West Virginia Bill Requires County Surveyors to Be State Residents Starting in 2027

Original title: Establish residency requirements for county surveyor be a resident of the state and provide exemption for holding more than one office.

Last action · January 28, 2026: To House Government OrganizationSponsors: Chuck Sheedy and 8 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Proposed

West Virginia House Bill 4469 requires all county surveyors first elected or appointed after January 1, 2027, to be state residents, while also establishing an exemption process for holding dual public offices. The measure defines state residency requirements and amends existing land surveying statutes.

Why it matters

Establishes a mandatory residency standard for a constitutional county office and codifies criteria for determining , affecting future candidates for county surveyor.

Background

County surveyors in West Virginia are constitutional officers whose role and qualifications are governed by state law and the West Virginia Constitution. context

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.

Directly affected

County surveyors

Future county surveyors newly elected or appointed after January 1, 2027, must meet defined state residency and licensing criteria to hold office.

Directly affected

Ethics Commission

The commission is authorized to review and grant case-by-case exemptions for land surveyors seeking to hold dual offices.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the bill determine if someone is a state resident?

A state resident is defined as a person d in the state, demonstrated by physical presence, intent to remain, and factors such as where they pay taxes, register vehicles, hold a driver's license, and receive benefits.

Can a county surveyor hold more than one public office?

Yes, a land surveyor seeking to hold can request a case-by-case exemption from the Ethics Commission if specific statutory criteria are met.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.

Procedural history

6 actions

Jan 28, 2026HouseCommittee
To House Government Organization
Jan 16, 2026HouseCommittee
To House Local Governments
Jan 16, 2026HouseCommittee
To House Government Organization
Jan 16, 2026HouseIntroduced
Introduced in House
Jan 16, 2026HouseCommittee
To Government Organization
Jan 16, 2026HouseIntroduced
Filed 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 →