West Virginia Senate approves law allowing first responders to create a verbal 30-foot barrier

The West Virginia Senate on Jan. 29 approved an engrossed committee substitute for Senate Bill 4, a measure to let first responders establish a temporary 30-foot barrier around themselves after giving a verbal warning.

Sponsor remarks emphasized the bill’s public-safety aim. "With this bill, first responders, only after giving a verbal warning, can create a 30 foot barrier around themselves while performing their official duties," the junior senator from the fifteenth told colleagues, adding that a person who remains inside that barrier and interferes or threatens a responder "could be charged and arrested on a misdemeanor charge." The sponsor urged passage as a tool to protect first responders.

Opponents raised constitutional and practical concerns during floor debate. The senator for Marion said he opposed the bill "not because I don't respect law enforcement," but because the statute could have "a potential chilling effect" on bystanders and journalists who record incidents. He warned courts have struck down similar measures at the federal level and said the bill could reduce transparency around use-of-force incidents.

A senator who supported the measure pointed to the morning prayer and the stated need to protect first responders, arguing the bill would help them "do their job, do it effectively, and also protect the public." After discussion, the chamber voted by machine: 32 yeas, 2 nays, 0 absent. The clerk recorded the bill as passed and will notify the House.

What happens next: The bill is transmitted to the House for its action; the Senate record shows the passage vote and no amendments were adopted on the floor during this session.

Sources and provenance: Senate floor proceedings, Jan. 29, 2026 (floor debate introducing and voting on SB4).