports the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation within the department, funding information technology services and special services for correctional units. The legislation uses existing unappropriated surplus money from the State Fund's General Revenue rather than creating new revenue sources. This action increases the available budget for these specific correctional facility operations during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.
This bill creates a truancy pre-trial diversion program in West Virginia that allows parents, guardians, and custodians of truant children to avoid criminal conviction if they address the truancy and its underlying causes. It amends existing laws to delay sentencing for parents and guardians involved in truancy cases, giving them additional time to resolve attendance issues and access support services. The legislation also permits judges to require the Department of Human Services to provide home-based family preservation services for families facing truancy charges. Additionally, the bill removes criminal penalties for students who have reached the age of majority, focusing instead on requiring school attendance without jail time.
HB 5258 creates a 17-member Juvenile Justice Reform Oversight Committee to monitor West Virginia's juvenile justice system. The committee, including state officials, agency representatives, and community stakeholders, will track youth reoffending rates, calculate state savings from reduced out-of-home placements (averted costs), and produce annual reports with recommendations for reinvesting those savings into community-based alternatives to incarceration. It also establishes a Juvenile Justice Account in the state treasury to hold these saved funds. The bill directly affects state agencies like the Division of Juvenile Services and Department of Health and Human Resources, requiring them to provide data and participate in the oversight process.
HB 5322 prohibits sexual abuse of animals, defined as touching an animal's mouth, anus, or sex organs for sexual gratification, and bans related activities like selling animals for this purpose or allowing it on one's property. It imposes penalties ranging from up to 12 months in jail or a $2,000 fine for basic violations to up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine for aggravated cases involving children or animal harm. Convicted individuals must surrender all animals, cover their care costs, and face a 5-year ban on owning animals for misdemeanors or a 15-year ban for felonies. Additionally, courts must require a psychiatric evaluation (paid by the defendant unless indigent) before granting probation for these offenses.
HB 5198 amends West Virginia's hate crime law to explicitly include "disability" as a protected class alongside race, sex, and other characteristics. It increases penalties for crimes motivated by disability bias - such as violence or intimidation - by classifying such acts as felonies punishable by fines up to $5,000 or 10 years in prison. The bill applies to all individuals with disabilities as defined under state law (§16B-17-3), directly affecting victims of disability-targeted crimes and holding perpetrators accountable under existing hate crime provisions.
HB 5488 creates a new criminal offense in West Virginia for recklessly harming or interfering with service animals. It directly affects service animal handlers (including people with disabilities who rely on service animals) and anyone who harms these animals while they are assisting a person with a disability or when the offender knows the animal is a service animal. The bill prohibits actions like taunting, throwing objects, or obstructing a service animal’s work, with penalties including up to one year in jail, a $500 fine, or both. It also requires offenders to pay full restitution for damages, such as the animal’s value, replacement costs, veterinary bills, and lost wages for the handler. The bill is currently pending before the House Judiciary Committee after being introduced on February 13, 2026.
HB 5117 would restore voting rights for West Virginia residents who have completed their prison sentence for a felony. Currently, individuals convicted of felonies are barred from voting until they finish all aspects of their sentence, including probation or parole. This bill removes that barrier by making them eligible to register as soon as they are released from prison, without waiting for probation or parole to end. It also requires the state's Division of Corrections to notify people of their voting rights upon release and the Division of Probation to do the same upon discharge.
HB 5082 requires West Virginia correctional facilities, regional jails, and juvenile detention centers to provide free feminine hygiene products (tampons and sanitary napkins) to female inmates and female juveniles upon request, with delivery within eight hours. The bill amends existing laws to explicitly mandate this provision, ensuring no cost to individuals who menstruate while incarcerated. This policy change applies directly to all female individuals in state custody who require these products, addressing a basic health need without financial burden.
HB 5267 requires West Virginia correctional facilities to assist both juvenile and adult offenders in obtaining three essential identity documents - Social Security number/card, birth certificate, and driver's license - before their release. This applies to all inmates except those convicted of unlawful vehicle operation offenses. The bill amends §15A-3-4 of the state code to mandate this assistance as part of the commissioner’s duties, ensuring these documents are provided prior to release. The policy directly affects individuals transitioning from incarceration back into communities by addressing a common barrier to employment and housing. It focuses on concrete administrative changes within correctional facilities, without specifying outcomes or broader program impacts.
HB 5548, the "Stop Non-Consensual Distribution of Intimate Deep Fake Media Act," prohibits distributing deepfake videos or images that falsely depict a person engaging in non-consensual sexual conduct without their permission. It targets individuals who intentionally share such content to coerce, harass, or damage reputations, with penalties including fines up to $10,000 or up to five years in prison for repeat offenses. The law explicitly excludes constitutionally protected speech like political satire, commentary, or media with clear disclosures that it is manipulated. It also allows affected individuals or officials to seek court orders to stop violations.
