The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill SB 1046 Raises Fines and Imposes Life Sentences for First Degree Sexual Assault
Last action · February 21, 2026: To JudiciarySponsor: Kevan Bartlett
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Proposed
West Virginia Senate Bill 1046 increases fines for first-degree sexual assault, mandates a life sentence with or without parole eligibility for offenders aged 18 and older when the victim is younger than 12, and establishes jury sentencing procedures.
The measure alters criminal penalties by increasing monetary fines from a range of $1,000–$10,000 to $10,000–$100,000 generally, and from $5,000–$25,000 to $50,000–$250,000 for adult offenders committing offenses against young children.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Defendants convicted of first-degree sexual assault
Defendants face higher monetary fines and mandatory life imprisonment terms under specific age conditions.
State correctional facilities
Key Facts
- Increases the standard fine range for first-degree sexual assault from $1,000–$10,000 to $10,000–$100,000.
- Mandates a life sentence for offenders 18 years of age or older when the victim is younger than 12 years of age.
- Establishes a fine range of $50,000 to $250,000 for offenders 18 or older convicted of first-degree sexual assault against a victim younger than 12.
- Allows juries to recommend mercy in first-degree sexual assault cases involving life sentences, permitting parole eligibility after 15 years served.
Show all 6 facts
- Grants courts discretion upon a guilty plea to provide parole eligibility after 15 years served for defendants facing life sentences.
- Requires juries in criminal trials to explicitly state in their verdict whether a defendant is guilty of first-degree or second-degree sexual assault.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the new fine for first-degree sexual assault under SB 1046?
Can a defendant facing a life sentence under this bill ever become eligible for parole?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in Senate committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Feb 21, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Feb 21, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced in Senate
- Feb 21, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Feb 21, 2026SenateIntroducedFiled for introduction
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools