Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Judiciary committee reports multiple bills to full Senate, including Right-to-Try expansion and probate guidance materials
Loading...
Summary
The committee reported 15 bills to the full Senate. Notable items include House Bill 4610 (Right to Try expansion), HB 4552 (correctional officers clarified as qualified law enforcement for concealed-carry), HB 4755 (adds qualifying offenses for enhanced sentences), HB 4842 (civil remedies for intimate-image disclosures), and HB 4850 (State Bar to post free probate materials). Most measures passed by voice vote; several technical amendments were adopted.
The West Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a package of bills to the full Senate during its meeting, reporting 15 items after a mix of brief explanations, technical amendments and some extended debate on select measures.
Among the bills the committee reported:
- House Bill 4610: Expands the Right to Try Act to allow patients with life-threatening or severely debilitating illnesses (physician-attested) to seek experimental treatments, including biosimilars, individualized gene therapy and neoantigen vaccines; the committee reported the bill with a technical amendment.
- House Bill 4552: A strike-and-insert clarifies that correctional officers are "law enforcement officers" for purposes of federal provisions (18 U.S.C. §§ 926B–C) permitting qualified officers to carry concealed firearms if they meet certification and training requirements; the committee adopted a drafting fix that corrects a cross-reference.
- House Bill 4755: Adds several offenses (for example, aggravated vehicular homicide and certain DUI-causing-death offenses) to the list of qualifying crimes that trigger enhanced sentencing for repeat offenders; committee adopted a title amendment and reported the bill.
- House Bill 4842: The strike-and-insert clarifies civil causes of action for unauthorized disclosure of intimate images and ensures aggravated extortion is captured; the committee adopted the amendment.
- House Bill 4850: Requires the West Virginia State Bar to provide free online materials about duties and responsibilities of executors and administrators (probate), accessible to the visually impaired and available by Jan. 1, 2028; the sponsor and members discussed scope and existing county resources before the committee adopted technical changes and reported the bill.
Several other bills and amendments were handled in routine fashion, including those that clarify professional qualifications for mental-health examiners in restoration-of-rights petitions and increases to transfer-tax exemptions. Where members requested clarifications or technical drafting changes, counsel restated amendments that the committee adopted by voice vote.
What’s next: Most measures will be scheduled on the Senate calendar for floor consideration; votes recorded in committee were generally voice votes and numerical tallies were not provided on the record.
